Coast.

Ch. 5

Driving away from Copper Harbor, Judy gazes at the window, watching the trees flew by in a blur. Leaning on the window, Judy breaths lightly, resulting in the window getting foggy from her breath.  

"Where to next?" Judy asked Harrison.

"No idea."

"Really?"

"I got no idea where we should go."

Harrison looks at Judy, who seems to be amused by Harrison's dumbfoundedness. Reaching for the glove compartment, Judy pulls out a map of the United States, her eyes wandering across the map with curiosity.

"What about Milwaukee-"

Harrison, feeling quite nervous, answers:

"We should go back."

"Back? Back where?"

"Home."

"Why home?!"

"It's the best way, Judy. I don't want this to be hard on us. I want you to live comfortably. If we live like this forever, it would be suffering and hardship."

Judy looks at Harrison, confused.

"But, didn't you say before we started dating that hardship and suffering make relationships stronger?" 

"Yes Judy, I thought so, but I don't mean it like that. Not with what we're doing right now. I'm not sure if this is right."

Judy looks at Harrison. Dumbfounded.

"If we go back, we're done. Your parents would be pissed if they see me returning with you. Also, my Dad would probably lock me up and throw the key away. They would never let me see you again."

Harrison stops the car by the edge of the road, bringing the car to a complete stop. 

"Do you know what my mother said to me before I met you?" Judy asked.

"What did she say?"

"She said that she wanted me to just be a housewife. She basically just wants me to just stay in one place for the rest of my life. She doesn't even care what I want to do for my future."

Judy wipes the tears from her face with frustration.

 "I want to explore the world, to see what it could offer me. During the past two weeks after we ran off, we spend time together and I felt happiness. I felt the joy to be with the one I truly love. You brought me comfort when we traveled together. And now, I don't want to stop. I don't want to go back home, Harrison. I don't."

Judy dries her eyes from her face with her sleeves.

"I don't want to settle down, have kids, live old, and die."

Judy looked at Harrison with contempt.

"I know," Harrison replied.

"No, you don't."

"Damn it, Judy. I know how you feel."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"How?"

"What?"

"How are you able to know just what I feel?"

Harrison holds Judy's hand with steadiness, looking at her eyes.

"Because," Harrison explains, "I'm in the same boat as you. We are in a mess we can never escape."

Harrison holds her hand tightly and leaned in for a kiss. They kiss passionately. Harrison broke off and comforts Judy.

"Wherever we go, it will just be chaotic," Harrison continued. "Life is like a lost boat in the sea, trying to look for the Coast as a safe haven. We are that boat in the sea, Judy. What we are doing is like a boat stuck in a storm. I don't want that. I want to be with you without any problems or worries. But, since you are willing to do this decision in your life, at least let us try and make it better. We just need to find our dream and passion in order to be together. We need to find the Coast."