The Yellow Umbrella

Chapter Seventeen: Losing a Key

I stopped at a red light. It was near impossible to not look at Mia while driving. I used to hate lights and stop signs because they slowed me down, but now I needed them just to catch a glimpse of her. They were like little pit stops, a drop of Mia in a dry desert.

I turned to face her, "Well you see, 120 days ago, four months exactly, you made the greatest decision of your life."

"Did I now?" Mia said teasingly, "Last I recall, I got myself stuck with a moody boy who likes puking on himself."

"Well-" I started to say, but Mia cut me off.

"Green light" She snapped.

I slammed my foot on the gas pedal, ignoring my tires squealing in protest.

"I swear, I need to start driving us places, before you kill us." She joked.

I rolled my eyes, "Very funny, but I happen to look great in black."

Mia leaned back in her seat, "I don't doubt it. Now back to that basket..."

"We are going on a picnic," I announced, "To where it all began."

---

"Remember last night at the mall?" Mia asked, curling deeper into my chest.

I ran my fingers through her hair, "Mhmm."

We were sitting in the back seat of my car, my arm around her, her head in my chest. A few placid clouds floating in the night sky, the moon full and bright. I noticed a few wood chips in Mia's hair. Gently, I picked them out and dropped them in the cupholder. Life felt like a dream. I had my dream girl. But like a nightmare, you must wake up from a dream.

I stared up at the sky from the sun roof and wished on a few scattered stars that it would never end.

"When I said I was the reason you shone," Mia continued, "I was trying to say, you're better than I'll ever be."

She tilted her head to meet my eyes and I could see the genuinity swimming with the green flecks.

"Mia James. Smart, beautiful, artistic..." I let my voice trail off.

She shook her head, "That's not what I'm saying. I'm worried we're going to cause each other a lot of pain in the end, I could just feel it. You're a better person than I'll ever be."

I ran my pointer finger across her cheek, skipping over her bottom lip, "It's a good thing the end is far."

---

"Green Acres!" Mia exclaimed, clapping her hand, "I knew it."

And then a moment later she added, "And I'm sorry I forgot it was our anniversary, I'm not really big on important dates."

I squeezed her shoulder.

Pulling into the parking lot, my car bounced on the gravel and rocks. It took me back to when my kooky grandmother was teaching me how to drive. My dad had refused to, he was too busy. And as for my mom, well you know my mom. So my grandmother made me drive in snow, storms, and even on rocks to prepare me for everything and anything.

The park was empty that day, not a soul in sight, a bit weird considering the weather.

I shook my head, "Maybe at six months you'll remember."

She said nothing and gave me a little smile.

I pointed to the empty parking spot next to the baseball field, "Right there, that's where we shared our first kiss."

"And a few other things..." She smirked.

I shook the pink out of my cheek and playfully pushed her.