“Huh?”
“What are you doing?”
“Oh,” I turned zipping up the bag “going on a picnic.”
His head tilted to the side with narrowed eyes.
“We are?!” Eli shouted as he came into the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind him.
“Yep,” I pulled a bowl out of the cupboard and poured some cereal “Breakfast first though,” I smiled.
“Where are we going?” He jumped up onto one of the seats his smile uncontrollable.
“The woods,” I said and placed the bowl down in front of him.
“Yeah!” he punched the air with his small fist as he scooped up a bite of cereal.
“Coffee?” Ty asked.
“Please,” I sat down next to Eli watching him eat.
“Is Ty coming?” he asked, a mouthful of cereal and milk dripping down to his chin.
I laughed and looked at Ty, he held out a napkin smiling I took it from him. My stomach flipped as his fingers grazed mine.
These feelings had to stop, I couldn’t even be in the same room as him without staring at him or thinking of him in ways that I really shouldn’t.
“I-”
“I’d love to,” Ty interrupted handing me my coffee.
I guess that was settled, we’d all be going out on a picnic.
*~*~*
“So where are we going then little man?”
“The place we went before,” he said clutching onto Ty’s beanie hat. He’d been on Ty’s shoulders since we left the house saying that he had the best view from up there.
Ty nodded moving ahead of me with the picnic bag slung over his shoulder.
“You’re gonna love it mama!”
“Really?” I moved closer to them “What is it?”
I stepped over some branches and marveled at the trees. Calm washing over me, something that I only experienced when I was in the woods. It had been such a long time that I’d forgotten the feeling that it gave me, how much I loved being there.
“Not telling!” Eli taunted.
Ty laughed, so hard that he had to stop to catch his breath.
“This kid,” he shook his head, straightened and started walking again.
We walked for another ten minutes before the trees cleared a path.
“Just up here,” Ty said and bent so that Eli could get down.
We went through a worn path and in between two big trees, I gasped as I saw where we were. The clearing lined with wild flowers and grass so green that it almost looked like someone had painted it. I’d never seen anything like it. Various wooden equipment sat in the middle, there were ropes and something that resembled a climbing frame, but for adults.