It was then that my stomach dropped. Instinctually, I looked at Carrie, who was staring back at me, with an odd expression.
I knew this was the time to decide, though I there were still so many factors floating around in my mind.
The conversation about the psycho guide had distracted me for a few moments but now that time had run out and I had to make a choice, I had wished that I had given it more thought.
Although, I doubted more thought was what I needed.
We must have stared at one another for a good minute, while the ranger looked between us, wondering what the issue was.
“Are you both okay?” The ranger finally asked, “Is there a problem?”
“He lives in the woods. In his grandfather’s cabin…” Carrie spoke up first, breaking the connection of our eyes to look at the ranger.
“Oh!” The ranger replied, though he still looked slightly confused as to why this was such a big decision, “Well, Sir, if you’d like to get a ride back to the cabin, I can definitely get someone to drive you back. That isn’t an issue. It explains why you know the mountain so well, th
ough.” The ranger insisted, looking me up and down now, as though he was attempting to figure out my story.
I know he didn’t trust me, but I didn’t blame him. I didn’t trust him either.
With that, Carrie returned her gaze to mine and grinned. I felt her hands clasp solidly around mine as she exclaimed, “Johnathan, remember what I said. I am willing to give you time. My door is always open. It’s always your decision. I am not going to force you into doing anything.”
It was with that comment, that I decided to finally take a leap of faith.
“No, thank you,” I told the ranger, “I’m going to go down the mountain with Carrie.” Afterward, I looked over to Carrie and beamed meaningfully, “We started this adventure together, and I trust that’s the way we’re going to finish it.”
Epilogue
After a few months of dating, the couple is celebrating at a place that has become their new favorite restaurant.
The small, quaint place, with a bed and breakfast upstairs had absolutely the best food. It was run by an older Italian couple, who always seemed to be making their rounds through the dining hall, ensuring that the quality they expected was the quality that was received.
The staff was nice too, as it was mostly comprised of the couple’s family.
The couple had found this place randomly one evening, only a little while after returning home from their mountainous ordeal.
While things were good, being that they were now in the real world with one another, there was a little bit of a strain, with Johnathan rehabilitating himself.
Johnathan spoke very little and seemed almost amazed at what he saw. What he did say, consisted of how much everything had changed, along with cheap shots about how the world had gone on fine without him.
Carrie had learned to ignore these comments, since Johnathan seemed to only say them to get them out of his head, not because he believed there was any merit behind them.
Yet, on this night, they were frustrated and hungry. Johnathan hadn’t done well in an interview and was genuinely thinking that he might have made a mistake.
Carrie was trying to convince him otherwise when she saw this restaurant and pulled inside, announcing that they were going to stop this conversation until after they both had eaten.
Upon going inside, they found that the restaurant was bustling, yet everyone they encountered seemed to be happy to see them.
The owner seated them, though they didn’t know that at the time. He gave them a quiet, private, intimate table, away from the family-sized parties that were taking up most of the dining hall. The owner had told them that he thought they needed to add a little romance in their life and this table was the perfect remedy. He claimed that it was where he and his wife sat when we wanted to get away from the world and re-focus on one another.
As he walked away, Carrie and Johnathan thought this was strange, but intriguing. Johnathan insisted that he must have heard them bickering but agreed that it was a nice thought, just the same.
Unintentionally, the couple had taken the man’s advice and ended up talking about everything but the issue at hand.
They enjoyed a wonderful meal, amid gorgeous Italian artwork, while eating under an awning, giving the illusion that they were eating outside of an Italian café.
On the table between them, there was a small candle and checkered tablecloth that reminded Carrie of Lady and the Tramp. She mentioned this to Johnathan who found it amusing as well, citing more their personalities, and asked if they should split a pasta dish.
After dinner that night, as they were walking out of the restaurant, Johnathan’s new cellphone rang. He answered it only after complaining about instantly being so connected, but immediately changed his expression after speaking to the person who was calling him.