Rising Shards

Alix and I didn't have much more talking things out time for the rest of that night. The next morning, we were both exhausted and sore. I felt like I did after moving furniture, using muscles I hadn't used in a long while. I didn't want to start right away in the morning asking her what she thought our deal would be moving forward. I knew it could go either way. This could be a weekend fling, and we each moved on elsewhere. Or maybe it was something more. I obviously hoped for the latter.

Before she woke up, though, I did watch as sun beams blanketed her, making her look like an angel. Even her sleep drooling and muttering a dream about a vacuum cleaner saleswoman were cute. I stroked her hair. At least for this trip, she was my sweet little pet.

Unfortunately, our fun vacation wrapped up after that, the long weekend feeling like nonstop fun for me. It was always bittersweet packing before check-out time, and the ever present worry that I forgot something lingered as we left our hotel room behind.

We met up with Stella, Evy, and Mahina downstairs.

"Any luck last night?" I said, sleepiness and exhaustion clear in my voice.

"Could have been better, could have been worse," Mahina said. "Next trip we all go on I'm gonna be with someone in advance, trying to pick strangers up is getting tougher."

"Settling down is nice too," I said, glancing at Alix.

"I sure settled down last night," Alix said, smugly grinning at the others. "By that, I mean Pippi and I slept together."

"Uh huh, we got it," Evy said, yawning.

We had a bit of an awkward moment when we had to split up to our cars. It was time to say goodbye, but we'd all be seeing each other back home.

"I don't want to leave Northern Lute," I sighed longingly.

"I'm...pretty ready to go home, Pips," Stella said.

"I can't wait to look these samples over more thoroughly," Evy said, patting her bag filled with sediment and water samples from that lake.

"Dork," Stella said. She noticed my pensiveness about leaving. "We'll all hang out when we're home too, so don't be too sad."

"Maybe we can enter more Brambler contests to win more vacations like this!" Mahina said.

"I think my next vacation is gonna be just the family," Stella said. "But I'm down for a girls' trip like this again."

"Yay!" Alix said. "So we're all friends now, yes?"

Stella looked like she had to resist the urge to say no, but once Alix assured her she wouldn't text everyone nonstop (Alix must have had that reaction enough to have responses ready to defend herself), she agreed that they could be friends.

"We're all gonna see each other at work, at least," Evy said.

I made sure to give everyone a hug goodbye, my hug with Stella lingering a bit longer.

"Sorry if that was a lot," I said, with Stella understanding that meant Alix.

"It's all good," Stella said, rubbing my back. "I'm so happy you had a good time."

I found myself getting even more emotional when I was in my car alone. It was just a little trip, but ending it felt almost like I did when I graduated. Maybe it was because I spent so long just working, nothing working out romantically, that this precious time with my friends, and the more intimate time with Alix, it meant more. As I drove off, that same golden sunlight that made Alix look so pretty cast over the long stretch of highway. I was so glad I went, but the hollow feeling of letting it go stung.

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