Page 79 of One Perfect Day in Lovely Bay
As Cally climbed into the basket, she was a bit dumbstruck and didn’t really say much at all. Logan had completely taken her by surprise. Gripping the edge of the basket with a whoosh of the burner, they began to rise slowly from the ground. As the snow-covered landscape began to shrink beneath them, Cally felt as if her eyes were going to pop out of her head at the beauty surrounding her. A pristine blanket of white stretched as far as the eye could see, low winter sun cast long shadows across the snow, and little patches of ice glistened here and there on the landscape.
'Oh my goodness. And I thought the last one was good. We’re actually floating through a Christmas card,' Cally giggled.
The pilot laughed. ‘It is a bit like that today. I have the best job in the world.’
‘I think you do.’ Logan agreed with a chuckle.
'I can't get over how quiet it is. I said that last time but you can’t quite believe the sound or lack thereof. I love it,' Callywhispered. 'Everything looks so small and perfect and clean. Gosh, I love snow.'
As they floated over a small village, smoke curled from chimneys, slush-covered roads looked like grey trails through the white, and little pops of green from the pine trees punctuated the scene here and there.
Cally pointed to what appeared to be a group of dog walkers looking up as they stood beside a loch. 'I wonder what they think when they look up and see us.’
Logan grinned. 'Probably wondering why on earth anyone would want to be up in a balloon on such a cold day.'
‘Ha. I don’t think so. I reckon they’re wishing they were up here, too. It’s like we're in a different world up here.'
The burner roared to life, sending a blast of heat into the balloon above them as they continued to drift over the sparkly snow-covered landscape. Cally felt as if she was in a trance, her mind whirling with how much her life had changed since that first balloon ride over Lovely Bay. Back then, she'd been a struggling chatbot operator, her days filled with mundane conversations and her nights plagued with worries about her future. Now, she felt like a completely different person. Gone was the uncertainty that had clouded her every decision. She now felt as if she was actually somebody, something. She mattered. She wasn’t just a faceless carer always helping out with someone else’s life. A real person with a real sense of purpose and direction she'd never experienced before. All at the same time as no longer having to hold up that big old sky. And being in love, too. Strange but true.
She'd gone from desperately trying to make ends meet to having a full-time job with Birdie that did oh-so much more than pay the bills. The constant anxiety about where she was going to live had dissipated when she'd moved into the flat above the deli and she very much now called it home. And now, here shewas, spending weekends away in a Scottish estate with Logan, doing all the things. She’d gone from scraping by on her chatbot wage to floating around in a hot air balloon over a snow-covered Scottish estate. It all seemed like a dream. One she didn’t want to end.
As they passed over a snow-covered cluster of forest trees, a sudden gust of wind caught the balloon. It swayed and wobbled slightly. Cally gripped the edge of the basket and widened her eyes.
'Don't worry. Just a bit of turbulence. Perfectly normal.' The pilot smiled.
Cally puffed out and joked. ‘We don’t need any crashes this weekend.’
As the balloon drifted lazily over the Scottish countryside, she realised that she could see the Henry-Hicks estate sprawling out like a miniature wonderland in the distance. As they drifted over the estate's vast grounds, she leaned over and looked at the long line of stable buildings underneath the basket. The area was quiet, the horses no doubt tucked away in their stalls. A lone stable hand trudged through the snow with a laden wheelbarrow as the balloon carried them onwards and closer to the main house. Logan moved beside her and slipped his arm around Cally’s waist.
'It all looks so small as if we're giants looking down on a doll's house.'
Logan nodded.
Cally squinted at the house where it sat slightly raised and not as imposing from above. Its roof blanketed in white, icicles glinting here and there and sunlight reflecting off the lake to the right. Floating closer, Cally began to pick out little details here and there: the patterns of the cottage gardens, the fountain area frozen in a few places, and the driveway with tyre marks in a fresh dusting of snow. As they were going over the greenhouses,the main house came fully into view. Cally squinted as something odd on the lawn in front of the house caught her eye. 'What's that?' she asked, squinting down at the snow.
Logan's arm tightened slightly around her waist. 'What's what?'
Cally leant forward for a better look. 'There's something on the lawn. It looks like writing or something? What’s that then?'
As the balloon drifted closer, the marks in the snow began to form clear letters. Cally frowned as she made out the words in capital letters in the snow. She closed her eyes and shook her head a few times. When she opened them, the words were still there.
MARRY ME, BLACKCURRANT?
Cally whirled around to face Logan, her eyes wide with shock. 'Sorry, what?’
Logan smiled.
‘Logan, is that...? Sorry, umm…'
Logan whipped a small velvet box out of his pocket. ‘It is.’
‘Am I seeing things?’
‘Negative. You’re not seeing things.’
‘What in the name? Oh my God! I did not see this coming! I thought the weekend was about Alastair.’
‘From the moment you chucked a chicken breast at me, you had me in one. I can't imagine spending a day without you. Will you marry me?’
