Zita looked for a good place to sit. Brushing the dirt off her hands as much as she could, she then got the picnic blanket out of her backpack and spread it on the ground for David. She settled her dogs with water and a chew treat at a distance so they didn’t dirty him, and used some of the water to wash her hands. “Have a seat.”
“You’ve come organized,” David commented as she handed him a sandwich.
“I figured if the weather stayed clear, it would be nice to spend a bit longer out here. Bess and Saint don’t get the chance to run during the week.”
“What about you?”
“Me?” She frowned at him. “I don’t need to run.”
“I meant you don’t get the chance to be alone.”
She shrugged. “It is what it is.”
“How’s the study going?”
Zita brushed her hair off her face. “Not great.” She was beginning to think she should skip the test and do it later in the year.
“You could come over to my place this afternoon to study.”
She hoped study was a euphemism. She wanted an afternoon free of responsibility. “I’d like that.” Spotting David’s phone, she asked, “Did you take some photos?”
“Yeah.” He handed his phone over.
It was interesting to see what captured his attention. There were closeups of tree bark and flowers, shots of clumps of trees, and then landscapes of the entire field. She and the dogs appeared in one, and she looked sad.
“What were you thinking about?” David asked, looking over her shoulder at the photos.
“Life.” It sounded so stupid.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She leaned into him, enjoying the support and comfort he offered.
“Hearing the foster girls’ stories puts my life into perspective,” David said. “I’ve never had anything but first-world problems.”
“They can be important.”
He shook his head. “Not like what you deal with.”
Zita didn’t know what to say.
The sun disappeared behind the clouds and the day turned dark.
“We should head back,” David said.
Zita nodded. She took the hand he offered and let him pull her to her feet.
