Dear Ethan: A Second Chance Romance

Chapter 36: A New Day

[Perfect - Ed Sheeran]

*Jodie*

"Sam, you hate hiking." 

A pair of brown eyes looked back at me innocently as we huffed and puffed up the hill. 

She had found a trail for beginners just outside of the city but anyone who labeled this as easy must be an expert hiker. My legs were already sore and all the provisions Sam packed in our backpacks didn't help. I gritted my teeth as the sun glared down at us. I should have worn a hat.

We shared a bottle of water as we trudged up to the peak. It's not like we're scaling Kilimanjaro but you try to put two city girls on a hiking trail, and the result is two red-faced sweaty bodies clamoring for hydration.

"This is fun right?" She said a little breathless, giving me a nervous smile. I glared at her. We both knew this wasn't fun. But my therapist did say getting more sunlight and movement would be good for me. 

Spending those past few weeks in bed had made my body feel weak. Ethan had taken over all the errands: getting groceries, prepping food, and cleaning while I had been in my depressive funk.

I learned that it was okay to depend on someone when you felt vulnerable. That it was okay to ask for help.

"It'll be worth it once we get to the top." Apparently, there was an amazing view once you reached the vista. I grumbled as my legs strained at the effort.

A pair of hikers waved hello at us as they passed by, decked out in large hats and hiking poles. We were so underdressed.

When we finally got to the top, Sam and I sat down on a large flat rock and took in the view. I had to admit it was a stunning spot. You could see the entire skyline of the city in the distance and with the sun setting, it turned everything a brilliant shade of orange.

Despite the pain, this day would probably be a core memory for sure. Sam and I took a few pictures of the view and then of each other. Another hiker offered to take a photo of us. We took one with our arms wrapped around each other and another one as we both jumped in the air like we were doing jumping jacks.

We laughed while peering at the second photo. You couldn't really make out our faces concealed by shadow but with the light behind us, it looked like we were glowing. Like two brilliant stars.

"How is Ethan doing?" she asked casually as we made our way back down. This was a lot easier although we had to be careful about not slipping on a muddy patch.

Ethan was...

Ethan was perfect. And this wasn't sixteen-year-old me looking at him with rose-tinted goggles.

This was me observing Ethan as a man. He was kind. Dependable. He was patient even when I felt at my lowest. And his reassurance pulled me out of the deep end, tugged at my heartstrings, and made my wooly, heavy heart feel feather-light.

"He's definitely one of the good ones," I murmured as we wandered back to the parking lot.

I had always known that, even at sixteen. But seeing the way he acted the past few months when I was at my lowest told me everything I had to know about him. We had gotten closer when I first moved in but in the past few months it made me feel like now our bond was unbreakable.

Even though we did everything out of order. I couldn't help but laugh as my eyes stung. We had moved in together before sharing our first kiss, before deciding to date and give it a go. But in a way it made sense. In our own way.

She squeezed my hand. "I'm happy for you." I leaned against her, breathing in Sam's familiar scent. "Thank you," I said.

When Sam finally dropped me off at Ethan's place I was dead tired. I pulled out my key and leaned against the heavy door with my full weight.