Summer Love F PV AngelFyre McCubbin

Embarrass the kids seemed to be the name of the game during lunch, and it was actually quite a lot of fun. More than once they all filled the little café with peals of laughter. It did not surprise AngelFyre in the least that her wonderful Simon would attempt, even at a very young age, to rid the world of evil and Satan. Unable to shake the vision of the hole he and his friends had dug in the churchyard, she piped up with, "Ah, that must be why it is called "holy" ground," and she chuckled as everyone groaned at her pun before she took another delectable bite of her Bubble and Squeak, which she was delighted to learn actually did as the name implied.

After Aunt Maggie entertained them all with stories of Simon's youth, her own parents felt somehow compelled to tell a "hole" of a story of their own about AngelFyre. Her mother told of the time that AngelFyre shot off a bottle rocket during a Bastille Day celebratory costume party and accidentally knocked over the bottle upon her retreat from the lit fuse. "The rocket shot off at a 45° angle into the crowd and made direct contact with the very elaborate and elevated wig of a woman dressed as Marie Antoinette. Iain and I just stood there, stunned, staring in gobsmacked wonder, but not our AF. She grabbed a glass out of the hand of a stranger who was equally as mesmerized as we were, and she threw its contents at the rocket. That only added further insult to injury as AF only stood a mere 3'4" at the time and the cup was filled wine." Annene McCubbin was too overcome with her giggling at that point, so her father finished the tale.

Laughter in his own voice, Iain McCubbin continueded with, "It was a valiant attempt on my lass' part, but she couldna reach that high and missed the intended target, dousing the screaming woman in the face with a glass of wine as the rocket slowly burned a hole through the wig's tower of shellacked hair and then shot off into the night sky." Her mom and dad started laughing so hard at the memory that tears actually started running down their cheeks. "We, of course, reimbursed the woman for the wig and the wine stained costume gown to the pretty tune of €1300, and though it was an accident, AngelFyre even offered us her life's savings at the time -- €8.75 and five lollipops." His blue eyes were shining brightly as he brushed the wet away with the end of his linen sleeve while catching his breath. "I am always reminded of a particular credit card company commercial, but it would be changed to say, 'Marie Antoinette costume -- €1300. Story and daughter to go along with it -- priceless.'"

When they were back at Crawford's, Aunt Maggie insisted on everyone getting a dessert, including Simon. She knew he would not want it, but she smiled as he chose the lemon bar and she decided to get a delicious looking chocolate cupcake with swirled cream cheese icing and fresh fruit. When he leaned close and whispered that they should sneak away, she felt the familiar heart palpitations and butterflies in her tummy. The magnetic draw to follow him anywhere he asked of her right then was strong, but she knew her parents would be leaving soon, and she needed to be there to say goodbye. "Oh, you have no idea how much I want to, but -" and right then her mother started offering her goodbyes to Aunt Maggie, expressing how fabulous it had been to finally meet her in person and offering the hope that she might come with Simon on his next visit. As her mother and Aunt Maggie hugged, AngelFyre turned to Simon, excitement electrifying her whole being.

"Did you hear that, love? They are already talking about your next visit. Pinch me, please. This is just too wonderful," and she leaned over and hugged him tightly, totally blowing his previous facade of sly, physical proximity with distance. She pulled away from him, very reluctantly as always, when her father's voice could be heard addressing them.

"Oi, now. You two are not the only lovebirds with big plans for the next few days. Your mother and I are going to holiday in Paris, and we need to say our goodbyes so we can make our flight in time. You have our itinerary, but if it gets lost, Grandma Ruth has it. Everyone has our cell numbers, so nothing left but the goodbyes and to wish you a fun filled and safe 5 days." Then Iain McCubbin turned to Aunt Maggie and opened his arms, kissing first one cheek and then the other. "It has been a true delight meeting you, not to mention a huge relief. Like Annene mentioned, I hope that we can host both you and Simon at some point in the not too distant future. It would be our pleasure to do so. Truly. The only thing I would ask is that you bring about 5 dozen of these eclairs with you when you do come, " and he made the universal chef's kiss motion while smiling broadly at her.

