Little Conversations (24 page)

They headed northeast through the desert, and the Joshua
trees cast their eerie reflections in the setting sun.  Once darkness had
fallen, they got out to look at the stars… to see if they looked any different in
this part of the world than they did back in Montana.  Lying on a blanket in
the dark desert, they both agreed that, while it was pretty, nothing could
match the starry mountain skies of home.

They took their time travelling north, stopping at every
little touristy place they could find.  After pulling into a hotel really late
the first night, they looked for places to stay earlier in the evenings and ordered
takeout delivered to their rooms, more intent on sating other needs than those
for sleep and food.  They slept late after nights of kissing and touching and
loving, then woke to more kissing and touching and loving. 

They drove to Hoover Dam and dropped pebbles over the side
and stayed overnight in a posh hotel in Vegas.  They explored Utah’s capitol
building and, at Devin insistence, even though the cold of winter was fast
approaching, they stuck their toes in the Great Salt Lake. 

Rather than driving through southern Idaho, they detoured
through Yellowstone, entering through the south and spending the night at Old
Faithful.  Ever since she was a child, Devin had wanted to stay at the Old
Faithful Inn with its unique and creative, natural wood architecture, so Ronin
paid more than he ever had for a hotel room, even paying a little extra to get
one with a private bath.  He was actually kind of horrified that there were
ones that
didn’t
have a private bath!  It was the second week of
October, and winter was fast approaching.  Only a handful of tourists milled
about.  There was only a day or two left before the lodge closed up to
hibernate until spring, and Ronin and Devin received 5-star treatment from the
staff—a bottle of champagne and extra special dessert. 

Finally, they made it back to Montana.  They were finally
home, and, for the first time Ronin could ever remember, his house really felt
just like that—like a home.  

On their first day back, they drove his truck to her little
storage unit, and they loaded up her boxes.  Within a few weeks, Devin had put
pictures on his walls.  She steamed the beer stains from his couch before
pulling out her super soft chenille throw and lots of fluffy pillows.  She
bought crisp, tailored curtains and replaced the dusty blinds with roman
shades.  On the mantel, she arranged some mementos they’d picked up on the trip
home from Cali, along with a few framed couple-selfies from their favorite
stops along the way.  The bachelor pad slowly disappeared to turn into an
enrapturing haven for the two of them, their own little place of solace sitting
back in the trees on the edge of town.

Devin enrolled in distance ed courses, still not sure what
she wanted to do, but began by taking some core courses to help get her going
while she decided.  Ronin continued to build stunning log homes in the
mountains, although now he came home every night, regardless of how far he had
to drive.  Shane and Joe gave him all kinds of shit, but Ronin simply
had to
be with Devin at night…
every night
.  Even if he only got to hold her an
hour, it was worth the bumpy roads and flat tires and cracked windshields to
see her.  It was like he needed her more than food, more than sleep, more than
air. 

Just a little taste of her every night, and he felt whole. 

A little over a year later… 

“Open your eyes, honey,” Ronin whispered as he stood behind Devin
with his hands on her shoulders. 

Devin did, and they were standing on a bluff overlooking the
small town.  The sky was clear and cold, full of stars that shimmered down upon
them.  The wide, full moon cast its bright beams down to the world below and
mixed with the radiance from the streetlamps that dotted the neighborhoods and
lined Main Street.  The whole world seemed to glow and sparkle with a light
that reflected off the newly fallen snow. 

“Ooooh, how pretty it all looks… like Christmas,” Devin
murmured.

“Dev, honey… look up a little.”  Ronin pointed ahead.  “There…”

Devin raised her eyes to the horizon, facing to the north
where Ronin was pointing. 
There he was.
 Orion the Hunter had only just
made his way up over the mountains.

“Orion…” she breathed.  “You remembered about Orion.”

She leaned back against Ronin’s chest and he wrapped his
arms tightly around her middle, resting his cheek against the side of her
head. 

