LIVING & GRIEVING

24. one perfect day

"Fine. How thoughtful of you."

"Okay so, truth or truth or truth?"

"This is so dumb."

"I'm waiting for your answer?"

"The first truth."

"So, the third didn't tempt you?"

"No, now hurry up and ask the question."

"When's the last time you had a perfect day? A day where you were completely happy?"

I was quiet for at least a minute while I pondered the question. I hadn't expected it to be anything like this. Truths were never meant to be nice. "Probably one of the last times my family were all together, before we knew the cancer was terminal. Last spring."

"Is there a specific day?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about it."

"We took a picnic down to the lough. Me, Mum, Dad, Connor, and Granny. Even Hannah and Olivia joined us in the evening actually. The sun was out, and we were running around playing with Charlie for most of the day. It's one of the last times I remember everyone being in good spirits. A bird actually pooed on my head and it didn't even hurt my good mood," I laughed, replaying the memory in my head.

"Let's go," Quinn was standing now, snapping me out of the trance I was in, holding his hand out for me.

"What? Where?"

"A picnic sounds fun."

"Oh Quinn, I don't-"

"Just come," he sighed. "No birds will poo on you this time."

"You can't promise that."

"No, but I can give you the type of day where it won't hurt your good mood."

Where had this Quinn been hiding? While I was weary of his suggestion. It was one of the most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for me, whether he intended it that way or not. "Can we bring Charlie?"

"Wouldn't leave without him," he flashed me another one of his grins. The second time in just over a week. What was happening to us?

Quinn insisted on driving because it was a nice day, and his car had a sunroof while mine didn't. I tried to put up a fight saying he should let me show off my new driving skills, but he didn't budge. I decided being a passenger wouldn't be so bad anyway, considering Charlie would probably come back filthy from running around. We went to the shop and got some snacks for our picnic before heading to the lough and parking up.

"So, what spot looks like the type you'd sit at on a perfect day?" Quinn mused, looking around all the picnic tables.

"None," I laughed, "on a perfect day you'd sit on the beach! That's why we brought a blanket."

"Oh, obviously," he rolled his eyes before changing direction and turning towards our small strand of beach.

I had brought a book with me to read, not expecting to have much conversation with Quinn. There was a sort of awkwardness in the air. One that wouldn't be there on a perfect day. So, I took out my book and started reading as Quinn tried to play fetch with a very uninterested Charlie. As our family dog got older, he couldn't care less about playing and instead he would just wander around before falling asleep. Luckily this meant we could count on him staying away from the water.

It wasn't long before Quinn got bored of his antics and returned to sit on the blanket, beside me. I finished off my chapter before deciding to play him at his own game.