Then turning to AngelFyre who was watching her mother embrace Simon, he caught hold of his daughter's hand and drew her into him, hugging his little girl who was not so little any longer, tightly and fiercely. "Have fun, lass. Be no trouble. We will miss you, probably more than you will miss us," he whispered while resting his cheek on the top of her head and chuckling, "but I know we leave you in very safe and capable hands."

She smiled and hugged her father tightly, noticing a hackney pull up just outside Crawford's. Her mother grabbed her bag, hugged Aunt Maggie one last time and stepped out, taking AngelFyre with her. Iain flashed a smile at Aunt Maggie, nodded to her one last time and moved to put an arm around Simon's shoulder.

"Your Aunt Maggie is utterly delightful. Hard to believe she is even nicer in person than over the phone, but then you told me as much a few months back if my memory serves," and he turned Simon gently, but firmly, to face him as a paternal fondness softened his features and his voice. The gaze was something Simon would not recognize in the moment it was happening for what it was, never having had a father figure in his life before. "I do not have much time. Walk with me, please." and he started to guide Simon out to the street with him, walking towards the back of the black cab and finally stopping.

"I have something for you. I think you will understand the meaning of it once you open it. I would ask that you open the box before you open the card. Backwards, I know, but intriguing, yes?" Iain McCubbin then handed over a small gift bag to Simon and then offered his hand. The two shook hands, but about two pumps into it, Iain McCubbin stopped and drew Simon in for a tight embrace instead. "Have fun, be safe, be good, and keep taking good care of our lass," he chuckled, "and not necessarily in that order."

AngelFyre moved to Simon's side as her father slipped into the cab beside her mother and wrapped her in a hug and a kiss. As the cab pulled away, they both turned, smiling happily, to look at Simon and AngelFyre, with her father waving and her mother blowing kisses. "Wow," was all that she was able to muster.

***************

They walked back into Crawford's, and AngelFyre grabbed her purse. She caught Aunt Maggie's eye and thanked her for the cupcake, telling her it was amazingly delicious.... which it absolutely was. Aunt Maggie and Simon then passed a few words between themselves before he reached out to her, grasping her hand as they ran to the park. It was practically no time before they were there, and he led her over to a tree where they sat down.

He turned to her and his cinnamon-honeyed colored eyes were shining, but slightly questioning. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, lifting the bag up a bit, looking at it with some degree of hesitancy and expectation. "No, I confess I do not, and I am dying to find out. But hey, first things first love o' my life.... I want a lonnnnnnnng overdue hello kiss, and none of that kiss on top of my head stuff I got on the Underground," she whispered as he drew closer. "Unh uhh... that simply will not do, this time. I think you should aim a little lower," and she kept her eyes fixed on his until she felt the softness of his lips press with some degree of hungry urgency against hers. Now everything was right in her world.

"Mmmm...I love you, Simon. Do you know it physically hurts to be away from you? It truly does. I think I have grown addicted to your touch and to your laugh and to well.... everything about you. Being with you is ever so much better than not." Then kissing him softly one more time before he sat back in his spot next to her, she smiled anxiously at him. "Okay, now you have permission to open it," she teased him.

Simon smiled at her and reached into the bag. He brought out a beautiful hinged box that once opened, contained a small sculpture of two elephants. She looked at it as he held it, but waited for a reaction from him. She knew of her father's love of elephants and she knew of the rogue elephant talk her father had had with Simon during his Spring break visit. She also knew what her father had said at the café less than two hours prior, so her heart was pumping blood at what felt like the speed of light because of what she interpreted this to mean. If Simon had spoken, she was not certain she could have heard him in those moments.

He set the sculpture in his lap, and looked in the bag for the note. When he opened it, this is what he would read:

John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

17^th July, 2022

Simon, me lad...

