Athena's mood is still elevated as she starts singing a song while fixing lunch.
"Two slices of wheat bread for both parties (whistling noises). We open a can of tuna, emptying the contents into a mixing bowl (whistling noises). Next on the docket is the black pepper, homemade pickled cucumbers, and avocado mayo: we add all three into the same bowl with the tuna. Mixing the tuna and spices together, we have created the ultimate concoction for our bread!"
Athena slaps some tuna on the four slices of bread and heads to the fridge for additional toppings. Grabbing lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard from the refrigerator puts Athena in the mood to wiggle her hips left and right: she eventually breaks out into a series of turns that bring her back to the tuna-filled bread.
Carson is quietly watching the 'improvised sandwich-making dance party' staring at Athena. The couple exchanges a quick hug before packing the food into a bag. Athena and Carson walk out the door to the Broadway & Marion bus stop near the Seattle University campus.
Once they arrive in Central District Seattle, Carson and Athena take a pit stop at Carson's house so he can change. Off with yesterday's shot sleeve navy-plaid button-down shirt and light grey blazer, and on with today's khaki pants and untucked Hawaiian t-shirt. Ensuring neither party gets sunburnt on today's outing, Athena sticks sunblock inside her backpack on their way back out the door: she also grabs chips and apples from Carson's kitchen since he forgot to.
In order to give themselves the flexibility to move between Volunteer Park, the cinema, and any place the couple might visit, Carson, volunteers himself as the chauffeur. Athena does not object to his offer and falls asleep once the car starts moving. She wakes up after the car is parked and Carson starts talking with her.
"We arrived at Volunteer Park sleepy head. Are you going to walk or should your Prince Charming carry you?"
Athena gives her fiancé a half-smile and responds to his sarcasm with her own quick jab.
"I will walk Prince Charming, thanks. The car nap recharged my batteries and I am not in the mood for you to accidentally drop me. By the way, I grabbed the chips and fruit before we left your place...since you forgot."
She lets out a little giggle after saying this. While Athena continues to laugh at his expense, Carson inquires about how far Athena wants to walk. She says five miles both ways will be enough. After the pair grabs the food bag, gets out of the car, stretches their limbs a little bit, and locks the car door, they head off on the five-mile walk.
Athena's favorite place to be is in nature: she can get her mind off the hectic life of nursing, admire the beauty outside of Seattle's sprawling skyscrapers, and sing her heart out. While switching her gaze between the clear blue sky and the evergreen trees, Athen takes a deep breath and starts belting out a new song.
"I am here in the forest with the smiling sun. An afternoon of bliss, with my one true love. Nothing can take my bliss away, and I will say, she is here to stay."
A young family of three walking past Athena and Carson starts clapping when Athena stops singing.
"Your singing is really poetic Athena and got the attention of a passerby. Are you going to serenade the masses when we stop and eat?"
"Now that you have mentioned it, Carson, I might just do as you suggested."
Athena says this in a playful manner: scrunching her nose and squinting her eyes at the same time. Shrugging her shoulders towards the sky, and twirling around counter-clockwise. The day is looking bright for her and Carson. Since their date night was spoiled by an emergency room visit, soaking up the sunshine with a picnic lunch and planned cinema run later in the day is more than enough to compensate for lost time.
Once the couple reaches the standpipe at Volunteer Park, they find a freed patch of grass and sprawl out their blanket. Athena places the food bag on the blanket, picks up the sandwiches, and asks Carson which sandwich he would like. The sandwiches are both tuna, but one of the sandwiches was squashed during the car ride. Carson picks the sandwich that has seen better days. In comparison to the sandwich, the apples and chips held their own. Athena launches into the second verse of her song.
"Here on the blanket, we are sitting. The standpipe water is looking a bit gritty. A sandwich that knew its place has lost a smile across its face. Washing down the fish sandwich, here comes unsweetened tea essence."
Athena takes a gulp from the black iced tea Carson poured for her while she was singing. The look on Carson's face makes her smile and tries to ignore the headache that is starting to creep in. She is in too good of a mood to let her symptoms take hijack her peace of mind. As the day progress, Athena will keep tabs on the headache. If it gets out of hand, she will ask Carson to cut their date short. Carson strikes up a conversation with Athena as she takes another sip from the tea.
"May I bug you for the four-one-one regarding your world of nursing? How are classes? What are your next steps?"
"I am loving my pediatric rotation: being able to take care of a young patient and their family motivates me to show up for my shifts. My preceptor is nosy. She asked me why I had missed two days of clinical. I told her I was not feeling well and would talk with my instructor on appropriate next steps. Most likely I will have to complete two extra shifts towards the end of the quarter."
