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A Year Later

"I'm an airplane!" Cielo shouted as I held her above my head and flew her around in the open sky, her legs and arms outstretched as she used her imagination.

"Alright, she just ate. I'd hate to have throw up raining down on our sandwiches," Cameron warned.

"Haha!" Cielo giggled.

I sat her down, letting her twirl around and around as her dizziness took over.

"Somebody's grumpy," I nudged Cameron as she ate on her food, laid across the black picnic blanket.

Cielo laid out on the blanket, breathing hard.

"Yeah, it's 120 degrees out here and it's the middle of the day," she complained.

"C'mon. We're getting in the water later anyways."

"I don't wanna swim. I'm cramping," she pouted.

"I think you just want me to baby you," I tiptoed my fingers from her chin to her lips, abruptly grabbing her face and bringing her lips to mine, making her sit up quick.

"You taste like lettuce," I made a yucky face, giggling.

"Oh well," she pulled me back against her, falling onto her back and kissing me deeply.

"When we go to Canada...we can do whatever we want. Cielo can go to school. We both can smile more," I told her softly, sitting on her.

We had been hiding out for the past year, going where we can, and stealing the medicines I needed for the pain I still suffer from in my elbow. I played teacher for Cielo, a much easier job since new scenery and more time with me coaxed her into talking. It's not that she didn't want to before, she explained, it's just that she simply couldn't. Cameron and I were married in our eyes, but it was unofficial by law because, well, we're technically on the run still.

But slowly and slowly, we inch our way up the states, taking new experiences with us and dreaming of a new life.

Cameron's convinced that her father has stopped looking for her...I'm convinced that the citizens of Camphor won't rest until I'm the town's main attraction on a cross...and Cielo.

Well...she just misses normalcy.

"Maybe the water will be fine," Cameron sat up, placing her arms around my neck.

"Hickey. Right here," I pointed at my neck, making a silly face at her.

"Ew!" Cielo laughed.

I suppose an important lesson one could learn from all of this is that you can play your role...or you can change the script.

"Say goodbye Camphor for your Mommy," Cameron smiled, "She still doesn't get the message."

"Goodbye, Camphor!" Cielo beamed.

"Goodbye, Camphor," I repeated, looking into Cameron's eyes and tenderly kissing her again.

The End

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed my short little book. If that wasn't enough to quench y'all's thirst's, check out some of my longer books! My reading list has all my stories that are worth reading from my most recent oldest account (don't tell me that doesn't make sense) and this account. I enjoy writing (and reading) criminal romance stories, so if you're into that too then let me tell you that the excerpt you're about to read is probably going to be a bit boring to you because it's more of a practical story with a little bit of crime (but not a lot).