Page 30 of Norah

“I know, I just… I didn’t know I could do that. I’m still stunned and trying to make sense of it all. How can I do something like that?CouldI do it again? Would Iwantto?”

We’re both silent for a minute, deep in thought. Questions are flying around my head, making me feel confused and unsettled.Just when I think I’ve figured out what I’ve become, there’s something new.

“Norah,” Ethan starts, his eyes sincere, “I know you’re scared, and you’re used to thinking that everything that comes with being a vampire is bad. But this skill, this ability you have, it’snotbad. You did somethinggoodwith it. You can make this astrengthif you choose.”

As his words sink in, as they resonate, I feel like something shifts inside of me. Like the neat boxes that I’d categorized myself into-dangerous, evil- moved apart to let new ones between.Strong. Good. Could I bemorethan I thought? I look at Ethan, who thinks I am deserving of his love, who thinks I am amazing the way I am. The old boxes slide further away as more new ones appear.Brave. Loved.

“You’re right.” My eyes meet Ethan’s, and I try to convey how much he means to me. “Will you help me?”

“Always, honey, for whatever you need.”

The Surprise

ETHAN

“Are you almost ready to go?”

I’m expecting Norah to say she needsjust one more minute, which she’s been doing for the last ten minutes now. From the amount she’s packed, it would seem like we’re going away for a month, rather than a long weekend in Lake Placid. I look down at my black duffle, then laugh out loud as I see Norah dragging her two huge roller suitcases over next to me, releasing them with a little huff of frustration.

“I don’t know if I brought enough stuff,” she grumbles, eyeing the suitcases. “I justknowI’m going to get there and realize I forgot something.”

A snicker pops out, but I muffle it as Norah throws me an irritated look. “If you forgot something, which I findhighlyunlikely, we can always buy a new one once we’re there.”

“Well, I want to be prepared. You never know when you might need…” She wrinkles her brow in thought. “A pair of hiking boots! We might go hiking. It’s possible, right?”

“Hmm. Well, there’s already a good amount of snow on the ground, so it’s more likely we’d snowshoe.” At her dejected expression, I hug her to my chest and brush a kiss across her lips. “But you’re right, better to be prepared than not. I’ll get my hiking shoes too.” I know there’s no way we’re hiking on this trip, but the little pleased smile I’m rewarded with makes it well worth the addition of hiking shoes to my bag.

We gather all our luggage and stow it away in my car. Norah is so excited, she keeps adding in little mini skips to her walk. Her face is glowing, eyes lit up, and beaming from ear to ear. Once buckled into our seats, she bounces a few times in excitement before flashing me a radiant smile. “This is so great! Our very first trip together!”

I snag her hand away from the GPS she’s fiddling with and clasp it tightly. Then I tug Norah towards me and capture her mouth with a kiss. My tongue slides along the seam of her lips, slipping inside and stroking. She opens to me, sighing in pleasure, tongue twining with mine. I continue my exploration, drawing Norah closer to me until we’re both breathing hard.

Part of me wants to yank her out of the car and back to my apartment, but a wiser voice reminds me we have a trip to start. Regretfully, I pull away, shifting uncomfortably because of my current state of arousal. Norah gives me a mock frown, quickly replaced by a devious smirk.

“I guess I know what we’re doingfirst, once we get to our room.” She’s still flushed, pulse beating hard at her neck.

First, second, and third, if I have any say. “You can count on it.”

Once we get out of the city and head towards Poughkeepsie, the traffic drops off and Norah taps through her phone, telling me a plethora of information about Lake Placid. I’ve been there before, but never considered its history. I’m hoping to check out the Olympic Museum and the original speed skating oval. Norah has been talking about skating on Mirror Lake and even dragged me to Rockefeller Center to brush up on her skills.

The place that we’re staying, the Mirror Lake Inn, is supposed to be one of the nicest resorts in Lake Placid. I haven’t told Norah that I switched our reservation from a regular room to a suite, wanting to surprise her with the unexpected luxury. She thinks it’s just a regular trip, an escape from the December crowds in the city. But I want to make this entire weekend extra special for her; after all that she’s been through, Norah deserves all the nicest things I can give her.

As we pass Albany, then Saratoga, the cars get fewer and fewer. Lots of SUVs share the road, along with cars with skis racked to their tops. Light snow falls; not enough to stick to the road, but enough to look festive. We drive past the Adirondack Park sign and Norah lets out a little whoop of excitement.

It’s been years since I drove up this way, but the scenery is as picturesque as ever. Well past the fall foliage season, the pines on the mountains are dusted with early winter snow. A thin layer of sparkling white lines the sides of the road, and the peaks rise higher and higher while Lake Placid grows closer.

“It’s so beautiful,” Norah murmurs, as she stares out the window.

“We’ll have to come back next fall to see the trees change.” Norah flicks a quick glance at me, then rests her hand on my thigh, a little smile playing at her lips.

“So you’re not planning on getting sick of me by then?” She says it lightly, but I can hear a slight undercurrent of concern.

Taking one hand from the wheel, I cover her hand with mine, giving it a squeeze. “Absolutely not. I’ll never get sick of you.”

Norah’s resulting smile remains all the way into Lake Placid, and to our resort. The small village looks charming, with shops all decked out with holiday lights and decorations. Mirror Lake Inn is a massive structure overlooking the lake and Whiteface Mountain in the distance. Once checked in, we head to our room, and I hope it’s as nice as it looked online. I push open the door, crossing my fingers.

“Ethan?” Norah stops stock-still in the doorway, then takes a few tentative steps inside. “Did they give us the wrong room? This doesn’t look like the pictures you showed me.”

Did I screw up by not telling her about the room switch?“Well… it’s not the room I showed you online… but itisthe right room.” I’m suddenly nervous. “I wanted to make the trip special for you. When I looked online and saw this room, it seemed perfect…” I gesture around at the stone fireplace and large window overlooking the lake. “It’s supposed to be a surprise. Is it OK?”

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