Short Stories (without happy end)

Ruby part.3

It's a little cooler than yesterday. I put on a thin red sweater and take out the necklace that my father gave me from his box. I finally dare to wear the pendant representing a silver fox with eyes matching mine.
I accompany my coffee with random chocolate from the box Josh gave me yesterday. The caramel core melts on my tongue and I close my eyes to enjoy the sensation.
I hear a knock at the door and I open it to a smiling Josh.
"How are you today?" he asks me. "Better, thanks. " I reply. "Then follow me, and that's an order!" he laughs.
I obey him and get into his car. It's a small BMW, very comfortable and quiet. We drive in silence for about half an hour before he pulls into a parking lot.
We go downstairs and Josh takes me by the hand to guide me to what seems to be a carnival.
Since it's early, there's hardly anyone there and I look up at the Ferris wheel in wonder.
Josh doesn't let go of my hand to order a cotton candy which he shares with me. He often laughs as he tells me stories about his cat, his childhood antics, or our shared memories of college.
We start with the roller coaster. I feel fine but at the top, as the car stops for a moment before falling suddenly, my vertigo catches up with me. I close my eyes and start screaming and shaking. Suddenly, I feel strong arms closing around me and a warm breath on my head. It feels like the fall takes forever and I don't immediately realize that we are stopped. "Hang on, I'll help you down." he whispers.
"I think it would be better if we tried something quieter. Do you think the Ferris wheel would be better?"
"Yes, I think so."

I shouldn't have been so quick to say yes. I regret having said yes as soon as the gondola starts to move away from the ground. At the bottom, we had been warned, a tour lasts half an hour.
        I start to panic little by little but, as before, Josh is there. He tries to reassure me but, under the effect of stress, I start to speak to fill the void of silence. Sometimes quiet is violent. I tell him how much the death of my parents makes me suffer, the sudden loneliness that accompanied me in my new house suffocates me. I ask her to forgive me. I ask her to forgive me for leaving without calling her after college.
        As I am about to tell him I am sorry, I am forced into silence by his lips on mine. The kiss Josh and I exchange is so sweet that I forget all my problems. For once, I can only think of the moment.

    As I step out of the gondola, I feel my cheeks turn red. An employee of the amusement park winks at me. Since the cabin was transparent, she must have seen us kissing.
        "How about you come with me to the store before I show you the place I want to share with you? You must be hungry, the morning is almost over."

*           *           *

A sweet smell accompanies us along the shelves of the candy store. A small woman with silver hair stands behind the counter. I met her a few years ago. She is Merry, Josh's grandmother, a lovely person.
We greet her and go upstairs. It is a small living room in a decoration close to the first floor.
"I can offer you something light. This morning I prepared a mixed salad so that I don't have to cook when I get home. " he begins. "I must confess that I was hoping you would agree to follow me." He begins to laugh. "I even made an apple pie last night, since I know you like it."
"Thank you. For everything. For this morning and for everything since we've known each other. It's been the last few months, I had become a spectator to my own life and since my parents died, I didn't think about anything. The morning I spent with you was the best in a long time. Thanks to you, I realized that I had to live for myself. I'm going to take advantage of this move to start all over again." I pause for a few seconds before resuming. "Would you be willing to help me get off on the right foot? I..."
I'm cut off in my statement by the same Josh as this morning, the one I've always known without seeing how valuable he was.
The relief I feel is so profound, so unexpected, that I start to laugh. His crystalline laughter quickly matches mine, so much so that my ribs ache.
"Maybe we should have lunch now." "Yes."