Dating the Dead • lrh

13. 'to live'

Shelby was driving and refused to tell me where. She insisted Harper to rest in the backseat next to the basketful of apples. While I sat on the passenger seat munching on my second Big Mac, the first one was gobbled on our way down the hill.

"Will you take a picture of Happy snoozing?" She said, taking a quick glance at the camera on my lap. Harper handed it to me to look after before he took a nap.

I placed my food on the dashboard and twisted on my seat to get a better view. After a couple of snaps, I noticed Shelby eating. She had snatched my burger and was chewing a huge bite. I raised the camera for another photo.

"You want water?" I asked, strapping the camera over my neck as I reached for her bag on the car floor. "You might want to pull over for this."

Shelby handed me the burger as she guided the car to the side. I gave her the huge water bottle we have been sharing while we were picking apples.

We actually climbed up a tree to pick them ourselves, something I have never done before.

"To live," she suddenly said. Her eyes pinned mine and I didn't want to break contact. I must have looked confused because she spoke again. "At the hill, you asked why we were doing that," she smiled at me, "we were doing that to live."

I took the water bottle from her hand and she drove the car again. "Thank you," I told her.

"Thank me when the day is over," she glanced over to me with a smile on her face.

Within the span of thirty minutes, a lot has happened. I finished my food and drank all our water, took several photos, got scolded when I tried to view all of them, Harper woke up and Shelby asked him to take the camera from me, I ended up inspecting my phone which had a long crack across the screen, and the car pulling to a stop.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, leaning against the car. I studied the two-story house and the huge board nailed in just above the porch: St. Agnes' Orphanage. It had potted flower plants surrounding the front.

Shelby was out of the car, too, and was busy twisting her ponytail into a bun. She had ditched the hoodie and with both her arms raised, her white cropped shirt hiked to reveal her toned stomach and belly ring.

I subtly turned away, hoping she didn't notice I was staring, and saw Harper walk out of the orphanage. He went in first to bring the apples.

"The children are getting ready," he said, heading towards the trunk.

Shelby grabbed her bag from the car. "It's fine, we're not yet prepared," she winked at me and walked towards the house.

I followed her to the first room on the right where a nun greeted us. "Shelby, it's nice to see you!" She said, spreading her arms for a hug.

Shelby bent her knee a bit so she can pull the nun in the embrace. If Shelby was one head shorter than me, the nun was three heads shorter than her. When they broke apart, Shelby introduced us to each each other.

"You will love it here," Sister Isabel concluded her story about the orphanage. It had been a bit over five minutes since Shelby left for the bathroom and I was left sitting in front of the nun's table.

"I'm sure, I will," I said, smiling at her.

Sister Isabel studied me for a second. "I'm happy for the both of you." I gave her a confused look that made her chuckle. "Wait, are you not together? Pardon me, it's just that, Shelby never brought a guy over here that wasn't her bodyguard."

Right at that moment, the room suddenly felt like an oven.

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