Nowhere But You

Chapter 41

A new day in the Camino for Robin.

Another day of feeling the gravel below her shoes, the weight on her back (which was almost imperceptible at this point), the sun and the wind. A few strands of her strawberry blonde hair danced loose in front of her face because she didn't feel like wearing a hat that day. Her vintage Slider° shirt kept her cool.

Nathan had mentioned they were reaching the halfway point of the Camino and all she knew was that her mind was anything but clear. However, that morning, a timid smile adorned her face, one she couldn't contain. Her thoughts and memories kept pestering her and preventing her from 'seeing the light,' but she knew that smile was coming from within.

Even if it implied yet another thing to consider.

Nathan walked very quietly right next to her, wearing his super dark shades the entire time, together with a bandana on his head and his baseball cap. Some of his dark blonde curls escaped shyly from underneath the hat. Earlier they had stopped for lunch and were practically accosted by an overly enthusiastic young couple who had joined the Camino just a few days before. After they were gone, Robin teased Nathan, claiming they were closet fans of the band and that she knew the type.

But that was at lunch. A few hours of walking together in silence had passed since. Both of them wondered, today more than ever and for some reason they didn't know, what lingered in each other's minds.

Robin let out a muffled laugh and her hand traveled to her chest immediately after, only to realize that her beloved bird necklace was missing. She stopped breathing and whined as she kept tapping her chest and neck frantically. "Oh, no, no, no."

"What?" Nathan asked worried. "What is it?"

"God, please no!" She shook her clothes in hopes it had gotten stuck somewhere in her shirt or her leggings. It didn't.

"What happened?" He kept asking.

"My necklace!" She raised her voice. "I lost it!"

Nathan exhaled and rolled his eyes in relief. He thought it was something more serious. "You scared me, man."

Robin bit her lip and looked back at the road, in despair.

"Robin, I'm sorry." Nathan shook his head. "Why did you bring jewelry anyway?"

"Because—"

"Do you want to go back and try to find it?" He shrugged. "We'll lose a day. Plus it'll get dark in a couple hours."

"I'm—I'm going to just—" Robin felt she was vanishing. She spotted a clear spot on the side of the road, a rock, "I'll just rest here for a little bit, okay? You keep going."

Maybe he was running on adrenaline, due to all the walking, but Nathan just wished Robin would forget about the lost necklace so they could get on their way.

"Hey. Hey." He sat down next to her. "I know it's a bummer, about your necklace. But it's only like half an hour more walking until we get to the next town, then we can rest."

"I said you can go ahead." She tried to convince him. "I can find you later."

Robin's eyes were open wide, her face was a combination of gloom and resignation. She unstrapped her backpack and dropped it to the ground. Nathan had seen her like this before, and knew she was holding her breath. He realized this wasn't just about losing an accessory.

"That was a gift from River, that necklace." She said, as if she could read his mind. "You're right, I have no idea why I brought it on this trip."

Nathan exhaled. "I'm sorry, Oli."

He knew he had to stay, at least to make sure she was alright. Robin lowered her head, fiddling with her hands and bouncing her leg nervously. For the first time during the Camino, her mind was blank, almost as if it had collapsed and had turned off. She rubbed her knees, probably trying to keep her legs from shaking.