I have no doubt you recall our discussion about bull and rogue elephants in April. What you cannot recall, because I never told you, was how impressed I was with you that day. You handled yourself most admirably, and your restraint with pointed questions was equally impressive.

AngelFyre is far and away one of God's greatest blessings in my life, and she is absolutely relentless when it comes to singing your praises. I have never known her to be a bad judge of character, and her affections for you thus far seem to be well founded. She has taken great pains to share with both her mother and me, but especially me, your family history. You and I have a bit in common, it would seem, as we both lost our mothers at tenderly young ages. She has not directly asked, but it is clear she would like more of me for you, as she has also told me of your journey to connect with your own father. It is something that, I confess, has pulled at me more and more. I can only be here in the background unless asked to be elsewhere, but if you ever feel the desire or have the need to go deeper, I am here.

By the way, I bought this little sculpture the day after Annene and I found out our second child was going to be a boy. We lost him less than two weeks later. I have never shared it, or that story, with anyone -- not even Annene.

I want you to have it, Simon.

Affectionately,
Iain

She recognized Simon's look immediately. It was his deep thinking expression, and while silently watching him, she saw him read through the note once and then his eyes scanned back up to the beginning, reading it once again. AngelFyre had been unaware of it, but she had been holding her breath. She leaned back against the tree trunk and relaxed when he started the second reading. If her father's words had been upsetting in any way, it would have flashed across his face with a furrowed brow and his breaths through his nose would come more quickly and more loudly. His brow still furrowed when deep in thought, but that was never accompanied by the rapid nose breathing.

She looked down to the grass between them and picked a blade, bringing it up to her nose, reveling in the fresh, earthy scent. Then it occurred to her that she bet Simon had no idea she had that kind of a read on him for one, nor did he likely realize he even did those things when upset for another. It was subtle, but again, there was no class at school that interested her nearly as much as the boy sitting next to her did. He was, by far, her absolute favorite subject to study. By the time AngelFyre left this plane of existence, she fully anticipated having earned a PhD in the subject of one Simon Ezra Kincaid. Still, as much as she studied of him, she was delighted to discover there always was, and always would be, more to learn of him.

She watched as he put the sculpture back into the box, and smiled when he said she and her family amazed him. Simon offered nothing of what had been written, and she did not ask him for details. And that was okay. She knew she was witnessing the cornerstone being laid in the foundation of whatever relationship would ultimately develop between Simon and her father. She knew no good, or precious little good, would come to Simon through the pursuit of a relationship with Adrian Hawthorne, but she knew he had to play it out. Because of that, and because of what she also hoped it would bring to her father's life, she wanted Simon to have a solid, comforting, loving, guiding, paternal model to be able turn to when the other soured.

And sour it would. Of that she was absolutely certain.

"I like your tree and your park very much. I am pleasantly surprised at how much more quiet it is around here than I expected. Not as quiet as home, of course, but for being in the middle of a metropolis, it is quite manageable."

As she listened to the choices he presented to her, her brow arched a bit at the mention of Mia Anderson, and a teasing tone overtook her. "So, if we stayed right here, you are telling me there would be a chance to actually meet the girl, the myth.... nay, dare I say... the legend... that is Mia Anderson? Oh, well then, Mr. Kincaid," and she took her purse off of her shoulder and laid it down beside her while kicking her shoes off and letting her toes play in the grass, "you have just said the magic words. Wild horses could not drag me away from this spot now," she gushed with utter excitement and anticipation.

When she looked up at him, suppressing her own laughter, she was looking into the visage of a quite visibly nervous Simon. Her brow still arched, she decided to play out the tease a bit longer. "Aww, come on, Simon. You knew it had to be coming, love? I mean, surely you know I have been dying to meet the girl that my fellow still, not-so-secretly, pines over, right? What are you so worried about anyway? If it makes you feel any better, it is more likely I will thank her for having the bad taste and for lacking the common sense our good Lord gave a duck when she opted not to date you, thereby making you ultimately available to me," and AngelFyre nonchalantly turned her gaze from his as she felt something light on her hand.

