Chapter 24
“So, how are you doing, mija?” my mother asks on the other end of the line.
“Great. My shoulder doesn’t hurt anymore, unless I lift my arm above my head. But that’s normal. And I’ve been much more active lately. We’re actually getting ready to go on a hike.”
“A hike?! Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?”
“Ah-ha. It’s a short one. But I need the exercise. Lex keeps cooking calorie-heavy meals, and I’ve gained like, ten pounds since we got here.”
“Well, that’s good. You were skin and bones before.”
“No, I wasn’t. But he feels that way too, so I’m pretty sure he’s doing it on purpose.”
“That’s a good man. Keep him.”
“I intend to,” I say with a laugh. Once my hiking boots—which were delivered yesterday—are laced, I stand and look at myself in the mirror, twisting around to see how those yoga pants look.
Jesus, it’s like all ten pounds went right there.
At least Lex will have something to look at if the nature out there turns out to be disappointing, which I doubt.
“How are you enjoying Costa Rica?” my mom then asks.
“Oh, uh … It’s been great. The resort is amazing, and the excursions are great,” I lie.
Lex keeps moving us around, buying plane tickets, and making it look like we’re getting into those planes. We’ve been in Belize, Cuba, Barbados, and now Costa Rica. Literally all places I wish I’d been to.
“I hope you’re getting some rest, pollito.”
“Ugh, too much of it. I spent almost five weeks resting, that’s how I put on all those pounds.”
“Good. So, Alexander is not too … demanding?”
I almost snort at that. If anything, I’m the demanding one.
Two more days, and the gates of paradise will open to me again.
I still wish we’d gone with four weeks, but I’m glad I negotiated it down to five weeks instead of six.
I’m pretty sure this short hike is actually a test from Lex.
If I can’t handle a few miles, I’m pretty sure he’ll push us back to six weeks. And I’m not letting that happen.
“Are you ready to go, freckles?” Lex asks, his head popping through the doorframe.
“Yeah, just a sec,” I reply. Lex nods and disappears as swiftly as he appeared. “Mom, I have to go. I’ll call you back later, okay?”
“Yes, of course. Take pictures, mija.”
“Will do,” I lie with a wince.
Per usual, I’ll find an excuse and say I forgot, or my battery died. We’ve sent a couple of pictures, stuff we found on the internet and edited so a reverse search wouldn’t work. But it’s safer to keep it to a minimum.
When I arrive downstairs, Lex is throwing a few snacks in a backpack, as well as two water bottles. Like me, he’s fully geared, wearing black shorts and a matching hoodie over his gray long-sleeved crewneck.
“Hey there, hot stuff,” I greet as I reach him.
“Mrs. Wilson.”
“God, I love it when you flirt back. Shall we?”
“We shall.”
We both walk to the garage. Like the gentleman he is, he opens the door for me, and once he’s joined me in the Jeep, we’re off.
The drive to the hike’s starting point is short, barely ten minutes, but it’s the first time I’m out since we’ve arrived, so I spend it admiring the view.
I can’t believe I spent nearly five weeks cooped up when this is what’s around me.
Once we’re parked and out of the car, we easily find the trail’s starting point thanks to the large sign next to it. There’s a map with the trail drawn on it.
“So,” Lex starts, pointing at the blue trail, “this is what we’re doing today. It’s a slow descent to the waterfall for three miles, then the way back is a little over two miles, with this section here that’s a little steep. Think you can handle it?”
“Yeah, it should be fine.”
“Then, when you’re feeling strong enough, we can take this path here. It’s about twelve miles, and it leads to a bigger waterfall right … here.”
“Perfect! Let’s see how I handle five miles first. Baby steps.”
“We’ll increase the distance one hike at a time, don’t worry,” he reassures me.
We begin this first hike with enthusiasm, and I marvel at our surroundings.
In the middle of the forest, obscured by pine trees, bushes, and weeds, we’re cut off from the rest of the world, in communion with Mother Nature.
While it’s sunny today, the ground is wet from the rain we’ve had lately, soft under the soles of our shoes.
The smell of leaves, moss, and bark is refreshing, and so much more agreeable than the city’s stench.
The trail narrows at points, so one of us has to be in front now and then.
But we’re side by side most of the time, and I often reach out to hold his hand.
This trail must be popular because we come across a few people, some lightly geared like us, some clearly here for the longer hike with walking sticks and everything.
