Wildflowers | S.Jy

| 23 |

To end our first week of official courting Jake had suggested we go to the reading tree to have a picnic and enjoy the view over the vellys and fields of Ailea. He would only be in Ailea for a little over two more weeks, meaning we had to get the best of any minute.

"Have you told your grandparents yet?" Jake murmured, his back resting against the tree trunk beside my own.

"No..." I muttered as he picked up my hand from my lap, "why?"

"Because I have not told my aunt and uncle either," he excused with a small shrug, extending his fingers underneath my own. Mindlessly comparing our hands to one another, "I don't know how to phrase it... my aunt hopes for it, but I don't dare tell her."

"Why not?" I murmured and he smiled to himself.

"She talks over herself," he excused as if it was obvious, starting to trace small patterns on the back of my hand, with the one hand he wasn't holding mine with, "if I let it slip, the entirety of Ailea will know in no time."

I smiled to myself as he stopped tracing the patterns on the back of my hand to scratch the side of my nose. Slowly I lifted my hand from his, immediately noticing how his hand seemed to follow mine. It was like a thin invisible string was connecting our hands.

As I continued to wave my hand around above our heads Jake's hand followed, his fingers reaching out for my palm. A slightly troubled look on his face.

"No, no, no, no," he murmured as he grabbed out for my hand, "don't tease me," he complained as he finally got ahold of it and pulled it down from where it was floating, "I want to hold it now that I can."

"That is... if we let people know," I reminded in amusement as he held my hand tightly in both of his, "they'll know one day, won't they?"

"They will," he hummed in agreement, "and when they all know I'll make sure to take you anywhere you want to be."

"Really?" I questioned letting my eyes light up as I turned my head to look at him. He only nodded with a small smile, "where?"

"Well, that depends," he admitted with a small chuckle, "what do you want to see? Where do you want to go?"

"Near Cambridge... is there a beach?" I questioned eventually and he snickered in amusement.

"A beach?" he repeated, raising both his eyebrows with a wide grin - getting a small nod from me, "well... no," he shook his head as his raised eyebrows lowered down into a frown.

"No...?" I muttered and let my smile falter.

"But I have grandparents too... They live near the coast in the most wonderful little sea town," he assured and my smile slowly returned again.

"Is that true?" I questioned and he nodded, "oh, it must be wonderful! Can you imagine it? Such heavenly big blue waves, the way they create that white foam and push it against the shore like small fluffy pillows!"

"Of course I can imagine... I lived there every summer until now," he hummed and I snapped my head to look at him.

"Every summer?"

"Naturally," he nodded.

"It must've been wonderful," I gasped and he nodded quietly.

"Although... nothing quite beats the sight of Ailea fields," he excused and looked down towards the valley, "you have become much more talkative these days, have you not?"

"I can talk less if you'd like," I immediately offered and he shook his head quietly, "it's just that... you seem to not mind me regardless of how I talk. I'd like to let go of the restrictions I usually put on myself. Of course I can stay a bit more quiet if needed."

"I like it," he shook his head with a small smile, "it's sweet."

"You don't mean that," I shook my head and nudged him with my elbow, "when I was younger my mouth always got me in trouble with old mrs. Andrews at the orphanage in town. She sure didn't like kids with an expressive imagination."

"The orphanage?" Jake murmured and I nodded quietly.

"Of course," I hummed, "I ran away from my mother when I was eight, and when I turned ten my grandparents saw me in town and insisted that I be adopted by them and live in Ailea fields."

"I didn't know," he muttered with a small frown and I merely shrugged.

"Well, it didn't matter," I reminded him, "it's not one of those things that make me a problem. Is it?"

"No... it's just... I have a hard time imagining you in such a place," he excused quietly, "especially in comparison to the ones I've seen in London. Those are dirty and ruthless places."

"Well, I'm sure they have more money to do with than we have here," I chuckled in amusement and removed my hand from his as I stretched my arms up above my head and stretched out my back.

"But you'll never have to go back to such a place again," Jake reminded and I looked over to him, dropping my hands down into my lap, "firstly because you're an adult, secondly... because if your grandparents both were to die I would personally assure that you get a proper place to live and even so in a comfortable manner."

"You don't mean that, not yet," I reminded him with a small smile, "you're getting ahead of yourself Jake..."

"I'm not getting ahead of anything," he shook his head quietly, "I am serious. If anything is to happen you write me a letter about it and I'll be in Ailea within a week. Regardless of the time of year."

"It's impossible to get to and from Ailea in the winter. The frost is too heavy and snow too deep," I shook my head quietly, "it's only with the help of the coachman living in the forrest that you can get to and from town. He has one trip a day, if you're even lucky. His sleigh is quite old by now, so it may be less often."

"As I said... regardless of the time of year," Jake reminded, "even if I have to walk in knee deep snow from the train station in town."

"You'll catch your death before you even get to the hill," I reminded with a small laugh.

"So be it," he shrugged, "if you need my help I'll be there ready to help. As I should do," he declared and leaned his head back against the tree trunk.

"You're too kind for your own good... one day it'll be bad for you," I whispered and he hummed quietly as I looked out over the fields, "the sun is low."

"I suppose it's dinner time soon," Jake hummed quietly.

"I should go home before my grandmother suspects anything... or even worse, Mira," I excused and leaned over to press a light kiss against his cheek. Nonetheless it was enough for him to stiffen up and look towards me in surprise as I got up on my feet, "when are we seeing each other again?" I questioned with a small smile as I looked down at him.

Without a word he reached his hand up towards me and I took it, supposing I had to pull him up. Instead he simply shook his head and just held my hand gently in his.

"Whenever you want to see me again," he muttered gently, "have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Once," I replied and he smiled gently.

"Then the day after tomorrow we'll be going for a ride," he declared and I let out a small laugh.

"And tomorrow?" I questioned and he shrugged.

"Tomorrow I'll assist my aunt in baking the best apple pie in the country, so that you won't be hungry on our ride," he smiled gently, "and tomorrow you'll finish reading your book so you can tell me all about it first thing on our ride."

"I'll try," I nodded with a small smile, "I'll see you the day after tomorrow mr. Sim. For a divine Thursday noon."

"Divine indeed," he chuckled as I let go of his hand and started to walk across the hill.

I only looked back once, catching him packing up the blanket and basket he had brought with him. Sending me a small smile once he noticed I was looking back towards him. Waving his hand for me to continue my way home.