The early morning light filtered softly through the curtains, glowing gently in the bedroom. Arthur lay in bed, eyes closed, not quite ready to face the day. He wasn't sure how long he had been awake, but it felt like only moments. It seemed as if time had stopped in this room as if he and Helena were the only two people in the world.
Her presence gave him a feeling of peace, and he wanted to stay here forever. He opened his eyes slowly and turned to gaze at her sleeping form. Her delicate features seemed angelic in the morning light, and he couldn't help but smile.
He had been so lucky to find her, and he felt a wave of tenderness overtake him. He reached out and gently ran his hand through her hair, wanting to capture this moment forever. He leaned in and softly whispered, "Sleep tight, my love."
After changing into a lightweight linen shirt and shorts, Arthur threw open the curtains, letting the sun pour in like liquid gold. He kissed Helena softly on her cheek before sauntering out of the room and into the kitchen.
As Arthur cooked breakfast, Helena stirred from her dreams, awakened by the warm fingers of sunlight caressing her face. A smile played across her lips as she slipped into a bright pink sundress that flowed around her legs and fastened up her sandals with long silk ribbons.
She went to the living room and saw Arthur on the phone, he mouthed it was his best friend. She nodded, sat beside him, and watched him on the video call with Daniel.
"Hey, man! I've missed you!" Daniel exclaimed.
"I've missed you too, brother. Hey, guess what? I have some news for you," Arthur said while glancing at Helena.
"What's up? Did you finally leave San Antonio?" Daniel asked.
"Of course not," Arthur said. "I'm not leaving San Antonio ever. I'm staying with my girlfriend now."
"What?" Daniel exclaimed. "No way! That's amazing, man! Congratulations!" Daniel said.
Helena smiled and waved at the phone. "Hi, Daniel. It's nice to meet you."
Daniel chuckled. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Helena. Arthur's mentioned you a few times."
Helena blushed as Arthur put an arm around her. "I can't stop talking about her, man. She's amazing."
Daniel laughed. "I can tell, buddy. I'm happy for you. Maybe you should take some photos of her and put them up for sale. You might make a fortune," Daniel joked.
"That's not a bad idea. I'll talk to Helena about it," he said, grinning.
Helena smiled, feeling really flattered. "I'd be happy to model for you, Arthur."
"I'm kidding; I'm not sharing your photos anytime soon. But you can model for me in nature, and we can keep the photos for ourselves."
"That sounds good," Helena agreed.
"Hey, Daniel," Arthur said. "You heard that? We won't be sharing any photos of Helena in public; we'll keep it as private as possible."
"I know you won't, Arthur. You're overprotective of people you love, and I totally get it," Daniel said, overjoyed for his best friend. Seeing Arthur really happy was a strange thing after a long agony with his parents, and Daniel witnessed it all.
After hanging up with Daniel, Arthur turned to Helena.
"By the way, we are out of stocks. Let's go to the market today and get one month of groceries. What do you say?"
"Sure. I was thinking about that too. Thanks for mentioning it. If you didn't bring the canned goods and other supplies from the campsite, we would run out of food before the snow ended. So thanks to you, baby," Helena said, pinching his cheek.
"Baby, don't mention it," he said, gently squeezing her cheek. "How about we go after breakfast?"
Helena's eyes lit up. "I'd love that, Arthur. Let's go!"
After their delicious breakfast, Helena and Arthur hopped in Helena's pickup truck, and Arthur took the wheel. "Let me fix your seatbelt," he said, moving closer to her to adjust the strap.
"Thanks," said Helena as she leaned back in her seat, feeling a warmth radiating from their proximity. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, taking his time before starting the engine.
On their way to the town, the scenery was breathtaking, with lush greenery and wildflowers dotting the landscape. They were enjoying the fresh air and each other's company.
As they approached a secluded meadow, Arthur turned to Helena with a mischievous grin. "Hey, what do you say we take some photos here?"
Helena raised an eyebrow. "Photos? What kind of photos?"
Arthur chuckled. "Just some natural shots, nothing too risqué. You'll look beautiful against this backdrop."
Helena hesitated momentarily, but the excitement in Arthur's eyes was contagious. "Okay, let's do it."
Arthur pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of the car, grabbing his camera from the backseat. He gestured for Helena to follow him as they walked towards the meadow.
As they entered the meadow, the tall grass tickled their feet, and the sun shone brightly on their skin. Arthur positioned Helena before a blooming sunflower, capturing her beauty through the lens.
"Turn around," he instructed, snapping photos of her from different angles. "Now, let your hair down."
Helena untied the ribbon holding her hair up and let it cascade down her back, the sun illuminating its golden strands. Arthur captured every moment, every detail, with his camera.
As the shoot progressed, Helena became more comfortable, losing herself in the moment's beauty. Arthur was a masterful photographer, capturing her in the perfect lighting, always bringing out her best features.
"Okay, now let's try something a little more daring," Arthur said, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
Helena raised an eyebrow but couldn't deny the excitement that filled her. She was with the man she loved in the midst of a stunning meadow, and she felt invincible.
"Okay, what do you have in mind?" Helena asked cautiously.
Arthur put down his camera and walked towards her, closing the gap between them. He placed one hand on her waist and cradled her face gently with his other hand. "Let's get a shot of us together," he said softly before gently kissing her lips.
Helena smiled into the kiss before pulling away to look into Arthur's eyes. She could feel his love radiating, which only made her smile brighter.
Arthur stepped back and picked up his camera again, preparing to take the picture. "Now, just look into my eyes," he instructed as he clicked away, capturing their precious moment in time forever.
When they finally finished taking pictures, Helena grinned from ear to ear as she looked at all of them on Arthur's camera screen. "You're so talented! They look amazing!"
Arthur laughed and replied affectionately. "Thanks, baby! Now let's go to the town!" With that, they drove off to get their monthly supply of groceries.
As Arthur maneuvered the pickup truck to the main road, Helena spotted a familiar black Cadillac behind them. She recalled the last time he saw a black Cadillac, and it didn't end well. The thought made her blood run cold.
"Baby, are you okay?" Arthur said, breaking into her thoughts. "You look pale," Arthur said with a trace of concern.
"Yeah...," she stammered. "Maybe I'm just hungry."
Arthur chuckled. "Baby, we just ate breakfast."
"I know," she smiled, trying desperately to hide the panic in her eyes. We should get some snacks when we arrive in town. The shoot was pretty draining."
He laughed, "Alright, we'll have some snacks when we arrive in town. We're not so far now." He stepped on the gas pedal.
It was the first time they had company on the road, even since they were traveling back and forth to the town. Helena couldn't shake the feeling that someone was up to no good again. She kept glancing into the rearview mirror and occasionally checking over her shoulder.