“I kept trying to figure out, though…” Ronin trailed off as
he shook his head, softly nuzzling her hair.  “I saw it the other night when I
was coming out of the mountains.  Those three stars looked so familiar to me. 
Their layout.  Their brightness.  I just… I couldn’t remember why.”  One of his
arms pulled away from her body.  “Then I figured it out.  I realized where I had
seen that same pattern before.”  He raised his hand, slowly uncurling his
fingers.  “This.  It reminded me of this.”

Lying there in the palm of his hand, glimmering in the
bright moonlight, sat a ring.

It was crafted of two delicate platinum bands with three
sparkling diamonds, spaced slightly apart, in between.  The facets of stone glittered
in the reflection of the stars.  Ronin used his other hand to pick up the ring
with his thumb and forefinger, and he held it up to the sky so that it was
positioned in front of Orion.  And it did.  The pattern of the stones was so very
much like Orion’s belt. 

“And this?  This reminded me that I want to marry you…” he
finally whispered.

Devin’s jaw dropped open in awe, rendered speechless by his
beautiful proposal.  She slowly turned in the circle of his arms, completely
bewildered.

And then, he received the most beautiful gift he could ever
hope for.

Devin looked up at him and flashed him the most beautiful
smile he’d ever seen… and then she nodded. 

Ronin slipped the ring on her finger and kissed it once it
was in place.  Devin couldn’t take her eyes off him.  She was mesmerized by the
warmth she felt inside, the searing love for this man. 

“I know this is more of a wedding band than an engagement
ring, but it was too perfect for you,” Ronin said softly, his eyes still fixed
on the ring he had placed on her left hand.  “I’ll get you an engagement ring,
too…”

“No,” Devin whispered.  “You’re right.  This is perfect.”  She
dipped her head slightly to catch his eye as she cradled his face in her hands.
 “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Devin, baby,” he smiled down at her, “it’s got nuthin’ on
you.”

And there, in the moonlight with the blanket of stars spread
across the sky, Ronin kissed her sweetly.  She was his.  The love of his life. 
Forever.

See the complete playlist on Spotify

Little Conversations—Sibylla Matilde

http://open.spotify.com/user/sibyllamatilde/playlist/1GAslshmDRMWZxvFf5ugK5

Chapter 1 – Quarters

The Beast ~ Concrete Blonde

Mr. Brightside ~ The Killers

Favorite Things ~ Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies

Despair ~ Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Chapter 2 – An Ending and a Beginning

Little Conversations ~ Concrete Blonde

Just Give Me a Reason ~ P!nk

Picking Up the Pieces ~ Paloma Faith

Bad Romance (BBC Live Version) ~ Thirty Seconds to
Mars

Nervous Alibi ~ The Outfield

The Kill (Live) ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Chapter 3 – I can’t!

What the Hell ~ Avril Lavigne

Celebration ~ Kings of Leon

Someday? ~ Concrete Blonde

What if You ~ Joshua Radin

Chapter 4 – Little White Towel

Rainbow Connection ~ Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies

Walk ~ The Foo Fighters

Chapter 5 – Hero

On Call ~ Kings of Leon

My Party ~ Kings of Leon

I’m With You ~ Avril Lavigne

Chapter 6 – Kim

The Story (Live) ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Demons ~ Imagine Dragons

Chapter 7 – Genuine Illusion

One Woman Army ~ Kate Earl

Skip the Charades ~ Cold War Kids

Give Me a Sign ~ Breaking Benjamin

Chapter 8 – Bar IX

Love Somebody ~ Maroon 5

Just Dance ~ Lady Gaga

I Love It ~ Icona Pop

Closer ~ Tegan & Sara

The Other Side ~ Jason Derulo

Blurred Lines ~ Robin Thicke

Chapter 9 – Orion the Hunter

 Just Breathe ~ Pearl Jam

Chapter 10 – Late Night Visit

Open ~ Rhye

Chapter 11 – Barroom brawl

Angel ~ Eric Clapton

Rough Boy ~ ZZ Top

Turning Tables ~ Adele

The Lonely ~ Christina Perri

Wash ~ Pearl Jam

Breathe Me ~ Sia

Chapter 12 – Not Okay

Jar of Hearts ~ Christina Perri

Dear Agony ~ Breaking Benjamin

Chapter 13 – What the fuck!?

