Please Understand

Chapter 33: Snow Globes

We shared so many giggles in our attempt to keep each other happy, but I knew our conversation could turn serious with one wrong word. Luckily, I was able to hold Amelia close, and she settled against me as we looked out at all of the lights from the surrounding buildings. The Ferris wheel was bright blue, and my eyes were wide as I looked around. The lights and sounds really do bring you in. Everything was beautiful, but she made this moment special. She let me wrap my arms around her waist, and she rested her head against my chest as she stared out at the familiar city. I don't know how she could ever get tired of this. Finally, our conversations ended, and I was thankful to be silently enjoying this moment. Unfortunately, all I could focus on was the smell of vanilla from her perfume.

She delicately wrapped her arms around, so her fingers were close to my elbows. I couldn't believe I was holding her after all of this time mourning over my loss, and now she is here. My hopes for making a relationship work were high, even though it had to be long distance for now. I mean, I've been trying to send her signals all day even if the timing might be inappropriate. Initially, she was furious with me, but she seems to warming up to having me around.

With her so close, I kept thinking about the future we could have had if I wouldn't have abandoned her when she needed me the most. We could have dated through high school, and planned on going to the same college. More than likely, she still would've picked the University of Washington, but I would have been happy to look into the football program. We would walk together at graduation, receive our diplomas in front of my parents and Danny, and throw our caps in the air with all of our classmates. Then, we would be packing our things, and moving to the campus, maybe we would have our own apartment together. Once we graduate college, we would probably decide where to move, and I could see myself marrying her. Why hadn't I thought about all of this sooner?

She pressed against me harder, so she could annoy me. "Isn't it so pretty?" she murmured as she threw her head back to look up at me.

I wrapped my arms tighter around her, and she wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, thank you for bringing me here," I whispered, wishing I could spin her around and kiss her.

This time, she pulled out her phone, and snapped a few blurry pictures of us that I wished I could have a copy of. She rambled about her first time up here with her friends while I took a few pictures of the buildings on my phone to send to Mom. I'm honestly surprised she hasn't called me yet, but I suppose the few texts I've sent her sufficed.

Somehow, Amelia was unbelievably excited, practically jumping up and down in the elevator on our way back down. When the doors opened, she latched onto my arm the way we had been all day, and I was happy that she was comfortable with me again. She dragged me around the souvenir shop at the base of the Space Needle, talking my ear off. "Just pick anything, and I'll buy it. I'm sure your mom would love it if you bought her something," she rambled as she looked through the coffee cups.

I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not letting you pay," I muttered as I picked up a cup with different black and white pictures of the city all stuck together. "And you know my parents too well."

"I do," she replied with that childlike smile. "Your mom would like a coffee cup and your dad likes shot glasses. I think they're over here somewhere." She started dragging me again, weaving through the other tourists, but I didn't mind.

We passed by a few snow globes, so I stopped to turn one upside down and place it back on the table. "Do you still collect these?" I asked while she patiently watched.

Slowly, she nodded her head. "Yeah, I actually brought a few here with me. There's one my parents gave me from their trip to New York, and you gave me one after your trip to Portland," she murmured as her hand hovered above the glass. "I bought this one for myself. I wish I could have brought more with me."