Chapter 30 #3
The three of us take a spot on the bench Annika pointed to.
We all sit quietly, watching Annika do her thing.
Chloe is right. Annika should’ve always done this.
I’m sure she wishes she had started this sooner.
I don’t know the whole story, but I know she started it as an outlet recommended by her therapist. We aren’t really at the point of our friendship to unpack any trauma we’ve experienced in the years since we last left off.
And we haven’t addressed the fact that we are probably the cause of some of each other’s trauma, at least for me.
Annika gently coaches the Hutchins around the redwoods into romantic-looking poses.
At one point, they are looking into each other’s eyes between two giant redwoods with lights and fabric draped around them.
Annika is saying things like “gorgeous” and “absolutely radiant” to them, which makes them relax and smile more naturally.
The studio assistants have giant windscreens and are flapping from the side, which makes the branches and fabric ruffle around the couple.
I can feel the love they share for each other radiating.
Mr. Hutchins brushes a lock of his wife’s hair out of her face and presses a kiss to her forehead.
“Yes, pretend I’m not here,” Annika says as the couple leans into each other, softly swaying along with the branches.
As they pull apart, I have a clear view of Mr. Hutchins’ look into his wife’s eyes.
His eyes are glassy, and his facial expression is something I can’t put into words.
I’ve seen it on my dad’s face when he looks at Pam.
I’ve seen it on my Uncle Marty’s face when he looks at a pastrami sandwich.
I don’t know if I’ve ever had that look on my face. But I want it. I want that feeling.
Like a magnet, my magnet, my eyes get pulled over to Annika.
She has her hair pulled back in a headband today that makes her straight hair flip toward the back.
She looks up from her camera and over to meet my gaze.
We stay staring at each other for a couple of seconds before she ducks back behind her viewfinder.
I exhale. We tried this song and dance already. It didn’t work.
She wraps up the shoot, and the four of us go to a drive-up burger joint for a late lunch.
Chloe and Annika are talking about how they want to change the style of decor in their living room from minimal to boho, and Tyler mentions a few flea markets in the area, so we plan to visit some next weekend.
I chime in here and there, but I’m mostly distracted by the afternoon.
The emotion of the photo shoot affected me more than I realized, and I am starting to wonder if I’ll ever find my person.
When do you even know? Have I already passed them at a grocery store, or are they my barista?
I have no idea. Do I just go around smiling at every person in the entire world until I feel sparks and flutters in my stomach?
“Hey, Parker?” Annika snaps two fingers in front of my face, and I turn to her. Flutter. “You’re drifting off into your fantasy land again. Come back to earth and give me some of your fries.”
“What happened to your fries?” I shake my head and slide my tray over to her.
“I got sweet potatoes, and I want to try the crinkle-cut ones.” She pulls out a fry and dips it in ketchup. “What were you thinking about, anyway?”
Hmm, how truthful should I be? Chloe is preoccupied with Dandy, walking her around in the sling and humming some song. Tyler is leaning with his back on the table, scrolling on his phone.
“I was just thinking about the Hutchins. Their love is admirable. Tyler was right. It felt like I was watching a movie.” Feeling vulnerable, I stand up from the wooden bench, brushing off invisible crumbs from my shirt.
“Reid is such a hopeless romantic,” Tyler chimes in, turning toward us. Annika stands up, too, collecting our plates and tossing the wrappers in the trash. She sets the trays on top of the bin.
“That is not true,” I counter.
Tyler laughs. “Yes, yes, it is. You fall harder, way sooner than you should. Remember when that new bookstore opened up? You went there like every day because you were obsessed.”
“There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a bookstore.”
“I fell in love with a vintage shop once,” Annika says, giving me a wink. “Happens to the best of us.”
Tyler laughs. “To your defense, you aren’t wrong. The shoot was beautiful, Annika. Makes me want to catch the love bug myself.” Just briefly, I notice his gaze glance at Chloe and then back to us.
“Thanks, guys,” Annika says. “And I agree with Reid. The Hutchins’ love is so special.
They were radiant. I had to hold in my tears at times.
It was an honor to capture it.” With that, she turns and motions over to Chloe, who is lifting her cat to sniff different flowers. “Hey, crazy cat lady, we are leaving!”
Tyler and I wave as the girls head to Annika’s car. We head back into town. I sit in the passenger seat, replaying the events of the day, adding to the Annika-sized sunburn on my chest.