Looking down, she saw it was a ladybug. She smiled and raised her hand so she could get a better look at the beauty as it crawled towards her fingers, spiraling in and out between them, occasionally fluttering its wings as she would gently blow puffs of air towards it. With her focus purposefully glued to the ladybug, she continued, "But I do confess that I cannot altogether rule out the possibility of scratching out her eyes if a molten case of jealousy unexpectedly erupts. It would be an unfortunate act of passion, I do admit, but what can I say? You bring the beast out in me." The ladybug took flight just as AngelFyre completed her confession, and with her hand now raised between them, her focus left her hand and dialed back onto his handsome face.

Simon, bless him, had the look of a deer caught in the headlights. She could feel her smile turning up at the corners of her mouth, and she laughed as she leaned over and gave him a soft kiss, letting her thumb caress his jawline as her fingers gently played with his earlobe. "Well, on second thought, I guess I have been sitting most of the day. I will be most pleased to continue on to Stop #4 of the, thus far, fabulous Simon Kincaid Tour." Then she gave him one more quick peck on his juicy lips before slipping her shoes back on and grabbing her purse, slipping it over her head and across one shoulder. Standing quickly, she looked down at him and offered her hand.

"Lead the way, mo chridhe (my heart). Where you go, I will gladly follow."

"Well, not to put too fine a point on it, my love, but people worldwide quote your catchphrase daily as truly, all credit by rights should go to Ruth in the bible as she spoke those lines to Naomi. You may imagine, given that Grandma Ruth is named, you know... Ruth.... it was one of the very first verses I committed to memory," she said as they began to walk out of the park and even farther away from Crawford's.

"I will not quibble as you claim it because the deeper meaning behind it thrills me down to my tippy toes each time you say it to me," and she slowed to a stop, their paces now out of sync which caused Simon to also slow to a stop as well. "As I am well aware that you, my handsome and scholarly Bible study partner, are also well aware of the meaning and context, it means that much more to me every time you say it to me. It gives me great hope, quite honestly."

Had she been able to see her own eyes, she would have seen the soft smile waiting for him in them, but she would have also seen the look of nostalgia and the merest flash of something else. She brushed his cheek tenderly with her thumb and turned to look in the storefront window. She caught his reflection looking at her as he raised his hand to her hair and ran it down the length. She always loved when he did that, but as he came to the end this time, he stepped close and pressed his forehead to the back of her head with both of his hands squeezing her shoulders, drawing her back into to him and closing any distance left between them. AngelFyre had closed her eyes, enjoying the moment, but something, a sound amidst the city noise caught her attention. It sounded like a gasp. Had she gasped? But the sound, she soon realized, came to her mind, not to her ears. When her eyes came to focus on their shop window reflection, they lit first on herself and Simon, but then they went to a blonde girl standing behind them, but off to the side, looking as if she were heading in the direction of the park they had just left.

AngelFyre's first thought was that the girl had been watching them, but when the girl quickly turned her gaze to her feet and bent down, appearing to pick something up, AngelFyre thought nothing else of it. The girl, dressed in a stylish pastel pink summer dress, plopped her finding in her purse and continued up the street. Simon soon thereafter rested his chin on her shoulder and they both started making funny faces at each other, laughing at their reflections. Finally, he grabbed her hand and walked her down past a couple of storefronts to a jewelry store.

She was surprised when he guided her to the door and made his teasing quip about a proposal, flashing that devastating smile of his. Her heart did no less than ten happy back flips in her chest when he said it, but as she walked past him, she quipped back at him all the same, "From your lips to God's ear, Mister Kincaid," and she laughed.

