"Are you sure that it's ok? I really don't want to intrude." Robin asked me for the fifth time as Ariel served us our pancakes.
"Yes, I'm sure. My family would be happy to have you." I told him for the fifth time.
"Really? You're brother didn't seemed too thrilled about the idea."
"Well, my brother can be a jerk sometimes. Don't worry though, he'll get over it." I said as I searched the table for the syrup.
He chuckled and slid the warm and sticky glass into my hand. I carefully poured the syrup onto my pancakes before taking a bite of the fluffy, buttery, perfect, cakes.
"So, London," Robin began, "tell me about yourself. The last time that we sat here all we did was talk about me."
I swallowed my bite of pancake before I answered. "There really isn't much to know about me, honestly."
"Oh come on," he encouraged, "We'll start with the basics: what's your favorite music?"
"Um...well, I don't really listen to a lot of music but sometimes my mom listens to Elvis and his sound is pretty nice."
"All my parents listened to when I was growing up was Elvis." He said, "Alright, so you don't really listen to music. Do you read?"
I smiled, "It's kind of hard for me to." I pointed to my eyes.
He laughed, "Well, yeah, but I mean, don't they have books printed in Braille?"
"Yes, but the nearest library with an entire section of books in Braille is two hours away and I just don't have enough interest in books to go all the way out there."
I heard him pick up his cup and sip some of his coffee. "I don't get how you could not like to read. When I'm at base, all that I do in my free time is read."
"I just don't see why people love to read so much."
"Maybe I'll just have to read to you sometime so you can see."
I smiled, "Honestly, I think that I would like that."
We were both quiet for a few moments, but it wasn't awkward. Then he asked, "So if you don't really listen to music, and you don't read, and I assume that you don't like to watch movies, what do you like to do?"
I laughed, "There's a couple things. I like to listen to my brother play his guitar, I like to come here, and when it's nice out I like to go to the park and swing."
He was quiet for a second then said, "It's a pretty nice day for December. Let's go."
"Go?"
"To the park," he clarified, "to swing."
I smiled, really smiled. "I would love that."
Ariel gave us our check and Robin insisted to pay. I told him that I would only let him pay if he let me get the tip. He finally agreed to it and we paid. He held the door to the café open for me, and then he opened the passenger door of his car for me. I wasn't really used to the gentleman act, but it was a nice change.
As I made myself comfortable in the cool, leathery seat of his car, Robin turned the radio to a classics station and we listened to James Taylor and Elvis during the short ride to the park.
After he helped me out of his car, I pulled my jacket tighter around me. It was chilly out and as we walked towards the swings some of the snow soaked through my thin boots, but I didn't mind.
As we reached the swings, I clumsily climbed onto one and began to rock back and forth. The December air nipped at my finger tips and nose as I began to gain altitude, but I was enjoying myself. I grinned like a child as the air pushed my hair into my face and then back again.
I could hear Robin's swing creaking beside me. Finally he asked me, "Why do you like this so much?"
I dug my heels into the cold ground to slow myself to a stop so I could talk to him.
"It might sound stupid, but when I'm swinging high like that, it almost feels like I'm flying." I looked down as I said this, worried that he would make fun of me.
"What do you mean?" he sounded interested.
"Start swinging, get as high as you can, and then close your eyes."
As I heard his swing begin to creak, I began to push myself again. As I got higher, I tilted my head back and let the wind send chills throughout my body. I was so caught up in the moment that I almost didn't hear him laugh as he said, "You're right! This is crazy,"
I laughed too, "I told you!"
I like to believe that in that moment, we were completely in sync. Of course, I'll never really know for sure, but it felt right.
As I was thinking, I heard a loud thud and an "oomph"
"Robin? Are you ok?" I started to slow down, worried that he had fallen off of his swing and gotten hurt.
He chuckled, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just jumped off of the swing."
"Don't do that again. You scared me."
"Come on, scaredy cat, your turn to jump." He teased.
"Alright, but I can't really tell where I'm going, so, sorry if I land on you."
I counted to three in my head as I swung back and forth and then hurled myself off of the swing. As I landed, a jolt of pain went up my legs and I stumbled forward but I was caught by Robin's warm embrace.
As I held onto him and him to me, everything suddenly felt still. I wondered what was going through his mind at this moment. I couldn't hear anything except for my heart in my ears, and I couldn't feel anything except for the rising and falling of his chest, where one of my hands had landed.
I don't know how long we would have stayed there in that position, all I know is that it ended too quickly. My phone began to vibrate wildly in my pocket. As we separated awkwardly, I quickly and clumsily fumbled with my phone as I got it out of my pocket. I pressed a button on my phone and told it to answer.
"Hello?" I said as I placed the phone to my ear. I could feel my face beginning to heat up as I turned in the opposite direction and I heard Robin clear his throat.
"Hey, where are you?" Spencer was on the other line.
"We're at the park, why?"
"I'm at Annie's to pick you up. Mom wants you home for dinner."
"Alright, just go home, I'll ask Robin to take me back."
He sighed loudly, "Ok, see you at home."
He hung up before I had a chance to. I put my phone back into my pocket and then said, "I need to go home."
Robin linked my arm in his and led me back to his car. He opened the door for me again and I climbed in.
"I had fun," I said as he pulled the car to a stop in our driveway.
"Me too," he said as he opened his car door. He walked around and opened the door for me. He helped me out and then walked me to my front door.
"Can we hang out tomorrow?" He asked as I opened the door.
"No, sorry," I said with a frown, "We always go to my grandmother's house on Christmas Eve, so I won't be home at all tomorrow. But I'll see you Friday, ok?" I grinned.
"Yeah," he touched my hand as it lingered on the door knob, "I can't wait."
I smiled and said goodbye as he pulled his hand away and walked back to his car. As I stepped inside, I brushed my fingers over the spot that he had touched. I couldn't help but smile when chills ran down my spine as I remembered what his hand had felt like on mine.
After eight months of making myself suffer, maybe things were beginning to change.
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If you get a chance, you should listen to the song on the side --->
At some parts, it's kind scary how similar it is to this story.
"You pull my chair out and help me in and you dont know how nice that is but I do"
"I've been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end"
"in a wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again" etc.
So yeah, check it out!
xRebeccaDarling xX