He lead me to an open field just behind the shops. It was quiet and peaceful. Just me and him. He turned to me. "Isn't this nice?" He finally asked. I nodded. He sat down in the grass and motioned for me to sit with him. I sat right next to him. We just sat in silence for a while. "So, what's the fun part?" I finally asked him. He looked at me. "Right." He said getting up. He helped me up. "It's just over there." He pointed to the trees that met the field. We walked over there. "So, Alice. I think I've heard enough about your past. Tell me about you." He said. "What do you mean?" I asked him. "Tell me about you- what are your likes, your dislikes, your fears- tell me about you." He said.
I really didn't know how to begin. I'd never thought about myself much. "Well, hmm... I guess I like animals. Does that count?" I asked, laughing at myself. He nodded. "You want me to go first?" He asked as we arrived to the trees. There was what looked like an old trampoline bed tied between two of them. "Sure." I said, admiring all the stuff hanging from the trees, wind chimes, old puppets, and even just string was strung up there, flowing gently. He climbed in the trampoline hammock and helped me up there. "Well, likes.. I like singing and playing the guitar. It soothes me. Do you sing?" He asked. I blushed. "I used to want to but Uncle Will says that singers only turn up to be train wrecks." I told him. "But you sing?" He asked again. I nodded. "Could you sing for me?" He asked. I was a little shocked and hoped he was kidding. But his eyes were looking dead into mine. He was serious. "What song?" I asked. I had a limited knowledge for songs. Only ones from a long time ago when my grandma would play the oldies station. "Any song you want." He told me. I braced myself and started to sing Your Song by Elton John with my eyes closed.
I dared not to peek at him. If there was one thing I was scared of, it was judgement from Jack. Then the strangest thing happened. He started to sing with me. If I was a sculptor, but then again no.. His soft and somewhat smoky voice was singing along with mine. I opened my eyes and his were closed. I guess I stopped singing because he was looking at me. "Why'd you stop?" He asked. "I don't know." I said. "You're good, Alice. You should join us. We sound good together." He said and smiled. I smiled back thinking this through. I frowned. "Whats wrong?" He asked and grabbed my hand. I felt like I was in some cheesy movie. "Uncle Will would never let me." I told him. He looked at me then frowned. He pulled me into him, hugging me. He was warm and comforting. I could've stayed there forever on that hammock.
After a while, he sat up. "We should go back now." He said. I sat up not wanting to pull away from him but I did. We crawled out of the hammock and walked back towards the fair.
