Chapter 42: It’s official
The city noise fell away behind them, replaced by quiet roads and the hush of the countryside.
Merlina leaned against the car window, her thoughts drifting as the fields rolled past, golden and open, like something out of a storybook. Louis sat beside her, humming along to an old playlist he probably thought she would like.
They did not talk much on the drive. Not because it was tense, but because there was not much to say.
"You okay?" he asked as they turned onto a gravel path.
She glanced at him. That eager smile again, genuine, sweet and warm.
"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Just a long week."
He gave a thoughtful little "hmm" and parked under the shade of a wide oak tree.
Below the hill, a meadow stretched out, sun-drenched and quiet. He opened the trunk, revealing a neatly packed picnic basket and a checkered blanket.
"Told you I had something different planned," he said, beaming.
Merlina offered a soft smile. "You did."
They set up beneath the tree. He unpacked sandwiches, fruit, sparkling water in glass bottles. Everything was well thought out, clean, curated, safe. The kind of moment people post with long captions about being present and grateful.