It’s nice. It’s so, so nice. To be outside, to be breathing fresh and pure air, to use my legs and not be a couch larva for once. Various birds chant around us, and I spot a small rodent that I know is a squirrel, even though Lex insists it’s some wood rat.
“Are there bears out there?” I ask at some point, looking around with sudden concern.
“Yes.”
“What are we supposed to do if we see one? Turn into a human ball?” I shudder at the idea that I might be turned into ground meat by some wild animal, like DiCaprio in The Revenant.
“Yes, they can outrun and out-climb you. So, you drop to the ground into a fetal position, protect your head and neck with your arms, and wait for it to pass.”
“That didn’t work for Leo,” I mumble. “We might not see one at all, though, right?” I wonder, picking up the pace to catch up with him.
“Well, mating season has started, so they are out there, and they might feel quite territorial. But I’ve got a can of bear spray with me, so that’ll protect us,” he explains, pointing at a spray can that dangles off the backpack, easy to access.
“My hero … How do you know so much about bears?”
“There’s an encyclopedia at the house about British Columbia’s fauna.”
“Oh, and you read it all?”
“Almost. I do that when I’m out of work, and you’re taking a nap.”
“I see … So, that squirrel I saw really wasn’t a squirrel, uh?”
“It really wasn’t,” he chuckles.
For the following half hour, I ask him random questions about the animals we see or what we might expect.
He doesn’t seem to mind at all, giving me details and everything.
I have to admit that this unconscious display of his genius intellect is getting to me.
After reading a book once, he can recite huge chunks of information.
Which is so much hotter than it should be.
In a little over an hour, we reach the waterfall. It’s not that impressive, but I still feel great about the accomplishment. I was shot five weeks ago, and now I’m hiking, which I never did before. Yay me!
We walk to a clearing where there’s tall grass and a tree that was cut down and left behind.
It’s an ideal spot for a break, so we sit on the trunk and take out a few things.
We drink from our bottles, I eat a protein bar, and he checks the hiking booklet he brought with him.
Now that we’re out of the woods, the sun is warming us again, and I lean back to enjoy its rays on my face.
The heat slowly penetrates through my clothes, and soon the hoodie becomes too much.
I remove it, adjust the straps of the tank top I’m wearing so the scar won’t get any UVs, and return to position.
This is so fucking nice.
“Do you want some sunscreen?” Lex offers.
“We won’t stay very long. And I need to work on my freckles. They’re almost gone.”
“I noticed, yes. So, you get more of them with the sun?”
“Yes, I even get them on my shoulders and chest sometimes. Kate and I spent three weeks on a beach in Mexico one summer, and I was covered in them.”
I’m naturally paler than my mother, my abuela, and Rafa, who all have brown skin. But contrary to my dad, who’s as pale as a ghost, I tan easily and usually catch up with them every summer. Then it slowly fades during the winter months, and I have to start all over.
“As much as I’d love to see more freckles on you, I don’t want to lose you in thirty years to skin cancer,” he says, ever the pragmatist.
“How do you manage to be romantic even when you’re being a pain in my butt?” I laugh.
“It’s a talent. Now, do you want some sunscreen, or are you still planning on making me a widower?”
I roll my eyes with a sigh. “Alright, slather me with it.”
Resigned, I extend my arms toward him so he can spray the lotion on my skin.
With efficient moves, he works it in, shielding me from the big bad sun.
Then, I offer him my face, for which he shows a little more tenderness.
Once my front is done, I turn around, swaying my leg over the truck to offer him my shoulders.
This time, instead of simply spreading the cream on the skin, he gives me a full massage, mindful of my sensitive shoulder.
With my eyes closed, I relax and enjoy the impromptu attention, my head slightly bobbing with his motions.
Once he’s done, he presses his lips on the nape of my neck, accessible thanks to my tied-up hair.
“All done.”
“Thanks. I’ll definitely wear more sunscreen if that’s what I get every time.” Twisting around, I notice he’s in the same position as me, straddling the tree. “Do you want me to return the favor?”
His sweater is off, too, and his powerful arms are exposed to the sun where his T-shirt doesn’t cover them. “I’m good. I applied some of it before we left.”
“How serious of you, Coleman.”
“That might be the one good thing my mother taught me.”
I grunt in displeasure at the mention and move to press my back against his front. He leans back as well, and we remain like this for a while, with me half lying over him, enjoying the sun, the pure air, and the sounds of the wind in the leaves and birds in the trees.