Chapter Thirty-Two
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Melanie
" W here are we going?" I ask Weston as he drives us through the woods, our hands clasped together, as he drives carefully.
"There is somewhere special I want to take you," he replies. I've always trusted him, especially since we decided our relationship was worth fighting for. Life together has been great. We've had arguments like any normal couple, but we've also had many happy moments.
It's a nice day. I call it fake spring because it might get cold again before summer truly arrives. But I'm happy to be out in nature with Weston, just the two of us feeling comfortable.
I've never been to where he's taking me, and I'm excited because he's shown me so many wonderful things over the past few months. We arrive at what looks like a train trestle, and he leads me to a ladder nearby.
Suddenly, I remember an old wives' tale. "Weston, are we going to put our initials on the train trestle?" I ask with a big smile.
"Yeah," he grins, "we're going to put our initials on the train trestle." He helps me up, and we walk until we find an empty spot. He takes out a permanent marker, and together we draw a heart and place our initials inside it.
He raises his eyebrows playfully. "I think we should seal it with a kiss. What about you?"
I agree. Then we take a selfie to remember this moment so we can tell our family about it someday. Quietly, I add to myself that I'm still hopeful we can have that family.
We kiss to seal the moment, and as we walk away holding hands, I'm the happiest I've ever been. The warmth of the moment lingers as we find a spot to sit, overlooking the forest stretching beneath us. The treetops sway gently, painting shadows that dance along the ground like whispers of a story yet to unfold.
"Do you ever think about the future?" I ask, tracing patterns in the dirt with the toe of my shoe.
Weston chuckles softly. "All the time. Especially about us."
I look over at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "What does our future look like to you?" I ask, feeling a gentle flutter of anticipation in my chest.
He leans back, supported by his hands, his gaze focused skyward. "I see us with a little cabin not far from here, where the seasons change around us just like they do now. A little place where we can go to be completely alone. Nobody dropping in, or bothering us."
I smile, imagining the scenario. "A cabin with a big porch so we can sit outside and drink hot cocoa when snow falls."
"And kids," he adds, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "Two or three, maybe. Teaching them to appreciate all of this," he gestures around, "nature, the quiet, finding joy in the simple things. They can be our biological kids if that's possible, or we could adopt. I'm not against fostering either."
I nod, the picture so vivid in my mind. "We'll take them hiking and fishing. They'll know these woods like we do."
"We'll have a dog, too," Weston suggests, his grin widening. "A golden retriever that's their partner in all sorts of mischief."
I laugh, reaching for his hand. "I like this plan. Our family will have so much love."
Weston pulls me closer, our shoulders touching as we look out together over nature's tapestry. For the first time, I see not just the vastness of the forest, but the promise of our shared journey within it. And I know whatever the future holds, it'll be with him, and in that certainty, I find peace.