Too Obvious

Chapter 6

The morning of their first run couldn't have been more beautiful. The kind of morning that not even a non-morning person could complain about. Sitting up in her bed, Lauren let the red orange rays of the early morning sun bath her face. She sat there for a moment remembering how Grandma LuLu would open the curtains every morning to wake her and her brothers when they visited. The ritual was never alarming to her. Lauren had grown so accustom to it that her internal clock would begin to rouse her a few moments before the elderly woman would even enter the room. The windows being opened to let in the sun light in just seemed to be the final conformation that it had indeed transitioned from night to day.

But, no one had come to open her windows today. Lauren had left the curtains slightly ajar when she opened the window to let in a breeze last night. She yearned to feel the dip of the bed from her grandmother sitting down to lightly stroke her face and whisper "good morning, baby chile," in her ear.

But, no one had come to wake her up sweetly. Instead, the blare of her phone's alarm had insured that she was ready in time for her run. No one had come to tell her of all the "adventures" they had planned for her today. Instead, she already knew her father and his siblings would be going to the funeral home to make the final arrangements for her granny's home-going services. And tonight, no one would come and tuck her in and help her say her prayers and tell her stories about all the great things tomorrow would bring. No, tonight she would tuck herself in and cry herself to sleep remembering all the things she had taken for granted.

Wiping a tear from her cheek, Lauren finally got out of the bed, pausing to stretch before walking into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed her face.

It was February in North Carolina and it wasn't too cold. She decided to wear a loose, but no big long sleeve shirt that stopped right at her hips and some running tights with her road running shoes. She placed her hair in a tight but messy bun on the top of her head and secured the edges with a thin sweat band. Looking herself in the mirror to make sure her eyes weren't red, she syked herself up for the task at hand--a three mile run and 30 minute work out with a guy she just realized was everything she had ever imagined she wanted in a man.

~~~~~~~~

Jackson was wide awake when his alarm finally went off at 5:45am. He had successfully gotten to sleep shortly after his brother's pep talk, but his dreams hardly made his night restful. Visions of Lauren invaded his mind repeatedly. Even when he thought he was given reprieve with a dream about playing ball at a far away college, somehow a glimpse of Lauren's face always crept into the crowd.

He had to play his cards right this week. And that meant he could not mess up while on these runs. He had to be focused, let Lauren see his mature side. She had been quite well acquainted with the silly boy that loved video games, canon balls in the pool, and water gun fights. She also knew he was skilled at basketball, but with her shortened visits these last few years, she had never gotten to see him play a competitive game, let alone train.

He wanted her to see him behaving seriously, so that when he confessed his feelings, she would take him seriously. Tying his shoes, determined to make the best of today's time alone, he started for the door. He was startled when he realized the object of his premonitions was standing at his door getting ready to knock.

"Oh, hey Jax. I...I was just coming to get you." She spoke nerviously.

"No problem. You ready?" He said closing my bedroom door behind him as he walked towards the staircase.

"So what kind of route do you take?" Laurene's asked from behind me as we approached the front door.

"Well, I try to do 3 miles through the neighborhood. Most of its residential, I cut through the woods for part." Jax explained once we reached the front porch.

Lauren began stretching her arms and then her legs, "ok, well I run at a medium pace. I'm a sprinter, I'm not trying to win the Chicago marathon. But if I'm too slow you can run ahead. I brought my iPhone and it has gps. I can find my way back."

"No, medium pace sounds good...shall we?" Jax started off his jog and Lauren followed closely behind, letting him lead. He took them down his family's long drive way pass the gate and onto the main neighborhood road. They jogged pass his neighbors' McMansions, all of which were considerably smaller than his. About a mile into the run, he turned down a wooded path. The sun cut through the naked trees, but the area was still dense with pine trees. The ruggedness of the path added an interesting dynamic to the route. Then all of a sudden the path opened up into a huge field. He slowed up to wait for Lauren, who had fallen a few more feet behind.

"Is that what I think it is?" She whispered just loud enough for him to hear over his labored breathing.

"Yup, the old Hess Plantation house." He responded proudly. The Hesses had owned the huge estate for centuries, but since his great great grandfather ran for and won the governorship, the family had no need for and gave up farming their land. His grandfather, Lamar, had seen that the profits from their last agricultural business was properly invested and ensured that the family legacy would be well funded for years to come. Lamar eventually made a name for himself and the family, in construction and development.

He would eventually hand over his company to Jax's father, Matthew, with the understanding that the old farm land surrounding the main house be held onto until the market was right for sale. Matthew sat on that land for 15 years and then used the family company to build the sub division that they now calls home. Of course he kept the land surrounding the old family home. The building was a historical landmark and was to be eventually gifted to the local historical society. Matthew also kept large lots for he and siblings to build custom homes to their liking when they were ready. Currently, only he and his oldest sister, Martha, had finished their properties.

Jackson loved running up to the old house. It was a three story all white grand structure with huge columns on either side of the double front doors. Four pane windows spread across each side of the house and a large window above the door allow light to hit the incredibly majestic chandelier that hung in the foyer.

Lauren walked up beside him and gently laid her head on his shoulder, "it's still so beautiful."

"Remember when Grandma Anne would watch us and we would play hide and seek in the fields? We could be out here for hours and no one would disturb us."

"Yeah, we would play until Grandma Lulu would come back from church. I remember laying down over there," she pointed to a tree off to the side of the house where his father had installed a tire swing, "we would watch the stars come out and you would pretend you knew Greek mythology and just make up the most bizarre stories about the constellations." She laughed at her thoughts

"Hey, you knew all along I was just making up those stories?"

"Of course I knew. The young hero always rescued the girl and they ended up falling in love and getting married. But you would throw in Power Ranger story lines and I think you even quoted the Ninja Turtles once."

"I wanted see if we're paying attention."

"Sure you did. Now, let's get back, you have to show me the fancy-smancy gym your daddy built." Before he could answer she took off back the direction they had first come. As she neared the entrance to the woods she turned around and teased, "you're just gonna let me beat you slow poke?" He smiled imagining her as the eight year old in pigtails he first fell in love with that used to do the same thing.

"No way I'm loosing this one!" He thought as he took off after her.