He holds up his hands as he runs over to me and Uncle Theo. “Alright, alright.”
“He’s so damn picky about his photos,” Uncle Theo gripes.
Travis gives us some direction as I stand in between my uncles, both of their arms around me.
“That’s enough,” Uncle Theo says at least two dozen photos later.
With a laugh, I turn and stare out at the magnificent azure water beneath the cliff that stretches out to meet the equally alluring blue sky.
The magnificence of the two different versions of blue coming together to kiss in the distance, mirrors the fullness in my heart to be here with both of my uncles and Travis.
A sigh pierces my lips, and I look over to see Travis still holding the camera up, snapping yet another photo of me. Just me this time.
When he lifts his head from behind the camera, his sparkling eyes match the glare of the sun’s reflection off of the ocean.
My heart kicks against my ribcage as a flurry of words, colors, and sentiments flit across my mind, moving too fast for me to catch or name them all.
An entire lifetime fills that gaze.
“Ouch!”
Uncle Owen's startled yell captures all of our attention.
“What happened?” I meet up with Uncle Theo and Uncle Owen who are a little farther up the pathway.
“I got pricked by a damn cactus,” Uncle Owen gripes. “No, two, dammit,” he curses.
“Don’t put your finger in your mouth. Who knows what kind of germs are on that plant,” Uncle Theo scolds.
“It’s bleeding,” Owen returns, holding up his finger as evidence. A drop of blood pools from the skin where he just plucked the cactus needle out of. “I don’t have any tissues or a Band-Aid.”
“They have some inside,” Travis says. “Same thing happened to a friend of mine when he came here the first time. I think they keep a first aid kit on hand. If not, there’s a gift store where I’m almost positive we can get bandages and antiseptic for that.”
“Come on.”
“I’ll go,” Travis tells Uncle Theo. “I’ll show you where it is,” he says to Uncle Owen. “You two stay here.”
Uncle Owen waves Uncle Theo off after he asks him if he would like him to go.
I wrap my arm around Uncle Theo’s. He glances down at where I’ve interlocked my arms around his.
“You’re awfully touchy-feely all of a sudden.”
“Oh.” I go to pull my arms free, but his hand on mine stops me.
“Never said I didn’t like it.” He holds out his free hand toward a bench. “Let’s take a seat.”
I follow his lead in the direction of the bench, while also pointing out a stone outcropping that has what looks like a small city.
“That’s where we were this morning. Looks different from this viewpoint, huh?”
Uncle Theo nods as we sit. “Funny how life will give you a different way of seeing things.”
He stares at the plants and the nature surrounding us, but then abruptly turns to me.
“Are you happy?”
I’m not surprised by the question. It’s been apparent for most of the day that Uncle Theo’s had something on his mind. While he hasn’t been outright rude to Travis, he has been standoffish and not his normal, charismatic self.
