Sunflowers

-•- Twenty-Two -•-

They don't really do much of anything that day. They drive out to the field of sunflowers and lay in the little clearing. He lays back with one arm under his head and the other around Faith. She's on her side, curled into his right side with her head on his chest. They don't even talk about anything in particular- they already know everything about each other.

So they just watch the clouds across the sky and point out any shapes that they see. It's relaxed and comfortable, bees and various other small insects buzzing around them, hopping from flower to flower.

After a while, Corbin speaks up. "Do you remember the first time we came here?"

She looks up and smiles softly. "Yeah."

He stares up at the sky. "It was right after I moved to town. God, I was what, like six? You were five and your parents met mine when they were on a walk. You were running around and your dad was chasing you. Your mom saw the moving truck and introduced herself right away."

She smiles up at him again and presses a gentle kiss to the underside of his jaw. "I remember that I was excited to have someone my age to play with. I used to think all the other kindergarten kids were so boring."

He chuckles. "When your parents introduced themselves, you hid behind your dad's legs the whole time. You were shy at first, but the next time I saw you, it was like we had been friends for ages."

"The first day back to school." She murmurs softly. "The very first day of first grade."

He nods and rubs his hand slowly up and down her back. "You came right over to me and started talking. Everyone else wanted to talk to me that day too since I was the new kid, but you were the only one who actually wanted to be friends. I mean, I made friends with a lot of the other kids, but none of them were as close as you. And after that first day, we came here. Our parents all freaked out because they didn't know where we were." He leans over to kiss her forehead and she smiles softly.

"The only time we weren't close was when you were ten," she says, and she feels him tense instantly. "It's coming up again, isn't it?"

He relaxes and takes a deep breath. His arm tightens around her and her eyes are focused on him. "Yes, it is. Two days."

She curls further into his side. "It's gonna be okay."

He sighs. "I know." She sits up and then leans over to kiss him softly. "I have you, my mom, and Pepper. I'll be okay."

"Do you want to go see them now?" She murmurs. He takes a moment before nodding. She pulls away from him and he protests. "Come on, silly. We can pick some sunflowers for them."

He gets to his feet after her and she smiles at him as she gathers some flowers in her hands. He feels a wave of sadness wash over him at the thought of visiting their graves. Tears gather in his eyes, and as she turns to look at him, one falls and rolls down his cheek. She sets the flowers down and puts her hand on his face. "Oh, baby," she murmurs. He closes his eyes and the rest of the tears escape. She pulls his head down to rest on her shoulder and he buries his face in the crook of her neck, his arms wrapped around her waist. She wraps one arm around his shoulders and the other goes around his neck, her fingers running through his hair. "It's okay, shh," she coos. "I know you miss them, but it's all going to be okay."

"But how do you know that?" His voice is soft and sad; it breaks her heart.

"Because you're strong, and it's what they would have wanted."

He nods and calms his tears, and after a couple minutes, she releases him. He takes her hand and she picks up her flowers. "Come on, let's go," she whispers to him.

He kisses her temple. "Thank you."