When he stepped inside, Simon morphed into a man on a mission. He went into his faux stern Simon-self, which always amused her no end. "Stand right here and no peeking," he admonished as he turned her body to face the front of the store. He did not tell her she had to close her eyes, so she kept them open, but the excitement of whatever he had planned was electrifying every nerve end in her body. "What are you up to?" she asked him, her voice full of laughter and curiosity. She shook her head slightly at his crazy antics and lifted her eyes to the storefront window where she caught sight of the blonde girl again. This time she was standing across the street, in the shade of another storefront, but there was no doubt that she was quite obviously looking over at this jewelry store. AngelFyre was just about to say something to Simon about it, but then he stepped close behind her once again and slipped his hand over her eyes, whispering to her, "No peeking at all. Resist any urge." Ah. So she was to close her eyes after all. Then she could feel him step in front of her and as he leaned in and kissed her, everyone and everything but him left her mind. "Your wish is my command, love. I shall most happily obey." And she would. She was just putty in that boy's hand... and he absolutely knew it.

She heard him walk over to a display to her right. He did not stay put there long before she heard his rapid footsteps heading to the back of the store. He was speaking with another male and she could hear the tell tale signs of a business transaction taking place. She was vibrating with excitement and curiosity, wondering what he was up to exactly. Soon enough, Simon was once again by her side and told her they needed to return in 20 minutes. In the meantime, he suggested they rent an electric scooter and brighten up Aunt Maggie's afternoon. So that is just what they did.

As they circled round the first time, he stopped and went in for a few minutes to speak with her. AngelFyre had a few free minutes to look at her surroundings and was surprised to see the girl in pink heading up the street. She was not running, but she was moving at a decent enough clip. When she saw AngelFyre looking at her, she just stopped. Simon came out of Crawford's with a huge smile on his face and hopped back on the scooter telling her they would be eating a little later than normal this evening. AngelFyre wrapped her arms around him tightly and responded, "That is fine by me. I am still filled to the gills with Bubble and Squeak." As he backed up into traffic, AngelFyre still had eyes on the girl, but she darted into the shadows when Simon looked down that direction.

Interesting.

Nothing in his body language gave AngelFyre any indication that Simon had seen the girl. AngelFyre was used to girls giving Simon more than a casual look. It happened all the time. The boy was just incredibly handsome. She had to laugh as there was a time, not so long ago, she was one of those girls. She still was, actually. Looking upon him was a favorite pastime. It was unnerving at first, seeing it happen so openly, but surprisingly, it was something one did become accustomed to as it turned out. He had told her as much, but she thought he was either trying to just make her feel better or his modesty prevented him from responding to it. He knew he was handsome. He also knew the effect it had on girls. The thing that was great about him though, was that he did not play it up in a way to lead anyone else on to believing he was anything but friendly. If there ever were misunderstandings, he dealt with them and /or course corrected. He also gave her a heads up if he felt someone had deeper feelings for him other than friendship, because he said he wanted there to be no misunderstandings between the the two of them. That always made her feel secure.

Even so, many a discussion had transpired between the two about his intentions vs someone else's perceptions or desires, or the optics of a situation. Friendly, he maintained, vs flirty, she sometimes maintained. He was thirteen, full of hormones, liked being liked, and who could blame him? But Simon was in no way a boy who would purposefully do anything to hurt her heart. This she knew as surely as she knew her name. Everyone was free to look.... and to dream and to drool.... but she truly knew she was the one who held his heart. As he held hers. AngelFyre knew, without a doubt, that she had entrusted it to the right person.

But this pink panther in the sundress, as she had come to think of her, was different. They were not at school. Was this some random girl who saw him and liked the look of him or was this, perhaps, someone he knew? That felt more likely to AngelFyre. And if she did know him, why had she not spoken out to him? Curiouser and curiouser. AngelFyre was just about to point the girl out to Simon, but something told her to leave it be. And that impulse to silence herself filled her with a sinking dread. The dread was not coming to her because of the girl's reaction, but from what she felt would be Simon's reaction.