"You have always had a soft spot for children and went to great lengths to get a pediatric placement. Heck, when you were waiting for your match to come through, you called me every day after class telling me how impatient you were growing. Lucky for both of us, the universe answered your wishes. Have you considered staying in pediatrics after graduation?"
"The idea of continuing in pediatrics has danced around my mind from time to time, but I am open to working in other areas of nursing. My other top choice is emergency medicine: there is something about the thrill of treating patients that come into a hospital under serious circumstances that draws me to emergency nursing."
A brief silence passes between Carson and Athena as they allow the conversation to sink in. Athena answers the rest of Carson's questions as he eats a hand full of Flaming Hot Cheetos.
"Classes are nothing special: staying awake during long lectures, taking notes for J when she falls asleep, and outlining my senior thesis keeps busy. Before you ask, I am researching the intersectionality of nursing practice and improvisational acting and how the two disciplines can expedite the healing process in patients. I took an improvisational acting class my freshmen year and really enjoyed it. I have considered taking more improvisational classes in the future."
Athena lets out a sigh when she mentions the future. Carson senses the sadness in Athena's face and broaches her for more information.
"You seem sad with what the future holds. Would you like to clarify my assumption?"
Athena places her right palm on her forehead, takes a deep breath in, and lets out a short sigh before answering Carson's question.
"I am worried about dying before I am able to manifest my dreams: working as a fully-fledged nurse, traveling, marrying and starting a family with you, and taking improvisational acting classes. It might seem silly, but this is why I started feeling down."
Carson sits back and listens. Once Athena finishes talking, he lets her words sink in before responding.
"Your feelings are valid and real. I am going to remind you, I am here to support you in any way possible: there is no need to hold back your feelings. What every is going to happen, we will get through it together."
"I also have a headache that is growing worse by the minute, but I want to keep our date going. If my head starts hurting to the point of discomfort, I will let you know. And thank you again for the reminder of being here for support."
"You are welcome, that is what friendship is for: showing up for the other party, being fully present, and following through with one's word. If I could not stomach the commitment of being by your side the last ten years, I would not have asked you to marry me. Do you remember how we met?"
"Fifth-grade science at West Elementary, our teacher put us in the same science fair group. You wanted to do an experiment comparing the decomposition rate of bananas: room temperature bananas, versus bananas placed in a brown paper bag, versus banana placed in a plastic bag. I thought it was a stupid idea, but I listen to your reasonings for wanting to do such a project. After that, we hung out frequently and our families got to know each other."
"Your memory is a lot better than mine At! I remember our meeting in science class, but the specific circumstances have slipped my mind over the years. May I give you a hug?"
"You can hug me, Carson, just don't block my view of the sun. The rays feel good on my body and are giving me a sense of calm."
Athena is laying on her back, a pair of sunglasses shielding her eyes from the sun's rays. Carson moves himself to Athena's right-hand side, slips his right arm under her torso, and pulls her into his chest. The move is slow and gentle. He wraps his left arm around her left-hand side and locks both of his hands behind her back. Athena relaxes her body into Carson's embrace.
"What do you say to getting out of Volunteer Park and grabbing some dessert? Afterwords we can get ready for our movie run."
"I will treat us to the ice cream and movie snacks if you would not mind buying the movie tickets. Where would you like to go this time?"
Carson smiles and comes up with a last-minute plan: his idea of accommodating Athena and making sure she enjoys the rest of their date.
"I was thinking we could go to the grocery store and buy a few pints of ice cream: Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip, and an oddball flavor. And rather than going to a movie, we can watch something from Redbox. What are your thoughts?"
"Your idea sounds good to me. Before we go, I would like to spend a few more minutes in the sunshine. Who knows when the sun will come out next since we live in the Pacific North-West. An area of North America that is notorious for its lack of sunshine."
Carson releases Athena from their hug and gently places her back on the blanket. He lays next to Athena and weaves his fingers into her's. The two hold hands and watch the sun's rays dancing across the sky. After five minutes of hand-holding, Athena falls asleep. Carson is unaware of this until she starts to quietly snore. He turns his face towards Athena and smiles.
The rest of the date should go over smoothly: rather than risking Athena feeling uncomfortable in a public space, she will be able to enjoy herself at home. With easy access to her personal space, Waffle and Syrup for additional emotional support, and a private bathroom. Carson has a surprise in store for Athena as well.