Polaroids and Postcards | ✔️

Chapter 35: Grand Canyon Kiss

Any other time I would've agreed with her. Any other time I would've taken the exit. Any other time I would've just done what I wanted to do. But as she curled up to doze off, there was something in my gut that held me back.

I could tell Della still wanted to go. Yet she was going to sacrifice something she wanted to do just so I could be there on time. She was going through so much already, all because of me. It would be my fault if she missed one of the greatest sights to ever be seen, and I didn't want that on my conscious. We could still make it.

I missed the exit.

•••

"Della..." I whispered, lightly shaking her shoulder.

"Huuhhh..." she croaked.

I could barely hold back the grin of delight that plastered my face. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

She squinted at me through her groggy eyelids. "What?"

"I have a surprise for you, but you gotta wake up."

She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What is it?"

"Just wake up and see," I chuckled giddily. I couldn't wait for her eyes to adjust to the golden light of the setting sun and see the sight that I saw before us.

When she had finally woken up a little more, she stared out the window blankly for a few moments before the realization hit her. "J-Jason?"

My smile almost split my face. "Welcome to the Grand Canyon," I said.

Della sat there in awe, alternating staring out the window and then back at me. It was like watching a kid get the gift they never knew they wanted at Christmas; it was magical.

"Jason..." Della croaked, trying to not get teary-eyed. "I thought I said to take the next exit to Nevada."

"Yeah, well, you and I both know I'm terrible at following rules," I grinned. "Don't worry about it. We'll make it on time. But there's no way we could miss this."

Della's eyes shone brightly with unshed tears and she smiled at me. "Thank you, Jason."

"For what?" I rolled my eyes. "I've never seen this place before anyway. Might as well!"

We clambered out of the car to soak up the last few minutes of daylight in the presence of the Grand Canyon. It just never ended—the valleys, the hills, the cliffs, the colors... It was all gold and yellow and orange and red. I wasn't exactly the type of person to think in abstract, but the canyon literally looked as though someone had dragged a giant paintbrush full of color through the valley and left it to glitter and dry in the baking sun.

Della was still wrapped in my hoodie, even though it was very warm in Arizona. Her eyes were full of wonder and beaming smiles. If I could just keep that look on her face, I thought, then I would be the happiest guy in the world.

As we stood near the edge of the cliff, staring into the sweet abyss, a thought tickled at the back of my brain. My palms started sweating instantly, but I took a shaky breath to calm myself down.

Just breathe, Jason. Just breathe...

"It's so... breathtaking," Della said in a hushed voice, as if she was afraid that speaking too loudly would make everything disintegrate. "It's too beautiful to be real."

Without hesitation, I slid my hand into hers.

Della didn't say anything, she just continued to stare at the sight before us with that wistful smile on her face.

"Della..." I choked. My throat was scratchy and my voice came out way deeper than normal, which was kind of embarrassing, but I pushed through it anyway.