Page 83 of A Moment In Time

“The journals are in a box in my parent’s garage in Seattle.”

“Do you still write, other than for the paper? Fiction rather than news?”

“Sometimes.”

“Then I’d like to read that.”

She shook her head. “I’d be embarrassed.”

“Why? You’re a great journalist. You know how to spell and put sentences together.”

“That’s technical stuff. Relating facts. I’m not sure if I can actually tell an interesting story when it comes from my head.”

“Let me read some and I’ll tell you.”

She smiled. “You would. You’d tell me the truth.”

“Isn’t that what you’d want?”

“Yes. But it’d still be scary.”

“Will you think about it?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She moved her hands to the outside, putting hers over his. “Now your hands are cold.”

“I’m sorry I how I acted, or I guess didn’t act when you kissed me on Valentine’s Day. I was caught off guard. You surprised the hell out of me.”

She put her forehead on his shoulder for a moment. “I’m not sure where it came from. I surprised the hell out of myself.”

He looked at the ground for a moment. “Do you suppose we could try it again? I promise to take it better this time.”

She cocked her head. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’m sure.” She nodded, and he leaned in close, hesitated a moment, then kissed her. When he moved back, he smiled. “There we go. That wasn’t so bad.”

Sydney laughed. “That wasn’t bad at all.”

He took the camera out of his coat. “We need a picture.”

“Of me? No.” She covered her face.

“Yes. Of you.” He moved her hands and put a finger under her chin. “You’re beautiful.”

“Gage.”

He stood and moved a few feet away. “Don’t look at me. Look at the creek. Or the sky. And don’t think about the fact I’m pointing a camera at you.”

“That's kind of hard to do.”

“Relax.”

Sydney took a deep breath, then turned her head and looked at the creek.

“There you go.” He took several pictures as he moved around her. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

“Me or the creek?”

“Both.”

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