26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ali
Nik looked so peaceful sleeping with one arm tucked around Ali’s waist; she hated the idea of waking him. It was rare that either of them found solace in their dreams and she couldn’t bring herself to pull him from his. Not when reality felt like a nightmare.
She carefully lifted his arm and scooted to the edge of the bed, placing her feet on the cool stone floor. She’d left her slippers nearby, and she slid her feet into them before heading to the bathroom.
Today marked two weeks since she’d lost her baby. Not that she was counting. She was just painstakingly aware of every minute that passed without the little life growing inside her. She subconsciously held her stomach while she showered and cleaned up.
Every morning was different than the last, and she never quite knew what to expect.
Some days grief rendered her immobile, and others she felt a bit numb.
Nik’s mood was equally varied, though he rarely let his pain show.
They were each pretending to be stronger than they were for the benefit of the other.
Ali kept waiting for the day when she’d feel something different, and today she may have encountered it.
Today, she felt resilient.
It was a far cry from cheerful or optimistic, but it was something—a miniscule amount of hope that there would be brighter days ahead and she could push through to find them.
When she finished detangling her hair, she stepped out of the bathroom to find Nik still lying in bed, his eyes half open.
“Morning, gorgeous,” he said huskily.
“Good morning,” she responded, edging closer to him. She brushed a hand against his cheek, and he leaned into it. “Care for some breakfast?”
Nik raised a brow. “Are you offering me breakfast in bed?”
Normally it was the other way around, Nik pushing down his own hurt so he could take care of her. She wanted to do something special for him while she had the energy.
“Yes. What would you like?”
He chose eggs and bacon, and Ali went to work in the kitchen. Before the pan started to sizzle, Nik was out of bed and jumping in the shower.
“The whole point of breakfast in bed is that you get to stay in bed,” she shouted over the noise of running water. He shouted something back, but she couldn’t make out the words.
By the time he finished, the eggs and bacon were both done and she scraped them onto two plates. After tossing on a pair of shorts, Nik climbed back into bed and waited for Ali to join him.
“Thank you,” he said when she handed him his food.
“You’re welcome.”
“What’s the occasion?”
Ali shrugged, not sure she could explain what she was feeling. “You’ve been taking such good care of me. I wanted to return the favor.”
He nodded like that made all the sense in the world, then brought a bite of eggs to his mouth and moaned in satisfaction.
Ali rolled her eyes. “It’s just eggs.”
“Eggs made with love.”
She paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. “That was one of the cheesiest things I’ve ever heard you say.”
Nik chuckled. “You’re right. They’re still good though. Thank you again.” He leaned across the bed to kiss her cheek, and the warmth of his lips lingered on her skin.
“I had something else in mind for today, too.”
Nik didn’t look up from his plate. “What’s that?”
“I thought we could go for a hike.” Her medic had advised against strenuous activity, but the walk through the woods she had in mind hardly classified as demanding. “I could use the fresh air, and there’s somewhere I want to take you.”
That got his attention. “Should I be concerned?”
She smiled, the first genuine one in two weeks. “No.”
A half hour later, they were both dressed and heading out of the mountain.
Ali had the strange feeling that people were staring at her as she led Nik to one of the trail paths, but she had to be imagining it.
It was her own discomfort in her skin that had her on edge.
From what she’d been told, the poisoning had been kept under wraps so as not to alarm the population of Berland.
These people had no idea what had happened to her or why she hadn’t come out of their studio home in weeks. They probably hadn’t even noticed.
The trail Ali sought was hidden among overgrown bushes and weeds. If she hadn’t hiked it so often, she wouldn’t have known it was there. She pushed aside a branch and motioned for Nik to step forward. He eyed her suspiciously but did so.
After the initial portion of the trailhead, the path became more defined. Hidden under the canopy of trees and blocked from the sunlight, the vegetation hadn’t had a chance to overtake the path.
“It’s this way,” Ali said, recognizing some landmarks, like the boulder twice the size of her that had been there long enough to be covered in moss. Or the giant tree that had been split down the center from a lightning storm a few months ago.
Nik followed closely behind, keeping his thoughts to himself. Ali had taken this path so many times on her own, and there were a few times she forgot that he was even with her until she heard the crunch of leaves or a twig splitting in half.
“Almost there,” she said, and then she rounded a corner and the trail sloped upward. The last bit of the hike was the most strenuous, and her thighs burned, but she pushed forward. Then she found herself face to face with a tangled couple of trees.
Eli had dubbed it the ‘Twisted Tree’ and it was where he had constructed memorials for their deceased parents. She smiled at the pile of rocks commemorating her mother and placed a hand over her heart.
Hi, Mom.
Nik came to stand beside her, his eyes glued to the matching rock formations. “What is this place, Ali?”
Until now, it had only been a place for Eli and Ali. But it felt right to bring Nik here after what they’d been through. She bent down and collected a handful of rocks in various shapes and sizes, ensuring they were flat and would stack well.
“This is the Twisted Tree,” she said. “That monument right there is for my mom and that one over there is for Eli’s dad.”