Suddenly, she felt a little dizzy. She rested her head on his shoulder, looking back at the girl as they rode off. They circled back around the park and then rode down a street, may be two over, passing Crawford's 5 or 6 times. Each time they passed, they decided to do as they had done in the storefront window earlier with each other, so they made faces for Aunt Maggie's enjoyment. It tickled AngelFyre as coming up with silly faces sort of reminded her of what they would be doing in a photo booth at a carnival. She tried not to, but she found herself looking for the pink outfit everywhere on the street during each circuit. Having not seen it, she began to relax.

Until.

She was not certain, but on their third or fourth full circle of their circuit, she could have sworn she caught a flash of pink at the counter in Crawford's. Was it the girl? The pink panther? She could not tell. Besides, it was summer. Lots of girls liked to wear pink. The color pink was not necessarily evidence of anything. But AngelFyre knew better. If she were to put a name to it, Mia Anderson is what kept calling up to her from the recesses of her mind.

After their last pass of Crawford's, Simon drove them back to the jewelry store. AngelFyre's nerves, quite honestly, had gotten the better of her. Her electrified enthusiasm a mere 20 minutes earlier had dissolved into numbing dread. Simon took her hand and had her follow him inside. They went to the back and a salesperson handed Simon a small bag, and winked at him as he looked at the two of them. Almost instantaneously, the dread was lifted and AngelFyre was back in the curiosity workshop of her mind, wondering just what Simon was up to.

They left the jewelry store and no matter how may times she asked where they were going, he would just flash his devastatingly charming smile at her and shrug his shoulders, saying not a word. One Underground ride later, they emerged to see nighttime just beginning to cloak the sky in its dusky, sunset colors. They were talking and sometimes silent, just enjoying being with each other, but always hand in hand as they came upon a suspension bridge. She wondered what was on the other side that he wanted to show her when he slowed his pace down and stopped almost halfway across.

Simon had started telling her a story on their approach. Only this was not a tour guide of London kind of story. This was ...though he would not know it at the time... a mind-soothing, soul-mending story. It was a Simon loves AngelFyre story. It was a modern fairy tale. When Simon, for the first time ever, put his hand to her heart, and repeated her catchphrase to her, she just knew he must have been able to feel it expanding with all of the love she felt for him in that moment. She just knew that no one... ever... in the history of time could have loved anyone as much as she loved him.

This was her Prince Charming showing up with the glass slipper moment.

Stepping forward, happy tears brimming in her eyes, AngelFyre clasped his hand as they... together.. closed the lock, binding themselves to each other while also declaring their own love story to be unbreakable... undeniable.... and eternal... amongst all of those before them and all of those that would follow.

"You know, I tell anyone, and everyone else within earshot on most days, that I have the world's best boyfriend," and she snuggled comfortably within his strong embrace "because I do. I absolutely do." And as Simon was digging his cell phone out so they could memorialize the love lock moment with a photo, AngelFyre further added, "And proof that you have the absolute best girlfriend in the world is that she would never... ever... make you wear a couple's t-shirt, like that couple over there," she quietly whispered as she nodded her head in said couple's direction. The fellow was wearing a matching fluorescent pink t-shirt (man, was pink the official color of the day today?) to that of his girlfriend, each of whom had claimed the titles of best boyfriend and girlfriend for themselves. AngelFyre just smiled. They could have their t-shirts. She knew she had the real deal in her arms.

As they rode the Underground back to South Kensington, they played one of their favorite people watching games whereby they each would pick someone out and the other had to narrate what had gone on in the stranger's day, what they were currently thinking or feeling, and what they would do or see after leaving the Underground. It was quite entertaining and never mean-spirited. In fact, the grumpier someone appeared, the happier they each made the stranger's follow on story. It was their way of wishing good tidings onto their fellow travelers.

The night was just beautiful and AngelFyre could not have been happier. No one on the subway could have come up with a more perfect follow on to her story, she was certain, if they had played the same people watching game on her and Simon. But if someone had been playing the game, they had a peculiar sense of humor as it turned out.

