Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Cooper
W e spend a couple more days at the Grand Canyon.
During the day, we hike. Real hikes, too, down into the canyon itself, starting so early in the morning the sun has barely cleared the trees. At night, we explore each other instead. I know every inch of her, every freckle, every spot that makes her gasp, but it feels a little different each time. We fall asleep wrapped up in each other, then wake to the sound of the alarm. Unlike the games that led us here, this is real lovemaking, soul-to-soul.
While we hike, we talk. It’s like being here has loosened something in Penny, and the words can’t come out fast enough. We chat about her childhood and mine. The upcoming school year. Our friends and family.
The future.
She hasn’t told me what she wants us to do to signify that promise yet, but we talk about it all the same. What cities I might play in. The hopes she has for her career. Our wedding; whether we’ll elope or have a party. The child we’d like to have one day.
“I dreamt about it,” she says as she pants alongside me, heading back uphill from Bright Angel Bridge. “A boy. I think I’d like to have a boy.”
“Did he have your hair?”
“Yes.”
I grin. “Then I approve.”
“We’ll show him how to skate,” she says. She gives my fingers a quick squeeze. “He might not love it like we do, but we can try.”
“Maybe he’ll be a figure skater.”
“Or a hockey player,” she counters.
I stop, balancing against a rock, and take a sip of water. I offer the bottle to Penny, who takes a sip too. “Or neither. Which would be fine. Even if he wants to play football, I guess I’ll find a way to deal with it.”
Her smile makes my chest ache. “I just like the idea of him being ours,” she says. “Or her. Or them. Whoever they are. Pieces of you and pieces of me.”
“One day.”
She shades her eyes as she looks at the view. We only have a couple miles left in the hike, so the river looks distant again. A few birds of prey circle lazily, looking for their next meal. I know that the river is what created this canyon, but it’s hard to imagine it cutting through the rock face. Millions of years of this, and it’ll keep going long after we’re gone. Maybe that would make someone else feel insignificant in a bad way, but I like it.
“I wasn’t sure what to say to her,” she says.
I look over. “Who?”
“My mom.” She takes a deep breath. “That’s why I wanted to stay here for a few days. I didn’t want to go and just... not say anything. I wanted to feel like I had something real to share with her.”
I just nod, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
“And I know what I want to say now.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. She isn’t crying, but her voice is thick with emotion. She plays with her butterfly necklace. “I’m ready. What do you think, one more night here and then tomorrow, we head down?”
“Sounds like a plan.” I rub circles into her back. I’m not sure what to expect, if she’ll be upset, or if it’ll be peaceful. I’m lucky, compared to her; both of my parents are in my life. Things have been better with me and Dad lately, too. Not perfect, but definitely better. It became a bit of a news story, the great Richard Callahan’s hockey-playing son playing in—and then winning—the Frozen Four, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more excited to talk about me. I still can’t believe how many of my college games he’s watched. “I’ll be right by your side.”
She kisses my cheek. “I know. And I’m grateful.”
We continue up the path, pausing from time to time to take a break and chat. We have hours of daylight left, plenty of time to finish the hike and clean up before dinner. We made reservations at one of the hotel restaurants. Maybe we’ll play another game. Tourists about to have a vacation fling, getting handsy in the elevator. A couple at a breaking point that needs to fight and make up.
When we finally make it to the top, my body is aching pleasantly from the exertion. Penny’s face is red, but she’s smiling.
“I figured something else out, too,” she says.
“Yeah?”
She traces over the point of my Andúril tattoo. “For our commitment. Let’s get matching tattoos.”
“Seriously?”
“If you don’t mind getting another one.”
“Never.” I cup her face with both hands, kissing her deeply. We’re both covered in sweat, but I don’t care. “Do you have an idea?”
“It’s so dorky.”
“I’m listening.”
“I thought maybe... something in Elvish. Sindarin, I mean.”
I deliberately pinch my arm. “Red. Are you joking? Am I dreaming?”
She shakes her head, laughing. “No.”
“We can get something done in Sindarin or Quenya, but with Tengwar script.”
She reaches up and kisses me lightly. “This is why I love you.”
“I’ll ask the Lord of the Rings forum I’m in about the spelling. If you’re sure.”
Her eyes shine with excitement. “I’m sure. Let’s find someone to do it soon.”
“And this is why I love you.”
She pats my chest. “I know, babe.”