Jenara laughs to herself as she follows the scavenger hunt list Kiara had made for her. First she had been to the Auction house to buy a specific lot. Inside that mug was a message that sent her to Larson Clothiers for a shirt, a Mother’s day present from her daughter.
Attached to the shirt was a poem that led her to the Gallina Winery for a special bottle of wine. Finally attached to the wine bottle was a note that told her to seek out her favorite spot in Elwynn Forest.
So now Jenara, wearing her new purple shirt, carrying a fresh bottle of wine and two glasses found herself approaching the top of Thunder Falls.
Do you know how terrifying it is to find a note on your doorstep that just says, “Go where you like to read”? Cause Cal does. I mean it had a plate of cheese by it so…if he was gonna get murdered…he would have cheese. After the Library he was off towards the forge, and then the faire…jeez he was walking a lot today.
On the way to his final destination, the poor sap tripped in a puddle so…he looks like a hot mess. But! A hot mess with cheese! He spots Jen and…a rush of thoughts go through his head. The first of which is, “Aw shit! I should have worn my good pants.”
Jen gets to the top of the falls and spots a picnic basket. She looks around a bit and spots Cal coming up behind. She gets the wine and glasses down and smiles at him, “I swear to god I had nothing to do with this. Kiara told me it was my mother’s day present.”
He laughed, his face red again, “Well then…right…happy Mother’s Day Jen. I have cheese?”
Jen sits on the blanket and looks up at him with her curious green eyes and smiles, “Cheese is good! I have the wine!”
“Even better.” There’s a beat, “How did your daughter buy wine?”
A quick laugh came from Jen as she replied, “She sent me on a scavenger hunt and I had to buy the wine to find the next clue.” Jen looks at the bottle as she starts to open it, “Hope you like a sweet red…” wit ha bit of innuendo in her voice.
“I’ll…drink pretty much anything honestly. I’m not picky.” He holds out the cheese to her, this is his shield. She takes a slice of cheese and thanks him.
“Of course.” He thinks for a moment, “How did…your child figure out where I live?”
She pours him some wine and hands him his glass. Shrugging her shoulders, Jen was curious herself, “Maybe she followed you somewhere? She is quite resourceful.”
“Oh…” he chuckles, “Good…that makes me feel much better.”
Jenara holds up her own wine glass towards his, “To….”
Cal clinked glasses with her then finished the statement, “To well-meaning stalkers.”
Jenara clinks the mug and keeps her gaze on him for a second, “Well said!” Sipping her wine, she glances out over the sprawling view of Elwynn Forest and Westfall. “I never get tired of this view.”
Cal takes in both the view of the valley and of the woman next to him. “It’s not bad…I always want something…new.”
“Does it live up to the hype I described?”
“It does…it’s like missing something you’ve never known.” He smirks and takes a sip of his wine.
Jenara shifts closer to him on the blanket as Cal smiles at her and then looks back at the view.
Clearing her throat, Jenara taps her glass playfully as she looks up at Cal, “Ya know..if Kiara went to all this trouble, you must have made a favorable impression on her.”
Cal shrugged, “Or she just really hates you.”
Jenara laughs, “My scenario is far more likely.”
“Oh I don’t know…I’m pretty awful and you’re a /terrible/ mother.” There’s a smirk.
Jenara just shakes her head, “I bet you’ll be a great dad someday.
He smiles brightly at that, “You think so?
Jenara looks at him and nods, “You have the right kind of humor to pull it off nicely.” She looks back out over the valley, “That’s something you want someday right?”
He nods, “Yeah…probably…” there’s a small smile
“It’s life altering. But in so many good ways,” she said matter-of-factly.
“I’m sure…I’m sure.”
“Need more wine?” Jenara asked as she moved to pour herself some more
He nods, “Yes please…all the wine.” There’s a smirk.
Pouring him another glass, she hands it to him. The sun has dipped beneath the horizon, the light slowly lowering around them.
“It is beautiful…I suppose you were right.”
A few moments of silence pass between the two before Jen pierces the silence, “Cal…”
He looks over with a warm smile on his face, “Yes?”
Her eyes say a lot, “I’m really glad to be here with you.”
He smiles and leans in to kiss her. Both of them close their eyes as they enjoy the moment. Afterwards his eyes go wide and he gathers himself, “I’m sorry…I should go…I’m so sorry.”
Jenara reaches for his hand to try and reassure him and to attempt to convince him to stay, “Don’t, it was amazing.”
“Jen…I need to, I’m sorry,” he stands up.
Jenara nods slowly, knowing why, “I understand Cal.
He grabs her hand, “I…we’ll talk. Thank you, for this.”
“Thank Kiara….” she said with a smirk.
“I will.” There was one more lingering kiss they both held onto before he went.
Jenara watched him leave, she whispered, “I….love you..” As the words escaped her lips she sat there in stunned silence as the roar of the water crashed over the falls.
A few minutes later Jenara hears rustling coming up the path behind her. She hears the pacing of the steps and knows it is her daughter.
“Sooooo how did it go?” the younger Baymont asked in a singsong kind of way.
Jenara finishes off the last bit of wine in her glass, “Well we had a nice talk, and he…kissed me..and then he fled at high speed.”
Kiara’s jaw drops, “He kissed you! That’s amazing mom!”
“Yes mom…” she whined and they both laughed.
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