As they were walking along, laughing and playing the 'I Spy' game, it was AngelFyre's turn to spy something. She looked around and was in the midst of her, "I spy, with my little eye..." prologue which shockingly trailed off slowly and almost to an inaudible whisper as she uttered, "Mia Anderson." AngelFyre saw the two girls close to when Simon did and they both stopped, still holding hands. The pink panther and the girl she was with had also been laughing, but their laughter came to an abrupt stop just as hers had. Simon squeezed her hand but AngelFyre did not know if it was an involuntary nervous reaction or meant to reassure. And if it was meant to reassure, was it meant to reassure her or him? He said nothing.

The awkward silence was broken by the other girl with the pink panther. She smiled in a genuinely friendly manner and introduced herself to AngelFyre as Alexis Carmichael and the girl next to her as Mia Anderson. The blood rushed to AngelFyre's ears so quickly after having her earlier worry confirmed and identified as Mia Anderson that AngelFyre truly did not hear anything else Alexis Carmichael said to her. She gathered her wits about her enough to nod her head and simply smiled at Alexis and told her it was so nice to meet one of Simon's very good friends. As she was speaking to Alexis, her eyes kept moving back to Mia. All four stood awkwardly still and silent as Mia looked between Simon and her and then back to Simon.

Simon had not moved. Had not spoken. AngelFyre was afraid to look at him, but was pretty certain his eyes were fixed on the pink panther. If she looked at him now, would she see that same look on his face looking at Mia that he had looked upon her with that afternoon in the café? Her heart was pounding and her stomach was roiling due to nerves. Her periphery vision told her he was not running his hand through his hair, at least not yet, so that was good, but his heart was racing, too. He was still holding her hand and their wrists were touching. His pulse point gave that much away.

When the girl shifted her drink so that she could shake AngelFyre's hand, AngelFyre smiled at her warmly. "It is nice to meet you as well. Simon speaks of you often," she said truthfully. AngelFyre had long planned to make light of her initial meeting with Mia by relaying that she had come to think of the girl as a unicorn... that rare, magical creature that had been able to resist the substantial charms of one Simon Ezra Kincaid. She held back though. The spider hairs on the back of her neck were up and she was on high alert. Her reason for doing so was only reinforced when Mia directed her attention back to Simon and took on a playful tone while mis-characterizing the earlier events of the day. Sigh

AngelFyre knew this girl was important to Simon and she also knew it was important to him that she and his friends meet and like each other. But this particular 'friend' was in a category all her own. And AngelFyre could tell she knew it. What was the story here? She had made no effort to get Simon's attention earlier. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Bupkus. Had she forgotten she and AngelFyre had made eye contact at least twice or did she simply not care that AngelFyre knew better? In fact, she took to the shadows when she thought Simon was looking her way and might see her, so why the make believe scenario now?

Simon, was still stone cold silent. His fingers began to open and contract against hers, but he did not let go of her hand. She knew he was probably as confused as he ever hoped to be, and this particular meeting already had him on edge. Maybe Mia had calculated that AngelFyre had mentioned the run ins from earlier to him. She listened as Mia told him how she had wanted to meet AngelFyre but had begun to wonder if he had embellished things about her or was trying to hide something. AngelFyre looked to her, still smiling as she called her beautiful and them an adorable couple, but AngelFyre could feel her brow had involuntarily arched. And she did not miss Alexis' look over to Mia either. There was definitely something up, but she was not going to leave Simon to struggle through it unawares as she had left him to do for too long at the Valentine's Day Tea Party.

"Aww. Thank you. You are too kind. And you, also, are as lovely as Simon described you, but then, I would have expected nothing less knowing him as I do. Love your sundress, by the way. Liked it the second I saw it this afternoon." AngelFyre was being absolutely truthful. The girl was a stunner. Then she turned a little to Simon, bringing her free hand to rest on top of their two grasped hands. "Mia, you will have to forgive Simon's silence. He is probably pretty confused right now as he is completely unaware of our brief, but completely silent encounters this afternoon," and she made contact with the girl's brown eyes, but not in a challenging way.

