Flight: Antebellum

Everett opened the door and his eyes widened as he saw the girl, casting a pretty shadow across the room as the orange sunlight shone through the large window, she turned her head to him. Her blue eyes had slivers of the bright orange light, making Everett's stomach twist when he looked at her.

"Holy shit." He whispered, almost incoherent as he looked curiously at Esther. His chest tightened when he saw at her, and he had notice this happen quite a few times previously when he looked at her, but none had been as strong as this. He blinked, realizing he had been staring at her for quite a while, "I-I mean..."

"If you'd like." He laughed a little as his red demenor faded back to normal. She had figured out how to deal with his constant embarrassment and he absolutely loved it.

When they headed downstairs, her ahead of him, Grandfather happened to still be working quietly at his desk. "Have fun and don't do stupid things." He said not bothering to look up at the two. "Although it's not very like either of you."

"See you later, Grandfather." Everett opened the door for Esther, and followed her as she wheeled down the ramp they had made for her. The roads got pretty rocky in the city, and he saw the girl struggle slightly over the unstable terrain. He grabbed the handles of the wheelchair, "Here I've got you."

"You could hold mine if you like." He said particularly smoothly, almost like he had been waiting to say such a thing. he laughed s little at the girls reaction. He had actually been hoping she would comment on her own fidgety nature, so he could say the clever thing he had thought about for a few minutes. The rocky terrain of the streets didn't bother Everett very much, it was a little difficult to push her around holes but new and fun to him. He liked the fact that the girl would see something interesting as they passed and her eyes would become fixated on whatever it was. He liked the fact that whenever she did such her hair would whip to one side and lightly brush against his hands, and he especially liked the pleasant look on her face when she saw something she liked.

He had found her fidgets to be fairly amusing as he wheeled her around, like she was a very angry kitten.

"We're almost there." He smiled, trying to repress himself from laughing. It was hard, not laughing, seeing as how funny he found her.

He rolled her onto a small stone pathway off if one of the streets and under a large arch, to greet her with a large green field with many trees and a small pond straight in the center. The park was surrounded completely by a wall or trees, as to block out the hustle and bustle of the city. The sun made the leaves glitter as they rolled slowly in the small breeze.

Everett looked at the girl, and suddenly thought the park was a much better place with her.

"There's a spot close to the pond I always used to hide in." He said, skipping over the fact that the last time he hid there was when his father died, "It was always so secluded and it gave me space to myself."

That was true, he often hid there when he just wanted some time to think, or when he idn't want anyone to know what his actual emotions were. He thought of his little spot, a small openening in the tightly packed trees by the furthest edge of the pond, a place where most people thought dirty animals were. There were a few animals, yes but he had fed them often and they seemed to be okay, or at least they had been. He had grown fond of the small animals there, and at one point could have recognized them from eachother, but that was a long time ago, and the likelyhood of them being around was very slim.

"Well now it can give us a bit of use huh." He said looking at her small nod of compliance, and he began to wheel her through the park and toward the dense trees. There was a small trail that led to his hiding place, but he wasn't so sure her wheel chair could fit. He considered asking if she would prefer that he carried her there but wrote it off when he discovered the path was just a little wider than it had been before. He hoped her chair could fit through, yes, but a little voice wished otherwise.

"That was smart to bring, Esther." In all honestly, he hadn't really thought this whole occasion through, and because of such, was very likely to say things he wouldn't usually. He was slightly afraid he would end up saying something he woud ultimately regret, but he pushed thet fear in the back of his mind and sat down next to the girl. He lightly placed his hand on top of hers as he looked out onto the orange light glimmering in the reflection of the pond. It had been much different the last time he was here, very cold, very rainy, and very grey to him. He quietly spoke in an almost incoherent tone (one he thought he used too often) "Thank you."

Everett felt his own heart leap a mile away, and he softly placed his head on hers. The words she spoke were something he didn't know why, but it was something he needed to hear. He felt strangely relaxed, strangely whole, like a small hole he had in his heart had been filled just a little.

The sun had completely crossed the lake, leaving them in a soft purple glow as it set behind the tall buildings of the city. Everett always thought the time they called twilight was the greatest time of the day, when the stars were very dim and the glow of the sun still lit the places he put his feet. He loved the strange space between the night and the day, the dak and the light, and the sun and the moon.

Oh... "Esther? Why the sun?"