Is This Happiness

78

CARMEN

I must have fallen asleep on the plane. I woke up cramped and uncomfortable. Craning my neck up and to the side. I catch my husband, shamelessly glaring at me from the driver's side. Breaking his gaze to trail his darkened eyes down my chest. I felt a breeze hit the same moment from the heater. Hitting my exposed stomach, from where my shirt had risen in my sleep. Flustered, I slowly tug it down, still half asleep and droopy.

My eyes scan my surroundings. Left to right, and I realized that I had no idea where we were. The drive from the airport could have been minutes ago, or maybe even hours. The sun was setting now, and the bright light hitting my face caused me to screw my eyes tightly closed.

I take a moment before turning my head back around to look at Stefano. I take in how calm he looked. Less tense than the past two days. He drove with an emotionless expression on his face. Not even holding the wheel tightly as he always seems to do. His right hand smoothed over his thigh, he was comfortable.

My eyes settled on the passing trees, for what seemed like hours in itself. Yet only several minutes due to the speed at which Stefano was driving. They were just a green and dark blur until he finally slowed down. Turning the wheel for once, the car tunnels through a dirt road. Passing houses, and cabins. The car then starts to elevate uphill, a mountain it feels like.

"What the fuck!" I hiss, holding on tightly to my seat. Not liking the roller coaster feeling at all. He continues to drive with ease, slowly and carefully making it up to the near top. But we were still within the trees, thankfully not near some sort of mountain ledge.

"Good afternoon." His voice is lowered and huskier than usual. Moving his gaze from the road up to the rear view mirror. I sit up in my seat before turning my head back. To see Luca asleep, but strapped in tightly with a seatbelt.

"How long was I asleep?" I ask, reaching over and grabbing his hand with mine. I bring it to my lips. Hoping to warm his ice cold hand with a kiss. Seeing as the heater was on, but directed towards me instead. Warming my heart at the effort to keep me warm.

I give him saddened eyes before turning the dial back towards him. And lift his hand after. Putting half his arm underneath my shirt to keep him warm. Taking the sudden chill up my spine lightly.

"Hours." He turned the car off as we pulled up to another cabin. Rubbing his thumb softly over my now cold skin. He glides a couple knuckles up my stomach as I take in the nature through the window. This part of the mountain that we were on is secluded. Though we had one neighbor to the right of us, and kind of close. It wasn't nearly as close together as the cabins downhill.

"You should have woken me up." I say, noticing his left hand and how his fingers were drumming anxiously against the wheel. He knows he could have woken me up if he didn't want to be consciously alone. Not that silence ever bothered the man. He was hardheaded anyway. But I seemed to be his escape to reality. And i'm not complaining.

I jump in my seat hearing a loud shrill from outside the car. From one of the many children now running around the yard outside. I watch two more bounce out of the cabin over. Dressed head to toe in winter jackets. Only meaning one thing. It would be insanely cold out.

"Go and unlock the front door, I'll get him." He gestures to his son with a nod of his head. Untangling our fingers to hand me a key. I swallow back my negative thoughts towards the cold climate and open the car door.