Attack ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Finish What Ya Started ~ Van Halen

Half of Something Else ~ The Airborne Toxic Event

Chapter 14 – Emotional hangover

From Yesterday ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Try ~ P!nk

Wait For Me ~ Kings of Leon

The Last Worthless Evening ~ Don Henley

Chapter 15 – Don’t Pull Back

Do or Die ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Stronger (BBC Live Version) ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Chapter 16 – Different

Answer ~ Sarah McLachlan

Kiss Me ~ Ed Sheeran

Chapter 17 – A Beautiful Day

Country Lane ~ Telekinesis

Supersoaker ~ Kings of Leon

Pickup Truck ~ Kings of Leon

Chapter 18 – A Wild Goodbye

Arizona ~ Kings of Leon

The Face ~ Kings of Leon

Chapter 19 – What was that?

Charmer ~ Kings of Leon

Over the Rainbow ~ Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies

Cold Desert ~ Kings of Leon

Chapter 20 – He’s Free

Alibi ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Chapter 21 – Escape

Bright Lights ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars

Was it a Dream? (Live from the Virgin Megastore)

Wish You Were Here ~ Avril Lavigne

Bleeding Out ~ Imagine Dragons

Revelry ~ Kings of Leon

Black ~ Pearl Jam

Chapter 22 – Liar

Longing to Belong ~ Eddie Vedder

Arms ~ Christina Perri

Epilogue

I Choose You ~ Sara Bareilles

Red Velvet Shortcake

1½ oz. Red Velvet ZING Vodka

2 oz. cream soda

Splash of lemon juice

2 strawberries

Garnish: strawberry

Muddle strawberries in a cocktail shaker. Add remaining
ingredients except cream soda. Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice.
Top with soda. Garnish with a strawberry.

Source: ZING Vodka

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/cocktails-to-try-right-now-zing-vodka#slide-3

Snowball

3 oz. Hpnotiq Harmonie

1 oz. coconut vodka

Garnish: shredded coconut

Combine ingredients in a glass filled with ice and top
with shredded coconut.

Source: Hpnotiq

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/cocktails-to-try-right-now#slide-1

Island Margarita

2 oz. TY KU Coconut Sake

1 oz. tequila silver

½ oz. Grand Marnier

½ oz. agave nectar

½ oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filed with ice.
Shake and strain into a glass.

Source: TY KU Sake

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/cocktails-to-try-right-now#slide-11

Honeydew Margarita

1 oz. honeydew melon puree (put the melon in a blender)

1 ½ oz. tequila

1 oz. triple sec

¾ oz. fresh lime juice

½ oz. simple syrup (Devin used Starbucks Classic
syrup, though, and it was AWESOMESAUCE!)

Garnish: melon balls

Shake all ingredients with ice, pour into a glass, and
garnish with melon balls. (Salt on the rim is optional.)

Source:

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/cosmo-cocktails-honeydew-margarita

Raspberry Le Flor

1½ oz. Svedka Raspberry Vodka

½ oz. elderflower liqueur

½ oz. lemon juice

½ oz. simple syrup (again, Devin used Starbucks
Classic syrup.  Who wants to mess with cooking when there’s booze to drink)

¼ oz. water

Garnish: mint sprigs and raspberries

To make simple syrup, mix equal parts hot water and sugar
until sugar is dissolved. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until
smooth. Pour into a glass. Garnish with mint sprigs and raspberries.

Source: Svedka Vodka

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/food/cocktails/cocktails-to-try-right-now#slide-4