The List

chapter 2.

Chapter Two

The radio clock read 4:30 when they pulled into the parking lot of the church. Elle breathed in and smiled at the sight of the place that had helped her for so many years. Now that she was 19 and starting her second year of college at UNCW in the fall, she didn’t have much time to come back to this place. So, when she did, it was a relief.

“We have about half an hour before we have to be there.” Elle said. “Want me to show you around?”

“Sounds perfect.” Louis said as he took her hand and let her lead him to the side of the beautiful, stain-glass building. She showed him a few places like the sanctuary and the youth room. When she finished the inside part of the tour, they ended up walking back out of the same door they’d came in. She led him around the side of the building to a small, closed in garden area with a tiny fountain and large brick walls.

“What’s this, love?” he asked, looking around at everything.

“It’s kind of like a graveyard, but there’s nobody buried here. It’s a place where people get their loved one’s name engraved into the walls so that they can come into this small garden place and just sit and remember. This church may be right on a main road, but when you come in here, it all just floats away and you’re not in the middle of a city anymore—you’re with that special loved one.”

He smiled at her. Everything about her and her life was fascinating. She could turn some little garden beside a building into something totally beautiful and meaningful.

“But wait, there’s more.” She smiled and took his hand. They walked down 3 small stone steps onto a tiny walkway. It led to a ladder on the side of a building Louis hadn’t noticed before since it was covered by trees.

“A tad sketchy, hm?” He raised his eyebrows in mock disapproval.

“Shut up and climb, you baby.” She smiled at him and he laughed as they climbed the small metal ladder. When they reached the top, Louis discovered they were on the roof. She led him to a small peak of one of the buildings and they sat down on top, staring out over the trees and the sun.

“You’ve just got this whole place figured out, huh?” he asked, wrapping her in his arms.

“I do some of my best thinking up here. It’s where I use to go with my friends and my cousins or just by myself to escape from everything. Nothing looks more perfect when you’re sitting up here.”

“I agree.” He said, staring at her. When she turned her head around, she smiled and kissed him. They sat there like that for a while. Elle loved this feeling of being with him without anybody else being there. She wished she could hold on to this feeling forever.

“I wish this didn’t have to end. This is perfect, right here in this moment.” She said.

He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. “I know. Sometimes there are things I want to do, but I can’t because so many people are watching me, waiting to judge me.”

Suddenly, Elle thought back to a day, years and years ago. She was sitting in this exact same spot feeling this exact same thing. She knew there were things she wanted to do and she wanted to accomplish them all. This memory came running back to her as she stared out at the sky just like she’d done so many years ago.

“I made a list.” She said quietly, not taking her eyes off the sky.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “A list of what?”

“A list of all the things I want to do before I die.” She said, turning her head back to him. “You know, like a bucket list.”

Louis laughed. “Seems a bit childish, don’t you think?”