𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 | 𝐣𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢

𝐈. 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

Matt took a deep breath and finally opened his eyes. He couldn't help but smile at the beautiful sight in front of him. Mist filled the air and created a rainbow placed just above the canopy line. The only thing he considered more beautiful was the woman beside him. However, she was too preoccupied looking at the waterfall up ahead to notice that he was staring at her enamored. He reached out and took her hand before gently placing a kiss on top of it.

She turned and looked over at him fondly before throwing her arms around his neck. He smiled, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He tenderly kissed her and smiled while pulling away after what felt like both an eternity and a single second at the same time.

"What was that for?" She asked, smiling.

"Well, one for your beautiful mind and the other for your beautiful heart," Matt replied before adding a quick third kiss, "And that one is for the rest of your beautiful soul."

Bethany rolled her eyes playfully at his attempt at flattering her, even though he genuinely meant every word. "You're just hoping to stall."

"The Jeep can wait five minutes, can't it?" Matt pleaded.

"Mattie," Bethany laughed and crossed her arms before reminding him, "We have a flight to catch."

He sighed. "Fine."

He interlocked his fingers with hers and turned to head back toward the Jeep; however, Bethany quickly stopped him as if she'd forgotten something.

"Oh! One last thing." She pulled her phone from her pocket, opened her camera, and snapped a quick photo before sending it to their group chat.

Matt felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out to reveal the message that Bethany had sent to the rest of their friends back home:

Leaving this to come see you... And I can't wait.

"I take it you're excited to head home then?" Matt chuckled.

Bethany took his hand and pulled him back toward the Jeep. "Yeah, we've been traveling for two months. Aren't you?"

"Yeah." Matt smiled, but the second she turned her head to get in the car, it faltered.

They'd just finished a two-month trip out of the states volunteering in less fortunate parts of the world, and before that he'd spent four months abroad in Paris studying. He hadn't told Bethany, but things back home had become a bit strained ever since he'd graduated. His father had wanted him to pursue college; however, he had ignored said advice and spent the past year traveling and working. He had no idea how his dad would react whenever he showed back up on his doorstep unannounced. Sure, he was anxious, but he didn't regret his decision to take the path that he wanted.

"Mattie?"

Matt shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked over at Bethany who seemed concerned. "Sorry, I was out of it. What were you saying?"

"I asked if everything was alright."

"Yeah." Matt nodded his head and then repeated himself. "Yeah."

"You seem tense."

"No..." He shook his head, but he could tell she was unconvinced. "Alright, just nervous about the flight. You know how I am about heights."

She chuckled quietly to herself. "Right. How could I forget when you were screaming the entire half hour that we were stuck on the zip lines?"

"How you managed to drag me up there, I'll never know," Matt agreed with a short laugh.

"Maybe... it's because you can't say no to me," she remarked with a sly smile.

"Is that so?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh huh."

"Maybe you're right," he smiled and leaned in closer to whisper, "I'm completely trapped under your spell."

She leaned in close as if she was going to kiss him before playfully flipping his ball cap down over his eyes. By the time he readjusted his cap so that he could see, Bethany had gotten out of the car to grab their suitcases as the driver pulled up to the airport drop-off.

Matt sighed and exited the vehicle before walking around to the back to help Bethany get their things. It wasn't long before they were waiting at their gate for their flight to land. Although it had just been used to deflect his anxieties about home, saying he was nervous about the flight itself hadn't been a lie. He'd face one problem at a time. First the seven-hour flight, then his dad.