August, 2020

I woke up the following day with Patrick laying next to me. What in the world just happened? Did we do anything wrong unusual? He must've taken me inside after I fell asleep on his chest. I touched my lips and closed my eyes to remember the kisses we exchanged last night. How I wanted to have those again. I decided to take a short walk up to the lake to take in the view of the Great Basin and grab some a breath of fresh air. What a beautiful view this park is. This was much needed after having been done with school until the fall.  I didn't want to go home and stay alone. I mean, I have my parents but still. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming towards me and felt arms come across my stomach. I looked behind and it was none other than Patrick. 

"Good morning, beautiful." He said as he kissed my forehead. 

"Good morning, handsome." I replied with a smile. I held his hands as he buried his face into my hair. 

"Sleep well?" He asked. 

"Yeah, I did. I must've fallen asleep then carried to the tent, right?" I asked as I covered my face. 

He uncovered my face and held my hands again. "Correct. Also, you are quite light for a 19 year old by the way." Patrick chuckled. 

"Hey! I've been trying to gain muscle mass." I said with a raised eyebrow. 

"I know I know." He replied. "I was just messing with you." He said as he gave me a kiss on the cheek. 

"I had so much fun last night." I said as I looked beside him.  

"I did too." He said with a smile. "We should leave here around 9:30AM, so why don't we pack up our camping gear and head to town for breakfast?" Patrick suggested. 

"I'd love that." I said as I hugged him.

He looked down at me and moved my hair out of my face to see me. He gave me a forehead kiss and held me in his arms for what felt like forever. I didn't want this moment to stop. I didn't want time to move forward. I just wanted to be here in the present moment with my partner and one true love.

"This view is incredible." I said.

"I did quite a bit of research before surprising you with this trip. I had a few other places in mind, but this one topped them all. The lake, the mountains, and the trails all reminded me of you." He replied.

"Really?" I asked as I turned to look up at him.

"Really." He said as he brushed his nose against mine.

I giggled. "That tickles!" I cried.

"Oh? Are you ticklish?" He grinned.

"Patrick, stop!" I cried again.

He didn't listen of course and started tickling me as hard as he could.

"Babe!" I cried out loud. "I can't breathe!"

"Whoops." He said as he continued to tickle me.

After about 5 minutes, he stopped and pulled me closer to his chest. Hearing his heartbeat reminded me of a steady metronome being played in the background of an orchestra rehearsal. Peaceful, strong, and relaxing. 

"Honey?" He asked.

"Hmm?" I said.

"You're the greatest gift I have ever gotten in my life. From the time we met, I knew I wanted to be around you. You have this presence that is comforting and I always get chills whenever you look into my eyes." He explained.

I almost teared up at his words. "R-really?" I stuttered.

"Really." He smiled and gave me a deep kiss on the lips.

I cupped his face and soon, we were kissing like we did last night. Gosh, how did I get so lucky to have this man in my life? What did I do to deserve someone like him?

"Love?" I asked in between our kisses.

"Hmm?" He said as he kissed softly on my jawline.

"I wish we could stay like this forever." I said.

He paused and looked at me. It was at if I could see my entire reflection through his eyes. 

"You know we could stay another night." He said.

"But you said we have to leave at 9:30." I replied.

"I know, but I am saying if that was possible." He said.

"Right, heh." I said as I looked down.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. I am just happy we got to spend the night and be here in nature heaven.

He gave me a soft chuckle and held me in his arms.

"Me too, darling. Me too." He said as we enjoyed the last few moments of the Great Basin National Park before going to town.

Half an hour later

"Ready to go?" Patrick asked as he closed the car trunk.

I nodded and shut my door before we were off to Lehman Caves Café and Gift Shop near the national park. The views on the way to the café were exquisite and absolutely breathtaking. Patrick really did choose a perfect time to take a trip we worked hard for. I am hoping that this summer, we are able to travel more since the weather will be hot. Although, I would prefer to go to the mountains since Nevada tends to hit the 80s and 90s. Personally, I never was one for the heat, but this is where I grew up and I couldn't be more happier with the way I lived.