June 1, 2018
Eliska tucked another item into the shopping basket in the crook of Jonah's arm, shoving him lightly when he pretended not to see her and moved away.
"Okay," she said, glancing over what they were going to buy. Her mom had sent them to the store to get food for dinner. "I think that's it."
She began to turn, but then stopped abruptly.
"Wait, one more thing." And then she was walking down the aisles again.
"I feel like we've been in here for hours," Jonah commented. The expression on her face when she glanced at him made him laugh.
They entered the frozen section.
"Ever had coffee ice cream?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Well you haven't lived yet."
She grabbed two pints and set them among the other items they were purchasing.
"Are you sure you don't want me to hold the basket?"
"Yes, El," he assured her again—he had already said it several times since they got there. "One, it's not very heavy. Two, you've got to let me be a gentleman somehow."
She turned away, but not before he caught the small smile on her face.
***
Jonah looked to his right to see Eliska joining his side on the back porch. She had just finished cleaning up the dinner dishes with her mom, who had refused his offer to aid.
She leaned against the railing of the deck like he was, sending him the small half-smile he adored.
Neither said anything as they watched the sun begin its descent below the trees in the distance. The scene reminded him of two nights before, when they sat side by side in the woods, surrounded by trees and chilly air and darkness.
The conversation they had that night wasn't spoken of after that, and surprisingly neither felt awkward because of it. It didn't put a rift between them, but it certainly did cause him to stare at her a little longer when she wasn't looking. He was still concerned by the deeper meaning of what she had spoken aloud and cared about her well-being more than he thought she was aware of.
"What time do you leave tonight?" she asked, breaking the peaceful quiet.
"Plane leaves at ten-thirty, so the car will come here to pick me up at about nine."
"I can drive you to the airport, you know," she said, looking at her hands.
"I know, but for your safety, I don't want you to be seen. Otherwise, I'd be all for it."
She let out a light laugh. "Limelights are everywhere."
"They are," he agreed.
He felt her eyes on his face and turned to her.
"I like it better when you're here," she said. He nodded.
"Yeah, Indiana isn't too bad."
She swatted at his arm.
"You know what I meant."
"Yes, I know what you meant, dork. I like being with you too."
She successfully kept eye contact for a few more seconds before turning to the sunset again.
It was in that moment that he realized what Esther had said to him days before was true: he was in love with Eliska McNeel.
In that moment she hadn't done anything special, it wasn't anything she said or did, she was just there, in front of him, and that was more than enough.