"Simon, Mia and I encountered each other a couple of times today, and I happened to see her two other times beyond that. As I did not know who she was, I said nothing and kept getting distracted with other adventures." That was not the whole truth either, but she would fill him in on the rest in private. Turning back to Mia she continued with some laughter in her voice, "In fact, I had come to think of you as the 'Pink Panther' stalking us. How silly is that?" And then she really laughed genuinely, hoping it would finally ease the tension amongst all of them.

But she was thinking to herself...had it been silly?

As Mia and Alexis parroted a long list of tidbits from the AngelFyre biographical hit parade, sounding very much like a well timed comedy act as they played off of each other in a fashion clearly designed to tease Simon in a good natured way, it finally struck AngelFyre full on that Simon was just as attached to her as she was to him. She knew he loved her, but if she were being honest, she had never once let it cross her mind... or her heart... that her laconic boyfriend thought about her even a 10th as often as she did him, let alone speak about her. She had always figured that was a boy thing; that he might outgrow it someday if she were really blessed.

AngelFyre smiled as the two girls rattled off their factoids, her eyes sparkling in deep appreciation at them and their interplay. It was only then that she actually gave herself permission to really look at Simon for the first time since the chance meeting with Mia had been sprung upon them. To her great relief, she saw none of the fumbling, heart-sinking, questioning nervousness she had anticipated seeing given all of the goofy awkwardness he always displayed when Mia's name came up. Instead, his completely adorable, 'awww shucks', red-faced embarrassment was clearly coming from his open exposure of thoughts and feelings being aired about her. For one of the very rare times in her life, AngelFyre found herself at a loss for words, but she simply gave his hand a long squeeze, and pressed it into her thigh, holding it there tightly.

Then what probably should have been obvious to her all along struck her like a bolt of lightning. Her fellow actually was a talker. He was a big talker. They themselves spent hours and hours talking about any number of things. He made a point to try to meet everyone... literally everyone... at school. He thrived on it, but she had, for some bizarre reason, come to think of him as generally quiet. Her mistake had been in thinking that his silence on certain subjects was because he did not care or because they were relatively unimportant to him. She was coming to see that was her projection onto him of her own particular obsession; speaking her thoughts aloud.

Now she was seeing it was just the exact opposite for him. The more important something was to him, the closer he kept it to the vest. If still waters ran deep, her Simon Kincaid was the Marianas Trench. He might relay the facts about something... any number of somethings... but his feelings attached to those facts were a treasure trove of delights yet to be discovered. It is why his gestures, like the love lock on the bridge, always rocked AngelFyre to her core. Their faith taught them that love was much more than an emotion; it was action. Simon showed her all the time how much he loved her. It was nice to hear it, of course. But he had his finger on the rich pulse of it. Honestly, there was nothing for him to outgrow... or grow into. Maybe she needed to reassess and take a page from his book.

Absolutely! Would not do at all to leave Aunt Maggie waiting on us," she smiled, looking up at him. She then quickly stepped aside, releasing his hand so he could say his goodbyes. She nodded her goodbyes to Mia and Alexis and turned to walk with Simon back to his home, hand in hand again, when the very strong urge to do something overcame her.

"One moment, love. I will be quick. Promise." Then turning back, she quickened the few steps it took to reach Mia and Alexis. AngelFyre met Mia's eyes for a second or two, smiling, before closing the distance between them entirely. She embraced the girl while whispering, "Your friend is well and truly loved. I swear he is. I want you to know that. I hope we get the chance to know each other better. If not on this trip, then on the next one, whenever that may be. Either way, I truly look forward to it."

Then she turned and hurried back to a surprised Simon, reaching for his hand as they headed off to have dinner with Aunt Maggie.