Divergent Elements

Chapter 48

We've been driving for an hour. Blake talked to my parents, and they agreed to let him take me on a road trip for the weekend. But we've been driving for an hour. 

"Are we there yet?" I whine, growing more impatient. 

I can't see a thing, and I'm tempted to just lay down and go to sleep. 

"If you would've stopped whining, I would have told you we are only a minute away." He laughs, grabbing my hand. 

There's a jolt as we pull into, well, wherever we are, and the vehicle comes to a stop. I try to see out of the bottom of my blindfold, but Blake catches me and throws a hand over my eyes, "No peeking, I already told you that!" 

I laugh, leaning my head back down. He places his hand gently on mine, and helps me from the car. Then, he leads me through a bit of grass, across what might possibly be gravel, and finally, up what feels like a ramp of some sort. 

"Just a minute, step over that." He instructs, and I hop over a small bump, "Okay, you can take off your blindfold now." 

I tear it off, taken aback by what I see. Based on the sign hung on the rungs of the bridge, we are at somewhere called Crystal lake. People weave in and out of the area, but they aren't the Chicago Experiment people, they are just normal citizens. A few have on hats and sunglasses, and most carry camera's or snap pictures with cell phones. 

That's just the least of it. The lake itself is a shimmering wonder, something out of a dream. The sun reflects off of the clear water, creating an effect like a diamond. "It's...amazing!" I gasp, pulling Blake into a long, sweet kiss. His mouth moves with mine, a moment of pure joy and satisfaction. 

There's a snap from behind us, which catches me off guard. We both pull back, looking at a beaming older man. He holds an older camera, a polaroid, and a picture comes from the bottom. He approaches us as he watches it develop, smiling softly. The image revealed looks gorgeous, the sun shining through wispy clouds, the gleaming lake behind us, and the two of us. Blake's arms wrapped around my waist, our lips locked. A perfect moment frozen in time. 

"For you," He begins, handing me the picture, "Young love is precious, innocent." His voice is a bit raspy, but almost care-worn. 

I laugh, "Thank you so much, Mr..." 

"Johnny is what you can call me, I hope to bump into you two again." and with that, the man walks off, grinning. 

"That was so kind, of a stranger." I say, examining the picture once more. It really is a pure moment caught in time. 

Blake puts the picture in his wallet, "Come on, let's get to out next destination." 

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We stroll casually down the boardwalk, my head leaned against Blake's shoulder, his arm curled around mine. "I wonder if they have any snow cone's, I'd kill for one in this warm weather." I wonder aloud, as we approach the stands. 

"There's plenty here, what flavor do you want?" Blake asks, looking at the list. 

I glance at it briefly, "Just... blueberry. Classic." 

He orders two, and they come quickly. I take mine from his hand, happily crunching on the sweet treat. The air is perfect, in the seventies with a gentle breeze, and the only other people around here are other couples enjoying themselves. 

This is one of those moments, where I make a decision. Blake is perfect, our relationship is perfect, we're perfect. I decide, that I don't want anything to change. Not us, not family, not anything. 

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I carefully wrap Carter in a heated towel, as he smiles and wiggles. I pat his thin hair dry, and pull on a tiny diaper. He is held close as I walk to his room, where Mom is folding up some of his laundry in the drawers. 

I grab a blue onesie, and get him changed into the soft clothes. "Are you ready for nap time?" I murmur, buttoning him in. He yawns, scrunching his face. 

"Thank you Nat." Mom whispers, as he is placed in the crib. 

I nod in response, and turn on the dim lamp for him, before walking out. Mom goes downstairs before me, as I'm going to change into pajamas. It's already seven, and the girls put themselves to bed. I change into some fleece pants and a tank top, and go downstairs. 

Mom and Dad are laying together on the couch, both almost asleep. No matter how many kids, or how old they get, they are still my couple goals. They're protective of one another, kind and thoughtful. I head to the kitchen for a late snack, finding some freshly baked muffins on the counter top. Knowing Mom was just doing laundry, Dad must've just made these. 

I grab two and shove them into my mouth, then head to the living room. An old romantic movie is on the television, which I guess Mom and Dad had been watching. 

"Nat, we did notice you." Dad whispers, winking at me. 

I roll my eyes playfully, "You two can do whatever you want to while watching this, I'm just here for the movie." 

I hear a soft snore from Mom. She's not that old, only 35, but she's had an insanely eventful few decades. I lean back, letting the pillows support my back as I finish my muffins. Just like Mom, I end up drifting off before the movies even ended.