Ava thought she had the world figured out until it was turned upside down. She must decide if she wants to be free or re-building the life she had.
Series Order: Baby Steps, Colossal Jump, Moving Forward, Little Leaps and Passing Motions.
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The air from the car vent blows past my face, which sends tendrils of hair floating beside my cold cheek. My body trembles as cold chills crawl their way down my spine. I quickly flick the vent away and slip further down my chair. I wrap my arms around myself as I try to gather warmth.
Blake's vibrant green eyes flicker across the car to check on me. He notices my position which leads to him turning the air condition down. He then grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly.
"You should have told me you were cold," he says.
"No, I'm fine." I smile.
Is it weird I enjoy the idea of snuggling under a blanket in summer, but want to feel the cool frosty touch of chilled air on my skin during winter? I wish there was more in-between time. This year's weather is shaping up to be a confusing puzzle.
"You feel cold, though." Blake points out.
I tightly squeeze Blake's hand in mine and grin. He shakes his hand before grabbing the stick to shift gears. The car rolls into a small silence which leaves me sighing as I gaze outside the window.
"Have you decided where we're going?" I question.
"This is supposed to be an adventure, remember?"
"Yes, but." I roll my eyes. "This seems pointless. We've taken three right runs which means we'll be back to the beginning of our journey soon."
"Have faith," he replies.
"Oh boy." I chuckle. "We're going to need more than faith . . ."
Blake's head swooshes to the side before he flicks on the indicator and moves into the left lane. We follow the road through a set of traffic lights, then travel a short distance before pulling up on a red gravel side trim.
"What are you doing?" I ask. "Throwing his ashes on the road side doesn't feel like a good plan."
"No." He shakes his head. "I'm buying flowers."
Blake points to an abundance of colourful flowers neatly displayed outside of a silver delivery van. He smoothly steps out of the car and begins trekking towards the pop-up shop. I scramble out of the car and jog to catch up with him.
"What flowers should we get?" he asks.
"I thought you'd be leaving that to destiny." I chuckle.
"If you insist." He winks.
Blake closes his eyes and randomly points to a bundle of flowers wrapped in light green and pink cellophane. He tells the serving woman about his selection, and then she grabs the bundle out of the pot.
He passes her money we return to the car. Before I walk around to my side, Blake passes a long green stemmed flower with slender pink petals. I press the flower against my nose and take a deep breath. I love the smell of flowers – there's this wonderful earthy smell that makes me happy.
