Game Plan #2
“Spencer, I promise. I… God, it makes me sound like such a bitch. I don’t want you helping me.
I know it’s a me issue, and I need to work on it, but I want things packed and done a certain way.
It’s all around better for everyone if I do it the first time.
” If this didn’t make him run, I wasn’t sure what would.
“That’s understandable, and if you need me to sit out of the way and be here to keep you company, I can do that.
Anything you need from me, sweetheart.” I stood there staring at him.
Just like that, he accepted what I needed.
No second thoughts. No trying to convince me otherwise or telling me I was crazy.
I opened my mouth to talk and then closed it again. Finally, I managed to get words out.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it. I know it makes me sound insane.” I let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“It doesn’t make you anything but you.” He shrugged like it was that simple.
“You want things a specific way, and right now you would rather you do them. Maybe later on you would show me, but for now it’s easier for you to do it this way.
I get it, love, and that’s okay.” He kissed my forehead and went over to his designated spot on the bed.
“If you need me, I’ll be right here for you.
” He smiled, that dimple popping out. I grabbed my suitcase and tossed it on the bed, and set to work packing.
We decided that since I had a 4Runner, it would be the car to take, since there was more room.
After I had finished packing and triple-checking we had everything, Spencer went ahead and loaded all the bags into the back of my car while I reinstalled the hammock for Dolly in the back seat since I had washed it before the trip.
It was nice to have validation of how I felt about my tendencies to complete tasks instead of being told I was insane. I knew to most people it didn’t make sense, but it did to me, and having Spencer see and understand that meant volumes to me.
We woke up early the next morning to get ready and to make sure we had time to stop for breakfast and coffee for the road.
I didn’t want to have dishes left, so it seemed like the smartest option.
The weather was perfect this morning, which made my mood significantly better.
The crisp fall morning left a bite to the air, but I knew come this afternoon, it would warm up, and we’d be sweating.
The sun was rising, casting a beautiful glow on the mountains and trees all around us.
Not many people were out yet either, so it was a serene moment.
This trip was already starting off perfectly.
Since Spencer had never been, I told him I would drive us up there to make it easier.
Hooking my phone up and punching in the cabin's address, I turned on some music, and we hit the road after grabbing coffee. For most of the ride, we either sang along, mostly me giving Spencer a one-woman concert, to whatever song came on, or I rambled on about all my favorite places up here and ones that had closed or changed. I knew to most people this was another touristy town and wasn’t special, but I had so many memories growing up here.
Weekends and school breaks were spent coming to Dollywood with my grandparents. My mom, sister, and I went shopping on our little trips or frequently on the weekends when we had more time to be together. I was excited to get to share this piece of me with him.
Thankfully, we didn’t hit any traffic and arrived at the cabin in a little over two hours.
It hadn’t been long since our last stop, but I still walked Dolly around the outside of the cabin so she could go and also become familiar with the area.
The cabin my mom found was nothing short of stunning.
It was three stories with a full wrap-around porch, large windows all around, and a hot tub and grill on the back patio.
Off to the side, there was a large gravel area that had multiple chairs, a swing, and a fire pit.
It was nestled in a large wooded area with no neighbors close by, so we had more privacy too.
Since it was going to be the two of us, we wouldn’t use all of this space, but it was still nice being here.
I was already thinking about the early mornings on the porch with a coffee in hand, book in the other, and Dolly resting with me.
Those quiet moments are what I live for.
We managed to get most everything in one trip and headed inside.
“Wow, this is… this is something else. Your mom went all out, didn’t she?
” He was turning in circles, taking it all in.
He was right, though. I thought the outside was stunning, but so was the inside.
The owners had updated it with modern features, but still had that outdoorsy and rustic feel to it.
The main part of the first floor was an open concept with dark, beautiful exposed beams running along the ceilings.
The kitchen had all new appliances, and the sofa was so plush and comfortable.
Perfect for napping after a day out on the town.
We made our way to the master bedroom on the first floor, and it was just as immaculate. It was a large room with an entire wall of windows, which the bed faced, overlooking the mountains. The view was nothing short of jaw-dropping as trees rolled for miles in all the gorgeous shades of fall.