Shades of White

Better Together

"Shaun, where are you taking me? And why do I have to wear this blindfold? It's really hot, and besides, it's not like I would know the roads." Bobby complained from her place in the passenger seat in my car. I glanced over at her and chuckled as I turned up the air conditioning another notch. It was a Sunday morning, about 10 o'clock, and I was taking her to a surprise location. I had arrived at the pancake house where she, Amy, Dawn, and Christelle ate breakfast every Sunday morning and whisked her off in my car, placing a black scarf over her eyes. "Are you kidnapping me?" She asked, point-blank, and I laughed wholeheartedly. "'Cause kidnapping me probably isn't the best thing for your career right now, if you know what I mean." She turned towards me in her seat and crossed her arms. Even though I couldn't see her eyes, I could tell from the rest of her face that she had that adorable 'I'm pretending to be mad at you' expression on her face.

"No, elf, I'm not kidnapping you. And it's a surprise where I'm taking you."

"Hhmph!" She turned away from me and rested her elbow on the door, cradling her chin in her hand, but moments later, she turned back to me. "I can't even look out the window and pout!" I smirked.

"Really, Shaun, what's going on? Are we eloping? Because if we are, then I need to borrow your cell phone to call my parents. Besides, it would have been nice of you to consult me before planning the wedding ceremony."

My heart skipped a beat at the word 'eloping,' but I just said "No, we aren't eloping. And I'm not going to tell you where we're going."

"Are we there yet?" She asked after a long pause and I said no and laughed as I switched lanes. "Will you turn on the radio or something? I would do it, but I can't see, because somebody so rudely blindfolded me."

"You are such a complainer. You sound like a child." I joked, pressing the power button on my CD player. I currently had in a CD that Bobby had made for me in the computer lab in the library at the college. It was mostly music that I wouldn't have chosen on my own, but I liked it, and when I listened to it without her, I though about her. She knew the words for each and every song, and she tended to sing along. As the first track ended and she stopped singing, she sighed.

"Shaun, do you really have to go tomorrow?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, I do." I said softly. "Dr. Pearson said that I can snowboard now, and I'm already starting my training two weeks later than I had planned, so I really do have to go." I said sadly. "It's funny, when I was in the hospital, it seemed like two weeks was forever, but now that it's over, it went by really quickly."

"I'm going to miss you." She said meekly.

"I'm going to miss you, too, elf. But that's why I planned this little excursion for today." I took the appropriate exit and made two right turns, then one left turn, and pulled into a parking spot. "We're here." I said, turning off the car and putting my keys in my pocket.

"Can I take off the blindfold?" She asked me as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Nope, not yet. Here, I'll come over to your side of the car and help you out so you don't fall or anything." I got out, walked around to the passenger side, opened her door, and offered my hand. She groped around in the air for a minute before our hands clasped each other. She stepped out and I locked the car, and then, still holding her hand, led her over and made the appropriate arrangements. I took the things we would need and then continued leading her a little bit farther. "Okay, here we are." I reached behind her and untied the blindfold. She squinted at the sudden light and then, once her eyes adjusted, looked around at the rows and rows of trees dripping with ripe red apples. Her eyes widened and she turned to face me, a look of shock on her face.