She began to stack the stones neatly next to her mother’s until it rose a few inches off the ground. Then she kneeled in front of it and folded her hands in her lap. “And this is for our baby.”
Nik came to kneel beside her, and she could feel him looking at her out of the corner of her eye.
“Do you think it’s silly?” she asked quietly.
“Does it make you feel better?”
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “But it might in the future.”
One day, when the wounds weren’t so fresh. Remembering the life that should’ve been hurt like hell right now, but one day she hoped she could come to this spot and find comfort.
“Then I don’t think it’s silly,” Nik said.
They sat in silence for a while, and Ali searched for a sign. Some indication that her child was still here with them, even in spirit. The only sound was the chirping of birds chasing one another through the trees.
“What are you thinking about?” Ali asked when the silence became too much to bear.
“I was wondering where I’d be if I’d never met you.”
The way he said it made her wonder if that was a bad thing. Their relationship hadn’t been easy by any means, but she’d never trade this life for any other. Hopefully he felt the same.
“That sounds ominous.”
Nik smirked and nudged her with his elbow. “I’m certain I would’ve been miserable without you. Every day with you is a day my life has more meaning, more love, more joy. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Tears of joy, not sorrow, fell down Ali’s cheeks, and Nik was quick to wipe them away with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
Ali wrapped her arms around Nik’s neck, gently pressing her lips to his and catching him off guard. His taste mingled with salty tears and she kissed him even harder. When his initial surprise wore off, he kissed her back, inhaling deeply through his nose as he pulled her into his lap.
When they finally broke apart, Ali rested her forehead against Nik’s. “I love you.”
Ali told Nik stories of her mother and Eli’s father, what her life had been like in Andus, and every childhood memory she could think of. Eventually, storm clouds rolled in and brought a chill wind to their mountain side memorial.
“Are you ready to head back?” Nik asked with his head tilted toward the sky. It was dark and looked as though rain might begin to fall at any moment.
“I suppose,” Ali said, lifting her head from Nik’s shoulder. Her heart ached to remain in this place where she felt hope and the promise of a brighter future. Going back to the mountain would bring back the loss and dread, but they’d be soaked to the bone if they didn’t move soon.
Before they were halfway home, droplets of water began to sprinkle down on them, creating a peaceful hum as the drops hit the leaves overhead. They held hands as they walked down the path, neither of them in a hurry to get back. As long as the rain stayed light, they wouldn’t be bothered.
Just as the central strip of town appeared in sight, a chorus of laughter erupted in a field to their right. Ali searched for the source of the noise and saw two young girls slipping and sliding in the mud.
Beside her, Nik laughed. “Glad to see the rain isn’t stopping them from having fun.”
Together they approached the girls, watching as they took turns running toward a muddy puddle and sliding through on their bums. Each time, they squealed with delight.
Nik’s voice rose over the sound of the girls’ laughter. “Shouldn’t you two be somewhere else?”
They abruptly ceased all movement, and Julia turned to face Ali and Nik. “No,” she lied easily. Her companion, Kaydence, stared at the ground with her hands behind her back.
There was no way their caretaker, Ms. Carpenter, would be okay with them playing alone in the middle of a field without supervision.
Nik tilted his head like he was thinking the same thing. “Do you know what happens to liars?” he asked, taking a step forward with his chin raised high.
Julia shook her head, and Kaydence looked nervously between Julia and Nik.
“They get chased by the swamp monster,” he said so seriously that Ali had to hide her amusement. Nik took another slow step forward, and Julia giggled while Kaydence’s mouth curved into a tentative smile.
“There’s no such thing as a swamp monster,” Julia stated confidently. “Monsters don’t exist.”
If only that were true. Unfortunately, the worst monsters were all too human.
“Hmm,” Nik said, squinting his eyes and pointing over Julia’s shoulder. “Then what’s that?”
Both girls turned to see what he was pointing at and Nik pounced, scooping them both up around the waist. The girls laughed and hollered for him to put them down. Kaydence even swatted at his back and yelled, “Bad swamp monster!”
Ali laughed so hard her side ached, watching as Nik stomped around with the girls tucked under his arms, splashing mud everywhere.
He dropped to his knees and gently lowered each of the girls into a puddle while they screamed and kicked their feet.
Despite their pleas for him to stop, they were having just as much fun as he was.
When they finally broke free from his hold, they splashed water back at him and he guarded his face. He mockingly called for Ali. “Help! I’m under attack!”
Ali shook her head. “You got yourself into this one. You’re on your own.”
He looked back at her with shock and feigned betrayal. “You’d leave me to fend for myself?”
“Afraid so.”
Nik pointed a finger at her and grinned. It was difficult not to smile in return at the devilish threat in his eyes. Like he was about to spring forward and wrap her up in his arms, too. It gave her chills.
But in his moment of distraction, Julia climbed on his back while Kaydence cupped water with her hands and dumped it over his head. He sputtered while the girls roared with the sound of victory.
Their laughter was contagious and healing. It made Ali feel alive again and reminded her the world was still full of joy amidst the heartache. While Nik and the girls carried on with their muddy mayhem, Ali found herself hopeful for what the future might bring.