“Andrew! We did it! Thank God!” I’ve never smiled so big as I drag myself off the ladder onto the tiny ledge surrounding the water tank at the top.
“I told you you could do it.” He holds up an imaginary mic. “I’m here with Emma O’Dougherty, the first girl to ever climb the ugly duckling. Emma, tell me, how does it feel?”
“It feels pretty freaking great!” I beam, taking in the view around us. The lake shimmers like it's lacedwith a million diamonds as the sun reflects off the water. The evergreen trees have never looked so full and vibrant… or small.
“We sure are high up, and this ledge is pretty narrow,” I note as my smile turns into a grimace.
Andrew doesn’t miss a beat, wrapping his arms around me. “I guess that just means I’ll have to stay extra close to you since there isn’t much room up here and all.”
I kiss his forehead, which is currently pressed right up against my cheek as he smushes himself into me the best he can. The kiss draws his attention up to me, and he straightens up, eagerly reaching to meet my lips. When our mouths touch, I immediately recognize how much trouble I’m in. I’ve been so far gone for this boy for much longer than just the last several days since we went on a date. With his charm, those eyes, and that dimpled smile, he’s impossible to resist, but then you throw in the way he cares for me and patiently helps me do things I’d never do on my own. There’s no way I would’ve come up here alone today. If I had started this journey with anyone else, the fire department would’ve had to come and get me down from the ladder, but instead, Andrew managed to not only get me the rest of the way up the ladder, but he had me laughing a little while I did it. Andrew is amazing, and he can get me to do just about anything. That’s terrifying.
Ignoring that profound moment of vulnerability, I whip out my phone. “I promised Dani a picture.”
Andrew snags my phone from my hand and holds it out in front of him. “Smile.”
He hands it back, and I take in the photo of the two of us with the whispering pines and the sparkling lake as our backdrop. It’s amazing.
I send it to Dani.
Me
The view from the top
Dani
No freaking way! You did it! I’m so proud!
You sound surprised
I had my doubts
Well I wasn’t even scared
I’m sure Andrew will confirm that ;)
He will
Only because he’s your bf and he has to
It’s beautiful up there. I hope you’re taking a moment to enjoy the beauty
I put my phone back in my pocket and allow myself to treasure the moment. I’m with Andrew, and I just climbed a freaking water tower. If you told me a year ago that I’d be here, I would’ve laughed hysterically. But here I am.
“I bet you’ve never had a date like this.”
Andrew shakes his head. “The only other person I’ve been on a date with before you is Angie. I can assure you we never went on any dates like this.”
“Did she ever take her nose out of her phone long enough to enjoy dates with you?” I ask, wincing as I process the amount of cringey jealousy I managed to pack into that question.
“You didn’t like her much, did you? Were you jealous?”
“What? No!”
Andrew looks like he just heard the juiciest gossip. “Nowthisis refreshing to see.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve seen my jealous side, so it’s nice to know you have one too,” he says, sidling up to me.
