When the walls come down and everything is on the table. Out in the open and completely exposed. Sadie feels the band-aid has been ripped off and the healing is complete. They head back to camp with a renewed peace of life between them. As they arrive they watch the kids posing for different pictures.
"I need to run to the store, anyone needs anything?" Sadie asks.
"I'll go with you mom," Gunnar says.
"I think we are all good here," Ben says then looks over at Gunnar. "Take care of her ok."
"Your truck will be fine Ben. My mom is a good driver," Gunnar says.
"I was talking about your mom, son," Ben grins.
"Oh, Ben... Always, I will always do that," Gunnar says getting in the car.
Sadie blushes and walks to Ben and gives him a sweet kiss. They whisper "I love you," to each other. Sadie smiles back at Ben as she gets into the truck and drives away.
"So, Gunnar, what's for dinner?" She asks.
"NACHOS!!!" He yells
"Perfect!" she says back. They drive listening to music and Gunnar is going on about how much fun he is having with Hudson and Everett.
While at the store they go down each aisle to get all the ingredients needed.
"Mom, can we get stuff for s'mores?" Gunnar asks.
"It would be a sin not to have them at this location," She responds.
"Why is that?" Gunnar asks.
"Your great grandpa's cabin is on the other side of the lake. It's the reason I bought the land in the first place. My favorite memories were at this lake. Well, he always made it a point to have sparklers and s' mores. He used to say, "All is right in the world as long as you have a spark to light the way and chocolate and marshmallow goodness to warm your tummy," Sadie explains.
"Well, let's find sparklers," Gunnar says with a smile.
They walk around the store a bit longer and can't find any sparklers. Sadie makes a mental note to plan better next time. As they arrive at the campsite, Ben eagerly welcomes them.
"Get everything?" He asks.
"Yeah, except sparklers. They didn't have any," Sadie says.
Ben smiles widely and pulls a bag out of a compartment of the back of the truck. "Would these suffice?"
"You remembered?" Sadie says.
"How could I forget?"
Sadie grabs him at his collar and pulls him down for a deep kiss. Her emotions are building up and everything is coming to ahead. She pulls back taking deep breaths trying to steady herself. This is ok, you are ok, this is good, you are safe, she keeps repeating in her head. Ben is rubbing his hands up and down her arms knowing she is fighting an internal battle.
"You are something else Ben Olsen," She says.
"And you are my angel, Sadie Andrews," He sweetly responds.
Sadie gives him a quick kiss and they start to make dinner together. Take a couple of pans putting them on the fire to warm up and cook some ground beef and chicken, peppers, and onions until they are golden. As soon as it is all cooked, Sadie starts to layer everything together. loading up the nachos with everything she could think of. Ground beef, chicken, beans, lettuce tomato, jalapenos, cheese. it is a mess of amazement.
Everyone sits around the campfire eating their share of food and talking.
"Hey, do you guys want to take a hike tomorrow? My grandpa's cabin is on the other side of the lake. We can hike over and see where I spent my summers as a kid?" Sadie asks.
"Yeah, that would be cool," Hudson says.
"Are there good spots to take pictures?" Everett asks.
"Lots of places!" Sadie responds. "It was a tiny cabin, but it held the most loving man. I can't wait to show you all."
Everyone excitedly agrees to the hike tomorrow. Sadie is breathing a sigh of relief that she can share this memory with people that she loves. As they finish dinner they sit and wait for it to get a bit darker outside so they can light the sparklers. Everett is going on about her photos and pictures she wants to try with the sparklers. Sadie is sitting between Ben's legs and for a moment, there isn't enough air in the world. No matter how much Ben says he wants this life, a small part of her will always feel like the other shoe will drop. Like he will second guess this life with her. Ben senses the change in the air and his worry starts to build as well. When Sadie looks up to him with worried eyes, the overwhelming need for assurance fills his words.
"Sadie, do you really mean everything you said that night with Summer and Charlie? You really want a life with us?" He asks.
Sadie feeling the same way responds, "Yes, every word,"
"Then plan forever with me? I'm not asking for marriage right now, but just you and me. Well us and these wild heathens." Ben asks.
These amazing, wild, heathens," Sadie responds. Her needing the same assurance. "Ben, are you sure you want this too? Me? Us?"
"I will ask you to move in with me, I will ask you what kind of dog we should get, maybe a cat too, I am on the fence about that. I will ask you to marry me one day. Right now at this moment, I want to have you as only mine, and I am only yours." He says. "What do you say? You and Me?"
