imhalfway,carryingasmallbag.shesurprisedhimbykissinghimgentlyonthecheek,herfreehandlingeringathiswaistaftershepulledback.
“hi,”shesaid,radianceinhereyes,“where’sthesurprise?”herelaxedalittle,thankinggodforthat.“notevena‘goodafternoon’or‘howwasyournight?’”
shesmiled.patiencehadneverbeenoneofherstrongestattributes.
“fine.goodafternoon.howwasyournight?andwhere’sthesurprise?”
hechuckledlightly,thenpaused.“allie,i’vegotsomebadnews.iwasgoingtotakeyousomeplace,butwiththosecloudscomingini’mnotsureweshouldgo.”
“itsnotrainingyethowfarisit?”
“upthecreekaboutamile.”
“andi’veneverbeentherebefore?”
“notwhenitwaslikethis.”
shethoughtforasecondwhileshelookedaround.whenshespoke,hervoicewasdetermined.“thenwe’llgo.idon’tcareifitrains.”
“areyousure?”
“absolutely.”
helookedatthecloudsagain,notingtheirapproach.“thenwe’dbettergonow,”hesaid.“canibringthatinforyou?’
shenodded,handingherbagtohim,andhejoggedtothehouseandtookitinside,placingitonachairinthelivingroom.thenhegrabbedsomebreadandputitinabag,bringingitwithhimasheleftthehouse.
theywalkedtothecanoe,alliebesidehim.alittlecloserthanyesterday.
“whatexactlyisthisplace?”
“you’llsee.”
“you’renotevengoingtogivemeahint?”
“well,”hesaid,“doyourememberwhenwetookthecanoeoutandwatchedthesuncomeup?”
“ithoughtaboutitthismorning.irememberitmademecry?’
“whatyou’regoingtosectodaymakeswhatyousawthenseemordinary?
“iguessishouldfeelspecial.”
hetookafewstepsbeforeresponding.“youarespecial,”hefinallysaid,andthewayhesaiditmadeherwonderifhewantedtoaddsomethingelse.buthedidn’t,andalliesmiledalittlebeforeglancingaway.asshedid,shefeltthewindinherfaceandnoticedithadpickedupsincethemorning.
theyreachedthejettyand,aftertossingthebaginthecanoe,noahquicklycheckedtomakesurehehadn’tmissedanything,thenslidthecanoetothewater.
canidoanything?”
“no,justgetin.”
aftersheclimbedin,hepushedthecanoefurtherintothewater.thenhegracefullysteppedoffthejettyintothecanoe,placinghisfeetcarefullytopreventitfromcapsizing.alliewasimpressedbyhisagility,knowingthatwhathehaddonesoquicklyandeasilywasharderthanitlooked.
shesatatthefrontofthecanoe,facingbackwards.noahhadsaidsomethingaboutmissingtheviewwhenhestartedtopaddle,butshe’dshakenherhead,sayingshewasfinethewayshewas.
anditwastrue.shecouldseeeverythingshereallywantedtoseeifsheturnedherhead,butmostofallshewantedtowatchnoah.itwashimshe’dcometosee,notthecreek.hisshirtwasunbuttonedatthetop,andshecouldseehischestmusclesflexwitheverystroke.hissleeveswererolleduptoo,andshecouldseethewell-developedmusclesinhisarms.
artistic,shethought.there’ssomethingalmostartisticabouthim.somethingnatural,asifbeingonthewaterwerebeyondhiscontrol,partofagenepassedontohimfromsomeobscurehereditarypool.
shecouldn’tthinkofanyoneelsewhoremotelyresembledhim.hewascomplicated,almostcontradictoryinsomanyways,yetsimple,astrangelyeroticcombination.onthesurfacehewasacountryboy,homefromwar,andheprobablysawhimselfinthoseterms.yettherewassomuchmoretohim.perhapsitwasthepoetrythatmadehimdifferent,orperhapsitwasthevalueshisfatherhadinstilledinhim,growingup.eitherway,heseemedtosavourlifemorefullythanothersappearedto,andthatwaswhathadfirstattractedhertohim.
“whatarcyouthinking?”
shefeltherinsidesjumpjustahitasnoah’svoicebroughtherbacktothepresent.sherealizedshehadn’tsaidmuchsincethey’dstarted,andsheappreciatedthesilencehehadallowedher.he’dalwaysbeenconsideratelikethat.
“goodthings,”sheansweredquietly,andshesawinhiseyesthatheknewshewasthinkingabouthim.shelikedthefactthatheknewit,andshehopedhehadbeenthinkingaboutheraswell.
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.”
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