The day I lost my life but found my love

2. Our journey begins here

 After breakfast, William left to go pack the things he needed, while Eliot went to his room. Emma and I did so too, but something else happened as well. Surprisingly, we did not fight or bite each other like always; instead, we just silently went through our list:

Sunglasses – to prevent the sun from blinding our precious eyes.

Beanies – to keep our heads nice and warm.

Waterproof clothing – so we don't get wet.

Extra clothing – in case we do get wet.

Thermos with water – if we ever feel like freezing to death, we could take a sip of the comfortingly warm liquid.

Ear warmers – obviously to keep our ears warm. We wouldn't have wanted anyone's ears to start falling off, would we? Nor do we want anyone to be that person who got his ears cut off by Peter and then healed by Jesus. Then again, it would not be possible to have Jesus coming with us in real life anyway.

First aid kid – simple. If someone was hurt, we could help. Safety is important, folks.

Food – Yes! Really, it's a no-brainer. See, we could get hungry on the way, and start to lose our energy. What prevents a human from being hungry? Food. Plus, we would be able to enjoy snacks on the way, so it's a win-win situation.

Bags – Well, it would totally be fine if we didn't bring a bag. I mean, we totally wouldn't need it to store all our stuff in. Honestly, at this point, I have to question, who is as dumb as to not even bring a bag?

"I see the way you look at Will and the way he looks at you. There's something special about that." As Emma was placing her belongings into her bag, she quietly stated her observations matter-of-factly. I froze, and my face began to heat up.

"The both of us? What an odd couple. No way. Will and I? We're just best friends. Right?" My weak denial was dismissed by Emma, as she launched into a tirade.

"William Oliver Chadwick, an ordinary neighbourhood boy with a big heart, who is forever willing to help anyone, who is always there to make the people around him smile, whose music can melt away anyone's pain and sorrow. Ella Delilah Lavender, an ordinary neighbourhood girl with a soft heart for animals and books, who is selfless as Christ, as sweet as the honey in everyone's morning tea. I wouldn't say odd, I'd say unique. Do you know what our Papa would have said about this?" Tears glimmered in Emma's eyes as she spoke.

"Yeah... He'd say that this isn't odd yet far from ordinary. It is a gift from God. Unique and beautiful. A very sweet gift, in fact, one a father can never give his daughters." The mention of our father made me solemn, as he had passed a couple of years ago due to cancer.

We sat in pin-drop silence for what seemed like hours, but was actually only a few minutes, gazing absentmindedly out of the window.

"Let's get going. Have you packed all your stuff?"

"Oh? Right, I just have a couple of things left." I hesitated. Will was waiting at the fountain. These days, I felt slightly scared to face him because of the fear that he did not return my feelings.

"Are you thinking about Will again? Ella, just tell him already, I'm sure he feels the same way." Of course, she knew me so well. After all, she was my sister.

As I packed my bag with the last of my belongings, I realised I couldn't get my mind off of Will. Maybe Emma was right; maybe I should confess to him.

"Hey Ella, let's go!" Poking his head around the door, Elliot managed to drag me with him as we ran towards the fountain as fast as our legs could carry us.

"About time we set off, people," Will was reclining against a wall as he talked, instantly drawing my eyes towards him.

"Okay. So, we need to pass by-"

"WE KNOW, Emma. Go by Will's house, past the bakery, through the frozen meadow and over the bridge. We've been through this a few thousand times already!"