Chapter Thirteen

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by TravyBearNLT

by TravyBearNLT

The next morning was a whirlwind. The girls got up before the sun broke the horizon. They grabbed their bags and met the nice couple on the docks. They stayed out of the way as they got the boat ready for the trip. Marigold stood on the bow of the ship with her arm around Bird as they watched the sun rise while they pulled away from the dock.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Marigold asked her.

Bird turned to look at her and smiled. "I should be asking you that. My family can be quite overwhelming. Let's hope they don't scare you away."

Marigold laughed. "I don't think anything could scare me away from you," she replied, kissing her on the nose.

She blushed and turned back to the horizon, watching the beauty unfold before them.

The travel was a long one but before they knew it, they arrived in the town that was halfway to home. They thanked the couple for letting them tag along and offered some money. They refused with kind smiles, saying how happy they were to see a couple in love like they were. Marigold had smiled like a fool and Bird had blushed. She was new to this whole dating thing so it was kind of strange to her to hear people saying these things.

"So, do you want to explore the town or do you want to look for a ride for our second leg of the trip?" Marigold asked.

"I have to be honest, this town doesn't have much to explore," Bird laughed. "Why don't we go search the dock for another ride?"

"You got it. Let's go."

They intertwined hands and practically skipped down the dock. They laughed and talked the whole time they searched for someone to bring them to Hoonah. It took a couple of hours but they caught wind of a company boat that was heading that way. The captain took a bit of convincing to allow them on board, but Marigold had a smooth way of talking him into it. Bird was enraptured by her and amazed at all the different sides to this girl she had met just months ago. She didn't think she could like her more, but her interest in her continued to grow every second of every day.

By time they got to Hoonah, it was getting dark outside and they were both exhausted. They decided to get a room at the lodge for the night. They'd find some way out to Hoonnah in the morning. Bird had a feeling that she'd be able to get Kenny, Matt's best friend, to ride them out on his boat.

Bird exited the bathroom of the lodge room, toweling her hair off. She found Marigold laying down in the middle of one of the beds looking at her phone. This was nothing new to her. When they were in Ketchikan, Bird had spent multiple nights in Marigold's hotel room. They had always

slept in separate beds as Bird wasn't quite comfortable enough to share a bed with her. They hadn't been officially seeing one another for long and much like her brother Noah, she liked to keep things traditional in relationships.

"What's new in the social media world?" Bird asked, sitting down on her bed and beginning to brush her hair.

Marigold looked over at her and sat up, setting her phone down. She came over to the bed Bird was sitting on and held out her hand for the hairbrush. Bird handed it over and Marigold sat behind her, beginning to brush her hair for her.

"It's just the usual celebrity drama. This couple broke up, this person is having an affair, blah blah blah," she answered the question, smoothing Bird's hair. "I only really have social media so I can check up on people from home. I've even been checking my parent's Facebook."

"And have you found anything?"

She let out a sigh. "Nothing. Not that I'm surprised. We said some nasty things to one another."

"I have confidence that things will work out with you guys. It might take them a little time to get over the fight, but from the other things you have told me about them, it's obvious that they love you. They will come to you when they are ready, as much as it hurts to wait."

Marigold moved to sit in front of Bird. She reached her hand up and cupped Bird's cheek. Bird snuggled into her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"And these moments are why I like you so much. You always know what to say in the most difficult situations. I know you're going through your own things right now and you are so strong. I appreciate you being there for me," Marigold said.

Bird smiled. "I'll always be there for you."

Marigold leaned forward and pecked her on the lips. "And I'll always be there for you, as long as you let me."

She laughed. "Let's see how long you stick around after you meet my family. You might want to rethink those last words."

"If they are anything like you, I know we all are going to get along just fine. Now, let me ask you, and I'm sorry if I'm being too forward, but...can I hold you, just for a little bit?"

She didn't know what to say at first, but then silently nodded. They moved up the bed, Marigold laying behind her, wrapping her arms around her waist. Bird closed her eyes and soaked up the moment with a smile on her face. She was in deep with this girl, and she liked it.