Fate Interrupted

36.1 Secret Falls

Gio

Our tires kick up red dust as we come to a stop in a small pullout on a dirt residential road where one other car is parked.

Ren grimaces. "You think this is it?"

"The guy said to take this road 1.3 miles up just after the red house. I think this is it."

"But, there are no signs."

"It wouldn't be a secret waterfall hike if there were lots of signs, Bella," I smirk. "Just trust me."

We head into the forest and up a moderately steep, somewhat defined trail. I'm not gonna lie. I'm super nervous as I lose sight of the road. The jungle envelops us, and the somewhat defined trail fades into a barely-there path.

"What else did he tell you?" Her voice thick with trepidation.

"Nothing, just stick to the trail, and we'll find it. He said it was the best one on the north side."

She looks at me unconvinced. "Should I be dropping bread crumbs so we can find our way back?"

My confidence begins to dip as we find and lose the trail a few times. There are a few spots over rocky outcroppings or streams where the way forward is not so obvious, and I have to scout ahead. But I eventually find a reasonably defined trail and keep going—I just hope it's the one to the waterfall.

The lush vegetation is so beautiful and offers us a visual distraction. The banyan trees stretch high overhead with long descending roots diving back into the ground. Ginger and taro grow in, and amongst the broad leaf plants I cannot name. And Ren and I often stop to inspect a leaf shape or flower. We come around another bend, and I begin to hear the distinctive rush of water.

"You hear that!" I gloat triumphantly. "We're close!"

Excited by the sound, we pick up our pace. A narrow svelte waterfall cascades down the cliff before us as we come into a clearing. It drops maybe three hundred feet into a pool partially obscured by a house-sized pile of black volcanic boulders and off into a surging stream back into the jungle.

I scramble on top of the largest boulder and pull Ren up. Mist billows in front of us and blows off towards happily waiting, brilliant green ferns tucked into the rock face.

"It's gorgeous!" Ren exclaims.

I hug her from behind, and she turns around in my arms to kiss me. Pulling back, I grin at her with an 'I told you it would work out' look before leaning in and connecting my lips with hers. I kiss her ardently, and she returns it. I'm so full of love and emotion that I can hardly contain it all. If I don't do something, it's just going to burst me open. This is the moment!!

I break the kiss. "Bella, I have something to ask you."

She pulls back from me, looking uneasy. "What?"

My pulse thrums forcefully throughout my body. "I, I've been trying to wait till you were actually divorced to do this...but um." I clam up.

Shit. I had a perfect speech prepared in the car, and now I forget the whole damn thing! What if this isn't the right time? Shit. Shit.

I shake the zinging nervous energy out of my hands and force myself to continue. "Well, look, life moves so fast... you never know what's going to happen next... but I know one thing for sure, and I just don't want to have to wait any longer."

Her eyes go wide as I sink down on one knee in front of her and pull out the small red box that's been burning a hole in my pocket the whole hike. She sharply inhales, bringing her hands over her mouth.