"You ready?" Jackson called from behind the car as he slams the boot shut. A smile crept on my face as our eyes met and he lit up.
"As ready as I'll ever be, bub" I replied light-heartedly. He strolled over to me and wrapped me in his warm embrace and kissed my forehead softly. I couldn't help the blush that spread across my cheeks and the smile that took over my face. Without letting me go, Jackson opened my car door. After a few more stolen kisses, he let me go and boosted me into the passenger seat, smacking my ass as I passed through. I sat in silence for a few seconds before Jackson jumped in the driver's side.
"Let's get this show on the road, hey?" He said as we pulled out of my driveway and onto the first adventure with the love of my life...
-------------------------------
"Baaaaaabe," I whined. "I'm hungry"
"Well, that's good because there's a full esky of food at your feet that I don't think you noticed," He laughed. "I guessed this situation might occur so I packed some stuff this morning when you were asleep".
"Oh my goodness, yes!" I exclaimed as I opened the lid to find bottles of ginger beer, packets of tv snacks and packets of m&m's. "You know me wayyy too well babe, it's kinda scary"
We both laughed. I cracked open two ginger beer bottles and placed them in the centre console. As I reached for one of the bottles, my hand was stopped and captured by the warmth of Jackson's hand grasping mine. Our fingers intertwined perfectly and he pressed his soft lips against the back of my palm.
Silence fell over us as we listened to the sound of the radio play. Jackson's hand rested on my thigh while the other held on to the wheel, driving. So full of snacks and ginger beer, I drifted off to sleep and awoke to the sound of us stopping. I looked around in a dazed state trying to figure out where we were. Then I spotted it, the place it all started. Down by the jetty in Woodburn NSW, I saw the memory of two little kids standing on the jetty looking out across the water.
*Flashback*
"Do you reckon that's a swan or a pelican?" I asked gesturing to the bird floating on the water. Jackson, who had been abnormally quiet on the water over here, shrugged and replied, "I reckon it's a pelican."
"Could be." I turned around to face him, he was already looking at me and smiled.
"Hey, so I was thinking... Would you maybe want to make us official??" He asked with a shy smile on his face. I think I stopped breathing at that moment, I was so worried about what my reaction looked like that I realised I hadn't answered. He looked so worried since I didn't answer right away.
"Of course, I would love to," I answered with the biggest smile on my face. Relief flooded his face and he wrapped his arms around me, bringing me close. I immediately hugged him back and looked up at his beaming face. He kept his arm around me as we walked back to the school bus that we just got off a few minutes ago.
"You scared the crap out of me, you know that?" He said with a breathless laugh. "I thought you were going to say no."
"How could I? That would make me the worst person in the world, leading you on like that," I laughed back. "Nah, It kinda just took me by surprise."
*Flashback over*
A smile was plastered on my face thinking back to that time. It seemed like forever ago. I was so busy in my own thoughts, I didn't notice Jackson talking to me.
"Babe, baby, babygirl, hello??" He was calling from the seat right next to me. "What do you want from the pie shop? Go out on to the jetty and I'll bring it out to you."
