Find Your Oasis

Chapter 13

June 23

The wind blows through my hair as I glance at the islands around me every so often, making sure we're staying on course. We're on our way south now, our Alaskan journey has come to a close. It's bittersweet, because we don't want to leave at all, but we both are looking forward to the weather being in the 60s and 70s. I look over and Kailani's eyes meet mine.

"So." She says slowly.

"So?" I respond.

"So what was your favorite part of Alaska? Any specific spots stand out to you?"

I shake my head in disbelief. "I don't even know where to start. Everything was amazing. The obvious things like exploring Admiralty Island and the trip to the glacier were amazing. But Petroglyph Beach, walking around Ketchikan, and that day we spent kayaking through Tongass National Forest were really awesome, too."

Kailani nods and pauses for a second, clearly debating something, and then continues. "Was there any place that...you know..."

I look at her confused for a second, and then what she's trying to ask dawns on me.

"Oh, did I find any place that could be like my version of Anacapa Island?"

She nods and bites her lip.

"No, I don't think so." I look down. "There's a lot of places I'd love to go again, and places that gave me chills and were amazing, but none that every quite gave me that feeling."

Kailani nods. "Like you wouldn't rather ever be anywhere else, like you would be content just sitting there forever, like it's just home?"

"Exactly." I shrug. "How about you, though? Was it worth it?"

Kailani shrugs halfheartedly. "I don't know. It wasn't what I expected."

My stomach drops. "It wasn't? I'm sorry, that really sucks."

"Honestly? I wish I hadn't even come." She says with a frown.

I swallow. It seemed like she was really enjoying it, had I just misread everything? Suddenly she bursts out laughing.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. The look on your face though. It looked like you were about to cry!" She manages to squeeze out in between laughs.

I breathe an enormous sigh of relief chuckle a little. "You had me scared to death. I thought you actually hated it."

"No! Honestly this has been my favorite trip I've ever taken." Kailani says with a huge grin. "I'm so happy we did this."

I nod and we drift off into silence, Michael Buble's smooth voice drifting through the air from the record player Kailani had made sure we kept with us when we started this trip. I glance over at her and have to try my hardest not to stare. She's really pretty, and the wind whipping her hair all around her face makes her even cuter. I suddenly get a surge of confidence, and decide to go for it.

"Kailani?"

"Hey Noah?"

We both start talking at the same time, and then we stop, and smiles appear on our faces.

"You go first." Kailani says.

"No, you." I insist. This gives me a little more time to figure out just how to tell her how I feel.

Kailani sighs. "Fine. Well, I've got something I need to tell you."

My eyebrow raises in curiosity.

"I probably should've told you this a while ago, but I never had the guts to." She continues.

"Go on..." I urge, anxious about what she's about to say.