theraswell.
sheunderstoodthenthatsomethingwasstirringwithinher,asithadsomanyyearsago.watchinghisbodymovemadeherfeelit.andastheireyesmetforasecond,shefelttheheatinherneckandbreasts,andsheflushed,turningawaybeforehenoticed.
“howmuchfurther?”sheasked.
“anotherhalf-mileorso.notanymorethanthat.”
apause.thenshesaid:“tellme,noah,whatdoyouremembermostfromthesummerwespenttogether?”
“allofit.”
“anythinginparticular?”
“no,”hesaid.
“youdon’tremember?”
heansweredquietly.“no,it’snotthat.it’snotwhatyou’rethinking.iwasseriouswhenisaid‘allofit.’icanremembereverymomentweweretogether,andineachofthemtherewassomethingwonderful.ican’tpickanyonetimethatmeantmorethananyother.theentiresummerwasperfect,thekindofsummereveryoneshouldhave.howcouldipickonemomentoveranother?
“poetsoftendescribeloveasanemotionthatwecan’tcontrol,onethatoverwhelmslogicandcommonsense.that’swhatitwaslikeforme.ididn’tplanonfallinginlovewithyou,andidoubtifyouplannedonfallinginlovewithme.butoncewemet,itwasclearthatneitherofuscouldcontrolwhatwashappeningtous.wefellinlove,despiteourdifferences,andoncewedid,somethingrareandbeautifulwascreated.forme,lovelikethathashappenedonlyonce,andthat’swhyeveryminutewespenttogetherhasbeensearedinmymemory.i’llneverforgetasinglemomentofit.”
alliestaredathim.noonehadeversaidanythinglikethattoherbefore.ever.shedidn’tknowwhattosayandstayedsilent,herfacehot.
“i’msorryifimadeyoufeeluncomfortable,allie.ididn’tmeanto.butthatsummerhasstayedwithmeandprobablyalwayswill.iknowitcan’tbethesamebetweenus,butthatdoesn’tchangethewayifeltaboutyouthen.”
“itdidn’tmakemeuncomfortable.noah...it’sjustthatidon’teverhearthingslikethat.whatyousaidwasbeautiful.ittakesapoettotalkthewayyoudo.andlikeisaid,you’retheonlypoeti’veevermet.”
peacefulsilencedescendedonthem.anospreycriedsomewhereinthedistance.thepaddlemovedrhythmically,causingripplesthatrockedtheboateversoslightly.thebreezehadstopped,andthecloudsgrewblackerasthecanoemovedonwards.
allienoticeditall,everysound,everythought.hersenseshadcomealive,invigoratingher,andshefeltstrangelysatisfiedthatshe’dcome,pleasedthatnoahhadturnedintothetypeofmanshe’dthoughthewould,pleasedthatshewouldliveforeverwiththatknowledge.shehadseentoomanymeninthepastfewyearsdestroyedbywar,ortime,orevenmoney.ittookstrengthtoholdontoinnerpassion,andnoahhaddonethat.
thiswasaworker’sworld,notapoet’s,andpeoplewouldhaveahardtimeunderstandingnoah.whodidsheknowinraleighwhotooktimeofftofixahouse?orreadwhitmanoreliot?orhuntatdawnfromthebowofacanoe?theseweren’tthethingsthatdrovesociety,butshefelttheymadelivingworthwhile.
toheritwasthesamewithart,thoughshehadrealizeditonlyuponcominghere.orrather,rememberedit.shehadknownitoncebefore,andagainshecursedherselfforforgettingsomethingasimportantascreatingbeauty.paintingwaswhatshewasmeanttodo,shewassureofthatnow.shewasgoingtogiveitanothershot,nomatterwhatanyonesaid.
wouldlonencourageherpainting?sherememberedshowinghimoneofherpaintingsacoupleofmonthsaftertheyhadfirststartedgoingout.itwasabstract,meanttoinspirethought.lonhadstaredatit,andthenhadaskedherwhatitwassupposedtohe,
sheknewshewasn’tbeingcompletelyfair.shelovedlou,andalwayshad,forotherreasons.lonwasagoodman,thekindofmanshe’dalwaysknownshewouldmarry.withhimtherewouldbenosurprises,and‘therewascomfortinknowingwhatthefuturewouldbring.hewouldbeakindhusbandandshewouldbeagoodwife.shewouldhaveahomenearfriendsandfamily,children,arespectableplaceinsociety.itwasthekindoflifeshe’dalwaysexpectedtolive.andthoughshewouldn’tdescribetheirsasapassionaterelationship,shehadconvincedherselflongagothatthiswasn’tnecessaryforfulfilment.passionwouldfadeintimeandthingslikecompanionshipandcompatibilitywouldtakeitsplace.sheandlonhadthis,andshehadassumedthiswasallsheneeded.
butnow,asshewatchednoahrowing,shequestionedthisassumption.heexudedsexualityineverythinghedid,everythinghewas,andshecaughtherselfthinkingabouthiminawaythatanengagedwomanshouldn’t.shetriednottostare,buttheeasywayhemovedhisbodymadeithardtokeephereyesfromhimforlong.
“hereweare,”noahsaidasheguidedthecanoetowardssometreesnearthebank.
allielookedaround,notseeinganything.“whereisit?”
“here,”hesaidagain,pointingthecanoeatafallentreethatwasalmostcompletelyobscuringanopening.
heguidedthecanoearoundthetree,andbothofthemhadtolowertheirheadstokeepfrombumpingthem.
“closeyoureyes,”hewhispered,andalliedid,bringingherhandstoherface.shefeltthemovementofthecanoeashepropelleditforwards,awayfromthepullofthecreek.
“okay.”hefinallysaidafterhe’dstoppedpaddling.“youcanopenthemnow.”
theysatinthemiddleofasmalllakefedbythewatersofbricescreek.itwasn’tlarge,maybeahundredyardsacross,andshewassurprisedathowinvisibleithadbeenjustmomentsbefore.
itwasspectacular.tundraswanandcanadageeseliterallysurroundedthem.thousandsofthem.birdsfloatingsoclosetogetherinsomeplacesthatshecouldn’tseethewater.fromadistance,thegroupsofswanslookedalmostlikeicebergs.
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