The Best is Yet to Come

Fifteen: Emma

This is the strangest thing I have ever done in my life.

I'm following a man I barely know to go look at ducks? I have to pinch myself several times just to convince myself I'm not dreaming.

I'm equally surprised and proud of myself. Even though I could feel the flips in my stomach while sitting in that chair across from Noah, I took his hand anyway and followed him out of the coffee shop. Usually I can't stand it when other people touch me but Noah's palm is soft and warm. Somehow he managed to convince me to move completely outside of my comfort zone and it feels like I'm going on some kind of grand adventure, rather than just a walk in a familiar park.

I'm trying to figure out what life choices I could have possibly made to lead me to this. I swear Noah popped out of nowhere and now I'm following a man I barely know to go look at... ducks? I hope "ducks" isn't a code word for drugs or something. Heroine... Crack... quack... I chuckle to myself. Ok, maybe that's stretching it.

When we step onto the pavement outside, Noah immediately pulls me to the right and to my disappointment, releases my hand as we start walking toward the town park. I'm not really sure what to say to him on the short walk over but he doesn't try to talk to me either so instead, I focus on him.

He's wearing a light blue button down and jeans, looking both casual and smart. I didn't notice until today the dark stubble growing on his face and, embarrassingly, I silently hope he doesn't shave it off. I've been with him ten minutes and I understand all the fuss, completely. It was like the moments at Glory's never happened. Noah's a perfect gentleman. I can't help but wonder what possessed such a dramatic change.

When we pass through the iron gates of the park, I follow Noah down the cobblestone path leading to the duck pond. It's a beautiful day and I have to adjust my hat to keep the sun out of my eyes.

At our first sight of the large man made pond, Noah turns to me and grins, "Come on." He reaches for my hand again and I swallow down a squeal of delight as he pulls me to the edge of the water. An enormous fountain resides in its center; the sound and smell of rushing water crisp in the air. To our enjoyment, there are a dozen ducks of all colors and sizes in the pond. One duck submerges itself completely in the cloudy water and pops up again a few feet away. I can't help but smile when I notice a mother and her ducklings swimming in a crooked line across the murky surface.

What seemed to be a weird idea actually turned out to be peaceful and I'm able to completely relax in the sunshine with Noah, hearing nothing but the distant yelling of children, a few quacks, and the soothing sound of cascading water.

After a few blissful moments, I sneak a peek at Noah. He seems pleased with himself as he gauges my reaction to his ducks. My heart leaps at the sight of his dimples smile and I shyly return one of my own.

"I used to come here a lot when I was a kid," he says, gazing at the water. "My dad always made sure I had some bread or crackers to feed the ducks with. Unfortunately that meant that over the next few years we had way too many ducks." The corners of his lips curve upward in amusement at the memory. "After that, the mayor had to ban the town from feeding them. I'm still allowed to, though," he adds, "perks of being a Dean." Noah turns to look at me but his smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"That's a pretty cool perk," I say. "The ducks must really like you."

"I don't feed them as much anymore. You know, to set a good example for the town folk," he chuckles, "but I do visit often; when I run and when I need to think."

Noah sits down cross-legged in the grass and I take a seat beside him, wishing I knew what was really on his mind. His face doesn't give much away.

"I love it," I say, "but I'd be lying if I said this was the first time I've ever been here. I hate to disappoint you and your ducks but I read here quite frequently." I look back at the water, remembering the lazy days reading in the sun- my favorite days.

"I can't believe I've never noticed you before," Noah muses quietly and I can practically feel him looking at me.

I avoid his eyes, "I try very hard not to be noticed."

"How come?" Noah's voice is soft and curious. I'm desperate to look at him but I focus on a brown and white duck. I try to think about how much I want to tell him, how much I felt like exposing on the first date.

Nothing. I decide to change the subject.

"That's a heavy question. I didn't realize we were playing the truth game." I tease.

"Truth game?" Rising up from the grass, Noah dusts himself off and offers me his hand again. I welcome his touch and curl my fingers into his as he helps pull me up from my spot on the lawn.

"It's simple," I explain, "Each person asks a question and you have to answer with the truth. No question can be asked twice. And if you lie, you lose."

Noah gives me an excited smile that sets my heart on fire. I've never seen a face with so much life. "I want to play," he begs eagerly.

"Oh, I don't know," I say airily, "The game has been known to get pretty intense." I raise my brow, "Are you sure you can handle it?"

"I'm sure I'll manage," he chuckles and we walk back to the path hand in hand.