Breathe

Chapter 31

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." -Marilyn Monroe

The car trip is long and filled with tension in the car. We made amends so everything should feel like normal, and it almost does, but not completely. We're not mad at each other, but neither of us knows what to say, so we sit in silence for most of the drive. Luke said it wasn't too far away, but the silence makes it seem like we've been driving for days.

We pull up to the entrance of Glacier National Park and pay a small fee to go inside. I suddenly don't mind the silence in the car because this is the most beautiful place I've ever been, and the silence enhances it.  A seemingly infinite amount of trees engulf our car, and suddenly my thoughts are cleared by beauty.

Our drive continues until we reach Apgar Village.  Luke parks the car in a small parking lot, and we step outside into the cold. The first thing that catches my attention is a gift shop, so I walk inside and purchase two coats and two pairs of gloves since it's freezing outside. 

"Where do you want to go?" Luke asks. I look around the corner and there's a small store named Eddie's Café and Gifts. 

"There," I say and point at the shop. I lead the way and stand outside the order window.

"What can I get you?" a man asks me after opening the window.

"One second," I say and glance at the menu board posted on the wall. "Can I have one scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream? And in a bowl, please," I smile.

"Ice-cream?" Luke asks me, puzzled.

"What's wrong with ice cream?" I frown.

"It's freezing outside," he laughs.

"So," I pout.

"Fine. Make that two," he says to the man who's taking our order. Luke hands him his credit card and within two minutes, we're eating ice-cream and walking down the street towards a lake.

I sit down on a huge rock that fits both of us. Our ice-cream is eaten in silence as I take in the beauty of the lake. If I could live in one place for the rest of my life, this would probably be it. If it wasn't so cold, it would be fun to swim in the lake since the water is so clear.  Gigantic mountains with snow on top cover the background of the lake. All of the surrounding air is fresh and crisp. This reminds me of why I love traveling so much.

Luke takes my empty ice-cream bowl and throws them both away in a nearby trash can. He returns and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me as close as possible. I rest my head on his shoulder and finally have time to relax and reflect on what has happened in the past few days.

He turns his head towards me and kisses the top of my head. "Take a picture with me," he says quietly.

"What?"

"A picture, we never take pictures," he says and frowns. "We need to capture our memories together."

Luke walks away from me for a minute and talks to an elderly couple sitting in front of their cabin on the edge of the lake. I can't hear their conversation, but a few seconds later they come back over to me.

"I'm Charlie, and this is Ruth," the old man says to me, shaking my hand.

"Hi, I'm Vanessa," I say shyly.

Luke hands the old man his iPhone and quickly shows him how to take a picture on it.  He grabs my hand and pulls me to the shoreline, right in front of where the water meets the sand.