Even if the sun was shining bright in a blue, cloudless, midday sky, that didn’t mean it would be warm out. Erin became aware of this fact when she was halfway to the coffee shop, annoyingly so, because it looked to be too late to turn back and grab anything. A thicker jacket, boots instead of hiking sandals, maybe even swapping out the light, decorative scarf she wore now for something more sustaining.
Erin sighed into the surprisingly heavy wind. Was she nervous? She wasn’t sure if she got nervous anymore, but she did know that she couldn’t really place that feeling inside her. Not nervousness. Something else.
She walked on, tuning out all the thoughts. Loud voices presented themselves as Erin neared the shop, a small, local business that had been tentatively suggested on the group chat by Miera. Small, shy Miera, who rarely spoke – when she did, none of her offers could be refused. Erin smiled at the pleasant, heartwarming thought of Miera. Maybe, if this was all too much for her to handle, she could pass time with Miera instead, who was perhaps even more introverted than Erin herself.
The petite bell above the door rang pleasantly as Erin entered, ordering herself a small coffee to warm her hands, and then heading back outside to greet the family.
“–drunk from my cup.”
“–bathroom trip. Anyone wanna come along?”
“–drank, not drunk.”
“Yeah, wait a sec–”
“–him at home, now I’m worried, he was whining when I left–”
“Who really cares? You’re missing the point.”
What Erin assumed to be the seven bodies of her cousins were clustered messily together around a black wired table, mouths open in the middle of a thought, hands outstretched to reach for something. A coffee cup, maybe. She caught little snippets of conversation as she slowly approached, suddenly very timidly.
“We’re back!” It had not been seven bodies, only four, but now three more bodies joined the mix, shoving and crashing into each other. No, she was mistaken again. Not counting herself, she only saw six – someone was missing. Who was it? There was Arlo, the extrovert, and there was Peter, arguing furiously with Margot…
Miera. It was Miera who was missing, Erin realized with a sudden pang of distress. No. But… how was this possible? Miera was supposed to be here – she’d suggested the place, after all, so she had to be around here somewhere, in the bathroom, maybe…
They were leaving without her, already. A friendly face turned around and spotted her, Margot, Erin thought, beckoning her to follow. Not sparing another thought on Miera and succumbing to her need to fit in, Erin ran to catch up, hot coffee splattering all over her hand and scarf. “Hi,” she said to Margot, but Margot had already turned away.
So, for a good twenty minutes, Erin listened to the conversation(s). She had forgotten how chaotic her family could be, what it was like when they were all together, in one place, interacting without boundaries. It had been a handful of years since she’d seen them last, and this hike was a good reminder as to why she’d decided to distance herself. She watched, amused, as Josh dipped his hands in mud for a dare, and as Carla couldn’t stop shrieking with laughter every time he frowned at his dirt-crusted hands. Erin walked behind them, face to Arlo’s back, as they slowly hiked up the trail. She engaged in a brief conversation with Josh about his life at the new school, but could tell he quickly got bored.
No one seemed to pay attention to her, much less realize she was there. Yet for some reason, she didn’t mind. There was something peaceful about just watching everything unfold in front of her.
“I want to go back to the coffee shop,” Josh whined, rubbing his hands together.
“Me too,” Margot chimed in. “I have to pee…”
Arlo groaned, a wide grin splitting his face. “Guys, c’mon. Just a little further, we haven’t really hiked that far.”
“Yeah, maybe because someone –”
“Oh, shut up, will you?” A large smile sat on Carla’s face. Erin let a small laugh escape.
The terrain had become steeper now, and it quieted a little bit as the group went into a phase of slight physical exertion. Erin was in okay shape, but she could tell that others were having more of a problem, and for that she was grateful. Arlo dropped back to walk next to her for a bit, and Erin felt glad that the air was as cold as it was.
The chatter dropped from scant to none, and the atmosphere shifted to silent and relaxed. Shoes scuffed against the dirt path. Erin had finished her coffee by now, and she tossed it into a stray trash can on the side of the road, wincing briefly at the clattering sound it made. She fell back into the rhythm of walking; they were getting higher up by now, she could tell, and the ground was beginning to even out again. Erin felt the buzz of the coffee reach her legs and her fingertips. Yeah, this is why I don’t drink coffee. Yet it helped her out now.
The talking began again. It was Carla who started it up, with a comment about how she thought the air was thinning out (it wasn’t, that was all in her head), followed by Margot and her worries about her bursting bladder.
Then, they reached the top.
It was a breathtaking sight, and kept a moment of pure silence until Arlo interrupted it. Then, a yell of delight, another inquiry, and the view was forgotten. Everyone turned away, lost in their own talks, but Erin kept looking. She stared out, thinking that she could spot her hotel, even the coffee shop, where it had all started. The view really was extremely spectacular.