"Yes," She responds with excited relief.
"Yes?!" Ben asks again. Just a simple word changes the path of his life with such good and pure relief.
"Yes!" She says again. Sadie moves up and sits in Ben's lap wrapping her arms around him to bring him into a passionate kiss.
All of a sudden they hear clicking and a few gagging noises. When they turn they see Everett taking pictures and Hudson and Gunnar gagging.
"Mind ya business!" Ben says as he pulls Sadie's face back to him, giving her another kiss as they laugh.
It is finally dark enough and Hudson pulls the sparklers out and passes them around. Ben and Sadie watch the kids laughing and moving them around like they were young children. Everett is setting her camera up and taking pictures with them jumping and posing with them. Connecting as a family in ways Sadie never imagined.
As it gets completely dark the Gunnar suggests they go watch a movie and they are talking about which one to put on. They say good night and close up their tent. Ben and Sadie climb into their tent and as Sadie is getting ready to go to bed, Ben grabs the sleeping bags, unzipping them then laying them out and zipping them together to make a bigger sleeping bag.
"What are you doing?" She asks.
Panic fills Ben's face, "Making one big sleeping bag, I wanted to hold you with nothing between us," He says with further panic at his words. "I mean we will be wearing clothes, unless you don't want to, or I mean you do, I just..."
Sadie laughs and decides to put him out of his misery. "I want to be close to you too. I didn't know you could unzip it and then zip it with another to make a bigger sleeping bag that sleeps two. Learn something new."
Ben lets out a sigh of relief and nods his head.
They climb into the sleeping bag together and Ben pulls her close to him. His hand rests on her upper arm and his thumb is gently rubbing little circles on her skin. The look he holds for her is filled with such love. The emotions and senses between them are in overdrive.
The old Sadie would not do this, the old Sadie would cower away and wait. The new Sadie, she wants life and to finally accept the love she has so desperately longed for. She reaches up and touches his face and he leans into her hand. She cups his face and pulls him to her to kiss his lips. This is a gentle needy kiss. She can feel the need and want in this kiss, in the body's response in every way. Ben pulls back and looks down at her, she can see him asking questions with his eyes.
"I am yours. I want it all with you," She says.
That's all he needs to confirm everything that was said for today. Ben leans down and captures her lips with his in an even more heated kiss. She reaches down and tugs at his shirt and pulls it over his head, tracing her hands down his bare chest. He reaches down and pulls her shirt off. His hands make their way back down her body as he continues to kiss her with such passion. The intense moments that have been shared between them have built up to frantic movements of discarding each other's clothes. Sadie's hand moves down Ben's body and he takes it intertwining their fingers together holding it above her head. They lay there kissing, naked, caressing each other's bodies. Ben moves on top of her hovering over her body, both struggling to find air not wanting any distance between them. Sadie pulls her leg over his hip causing Ben to fall closer to her center. He lines himself up and gently thrusts into her, giving her another breathless kiss hoping to drown the moans in the quiet night. They gasp as the sudden pleasure that they have been deprived of for so long. Once the initial shock wears down Sadie moves her hips in hopes to relieve the friction her body has built up, Ben realizing the need starts to move in and out of her. Her free hand gently grips at his back. Both trying to pull each other closer if it was possible. Ben pushes deeper into her and she is biting her lip trying not to be loud. Trying to be considerate of the three kids in the tent on the other side of the fire pit. Ben is thrusting harder and faster and Sadie can feel her body building to a peak and they are both about to let go and give in to the pure ecstasy of passion. As Ben starts to moan louder, Sadie quickly covers his mouth with her hand to muffle the sound but fails to remember her moans. Ben quickly covers her mouth with his hand, moving his hips faster and deeper. Moaning loud into each other's hand they come completely undone. Sadie's body shakes and Ben slows his pace riding out this high that he has missed. Both are sweating and breathing heavily. As they move apart, Ben rolls to the side and Sadie falls right into his side. In each other's arms is where they feel safe.
"Jesus, that was amazing. I have missed every single part of you!" Ben tries to whisper.
"That was intense. We have a lot of making up to do, love. That was just round one," Sadie whispers shyly back.
"Fuck yes!" Ben says a bit too loud causing Sadie to giggle.
They continue to make love through the night making up for the lost time. Losing track of time, Ben watches her fall into a peaceful sleep. Still sits in disbelief the woman in his arms is his and has agreed to a life with him. A dream he never saw coming.