Elana looks over the river and walks to the dock. There's a lot of trees beside the riverbank and a big old dock going right into the river. The ground around the river is half-covered with green grass. She got a fright when someone grabs her arm. To her relief, it's only a paranoid Jordan standing there.
"Don't walk on them," he says. She looks at her arm then back at him. "It's very old and dangerous."
"Old and dangerous?" She chortles daringly. "Then you haven't met me."
"You're not old," he replies. She raises an eyebrow at him that smiled at her. "And I haven't seen a dangerous side of you yet."
She gives him a lascivious smile and looks at his hand on her arm. He let his hand slip off slowly. The last thing he wants now is for her to think he's got intentions. It's the smallest actions that can leave the biggest conclusions.
"There's only one toilet," he informs her. "The male bathroom is out of service so if that's alright, the boys and I would like to use that toilet."
"Sure," she smiles and walks away slowly. "I didn't know there are bathrooms."
After finally being showed around, the four settled in front of the campfire roasting marshmallows. The radio is playing a song by The Carpenters, Solitaire.
"So, what is your deal?" Jordan asks after a long while of silence watching the boys making jokes around the campfire. Elana looks at him and just smile rubbing her arms. She's wearing her robe and her hair still tied. The cold breeze is beating against her skin. "Divorced?"
"No," she replies shaking her head looking at the boys then back at him. "Liam's dad hasn't been part of our lives way before I knew I was expecting. His name was Ralph. Ralph was a very good friend of mine, secretive and awake. He left deep scars in my heart, but I'm just glad I have my son."
"What happened?" Jordan asks. Asking questions to know her situation better is okay. She knows he's not trying to fish out her past. "He died?"
"I wish he was dead," she mutters softly. He grabs a blanket behind him and puts it around his shoulder moving closer to her. She goes under the blanket against him to share the warmth of their bodies. "He took me on a date. Next thing you know, we're in the backseat of his car arguing about sex. I didn't want to have that yet. He locked all the doors and then the next moment everything changed. He was dark of anger. He turned into a monster. I got a restraining order against him and left. A few weeks later I find out I'm pregnant. For the first time, I felt that something is going to love me back for who I am. I never told Liam and I'm planning on keeping it a secret. It's best if he doesn't know."
"I understand," he whispers and put his arm around her. She rests her head on his shoulder and looks at him that looked at her too. They can both admit that they became close in too short timing. Is it okay? Are they both allowed to cross a few boundaries with each other? It's not as if they're going past their friendship boundaries, right?
"So what's it with you?" She asks biting her bottom lip. "Divorced?"
"Yes. Divorced and rejected. Eleanor never wanted a son. So we got divorced. She left and never returned. Since then it's only been the two of us," he tells her. She gives him a little smile and looks at Liam that gives her a big smile. The boys most certainly didn't see it coming. Their parents became close in such a short time.
"Mom, you always sing on special occasions. This is special. So sing for us," Liam says to her. For a son to enjoy his mother's singing so much he wants to bring it out means the world to Elana. "Please."
"I can't sing," she giggles awkwardly and grabs a stick from the ground playing with it in the fire.
"Please," Joe starts to beg too. "I never heard a woman sing in reality. Only on television."
Well, it's true. Joe never had a mother to sing him a lullaby. He didn't have a mother at all. If he ever finds a mother in another woman, hopefully, it won't be too late since he'll be finishing school soon and enter the adult world.
"Alright then," she surrenders and sits forward. She takes the stick out of the fire and looks at the smoke running out of it. The front is still red. If she swings it, you can see the pictures she draws in the dark air. "Look into my eyes – you will see. What you mean to me. Search your heart, search your soul. And when you find me there you'll search no more."
Jordan looks terrified at her. Hearing her sing this afternoon is much different than listening to her in the clear dark sky. He ladylike voice touching their hearts.
"Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for. You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for. You know it's true: Everything I do, I do it for you."
She stops and looks at the boys.
"Wow," Joe responded amazed. Now he can believe his friend when he says his mum sings like an angel.
"You have such a beautiful voice," Jordan whispers to Elana laying with her in the tent. She turns from her back to her side and looks at him. "Why don't you do something with that talent?"
"It's not a talent," she whispers. "Anyone can follow a melody and sing the words."
"Only a few know how to." She gives him a little smile that returned one to her. "My son says you read my books."
She looks terrified at him as if he just popped a big question. The realization that the book she's been killing her brain with is written by the one and only she's sharing her bed with tonight.
"You wrote the Haunted hospital series?" She asks terrified. It's the only books she's reading lately. Once you put your eyes on the first one, the rest is calling desperately your name. He nods and stares amazed at her. The view of her perfect face, while she's laying next to him, is something he can picture for the rest of his life. It feels like a dream coming true to him. She grabs her mouth and looks at him in amazement. "I love it. You are so good at it. I love how doctor Carmichael seduced Sharlene to find out the truth about what her dad did to the patients back those years."
"Wow," he chuckles awkwardly scanning her beautiful body when she sat up straight.
"I know, it's amazing how you control the storyline. Although, I'm kind of disappointed in how Jessy's road ended," she says and looks at him that just nodded with a smile. She's wearing short pajamas.
"The next book is on release and will be available next week. Just a spoiler, Jessy is returning," he says and puts his hands on his chest.
"As a ghost or herself?" Elana asks laying on her arm looking down at him.
"You'll have to wait and see," he chuckles and makes her hair loose. She looks down awkwardly then at him that looked so amazed. Her hair is long and she looks so beautiful when it's loose. She bites her lip awkwardly and glances at him. "Why don't you wear your hair loose?"
"No one ever asked me to," she whispers nervously. He touches her hair and smiles at her. "Besides, it's in everyone's way. I have an issue with hair loss so the last thing I need now is someone yelling at me for losing hair everywhere you can think of."
"Wear it loose for me," he whispers with a smile. She nods and looks down then back at him. "So, if you had to say, what would you like to happen in the series?"
"Well, I like getting surprised, but if I have to say, I'd like Dr. Carmichael to fall in love for real. He is an amazing doctor, but he needs his fun too," she whispers and looks at his hands on his chest.
"Do you have fun?"
She looks down with a big blush and let her body down slowly. When she finally felt the mattress, she rests her body and looks at the roof of the tent.
"Good night Jordan," she whispers and switches off the lamp. It's no excuse to avoid his question. She simply doesn't want to answer it. What's going on in her sex life is personal? He watches her eyes close while she falls asleep. She is even more beautiful as the seconds go by. They didn't need to kiss or touch to fall in love. The best love comes from conversation, quiet and admiring at the same time.