Then, she turned back to her family and let herself fall into a conversation.
Erin sighed into the surprisingly heavy wind. Was she nervous? She wasn’t sure if she got nervous anymore, but she did know that she couldn’t really place that feeling inside her. Not nervousness. Something else.
She walked on, tuning out all the thoughts. Loud voices presented themselves as Erin neared the shop, a small, local business that had been tentatively suggested on the group chat by Miera. Small, shy Miera, who rarely spoke – when she did, none of her offers could be refused. Erin smiled at the pleasant, heartwarming thought of Miera. Maybe, if this was all too much for her to handle, she could pass time with Miera instead, who was perhaps even more introverted than Erin herself.
The petite bell above the door rang pleasantly as Erin entered, ordering herself a small coffee to warm her hands, and then heading back outside to greet the family.
“–drunk from my cup.”
“–bathroom trip. Anyone wanna come along?”
“–drank, not drunk.”
“Yeah, wait a sec–”
“–him at home, now I’m worried, he was whining when I left–”
“Who really cares? You’re missing the point.”
What Erin assumed to be the seven bodies of her cousins were clustered messily together around a black wired table, mouths open in the middle of a thought, hands outstretched to reach for something. A coffee cup, maybe. She caught little snippets of conversation as she slowly approached, suddenly very timidly.
“We’re back!” It had not been seven bodies, only four, but now three more bodies joined the mix, shoving and crashing into each other. No, she was mistaken again. Not counting herself, she only saw six – someone was missing. Who was it? There was Arlo, the extrovert, and there was Peter, arguing furiously with Margot…
Miera. It was Miera who was missing, Erin realized with a sudden pang of distress. No. But… how was this possible? Miera was supposed to be here – she’d suggested the place, after all, so she had to be around here somewhere, in the bathroom, maybe…
They were leaving without her, already. A friendly face turned around and spotted her, Margot, Erin thought, beckoning her to follow. Not sparing another thought on Miera and succumbing to her need to fit in, Erin ran to catch up, hot coffee splattering all over her hand and scarf. “Hi,” she said to Margot, but Margot had already turned away.
So, for a good twenty minutes, Erin listened to the conversation(s). She had forgotten how chaotic her family could be, what it was like when they were all together, in one place, interacting without boundaries. It had been a handful of years since she’d seen them last, and this hike was a good reminder as to why she’d decided to distance herself. She watched, amused, as Josh dipped his hands in mud for a dare, and as Carla couldn’t stop shrieking with laughter every time he frowned at his dirt-crusted hands. Erin walked behind them, face to Arlo’s back, as they slowly hiked up the trail. She engaged in a brief conversation with Josh about his life at the new school, but could tell he quickly got bored.
No one seemed to pay attention to her, much less realize she was there. Yet for some reason, she didn’t mind. There was something peaceful about just watching everything unfold in front of her.
“I want to go back to the coffee shop,” Josh whined, rubbing his hands together.
“Me too,” Margot chimed in. “I have to pee…”
Arlo groaned, a wide grin splitting his face. “Guys, c’mon. Just a little further, we haven’t really hiked that far.”
“Yeah, maybe because someone –”
“Oh, shut up, will you?” A large smile sat on Carla’s face. Erin let a small laugh escape.
The terrain had become steeper now, and it quieted a little bit as the group went into a phase of slight physical exertion. Erin was in okay shape, but she could tell that others were having more of a problem, and for that she was grateful. Arlo dropped back to walk next to her for a bit, and Erin felt glad that the air was as cold as it was.
The chatter dropped from scant to none, and the atmosphere shifted to silent and relaxed. Shoes scuffed against the dirt path. Erin had finished her coffee by now, and she tossed it into a stray trash can on the side of the road, wincing briefly at the clattering sound it made. She fell back into the rhythm of walking; they were getting higher up by now, she could tell, and the ground was beginning to even out again. Erin felt the buzz of the coffee reach her legs and her fingertips. Yeah, this is why I don’t drink coffee. Yet it helped her out now.
The talking began again. It was Carla who started it up, with a comment about how she thought the air was thinning out (it wasn’t, that was all in her head), followed by Margot and her worries about her bursting bladder.
Then, they reached the top.
It was a breathtaking sight, and kept a moment of pure silence until Arlo interrupted it. Then, a yell of delight, another inquiry, and the view was forgotten. Everyone turned away, lost in their own talks, but Erin kept looking. She stared out, thinking that she could spot her hotel, even the coffee shop, where it had all started. The view really was extremely spectacular.
Then, she turned back to her family and let herself fall into a conversation.