The tinted window of his mystery car rolls down, so he sticks his head out of it and waits sweetly until the voice box lights up with the sound of a woman's preppy voice. He inhales and clears his throat as if he were at a speech before darting that pink tongue of his out of his mouth and letting it coat his two lips with self lubricant. I gawk at him, sucking my bottom lip in and tugging it between my teeth as he throws his elbow out of the car and splays his arm on top of the seal of the window.

"Yes, ma'am. Can I have two double cheeseburgers. One of the burgers can be all the way: lettuce, onions, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise. On the other cheeseburger I'd like only mustard and onions please. Make one of the burgers a combination, a side of cheese fries, and a coke to drink" he orders.

He pulls back from the window and veers his head around to see me sitting in the passenger seat and just looking at him. "What would you like, darling?" His voice rasps. His gray eyes are chilled, but they still make me burn from blushing.

"I'd like a cheeseburger combo with only ketchup, lettuce, and mayonnaise. I want regular fries, and a water" I answer him. I quickly searched the menu up on my phone as he pulled into the lot of this place. I've never been here before, I'm not sure if we even have this back at home.

His eyes gaze upon mine as I speak my order to him, and he is plastering his face with a golden smile. As I am done ordering my food, he turns back to the window and inches closer to the little voice box again. "And may I have another cheeseburger combination, please. I'd only like ketchup, lettuce, and mayo on that one, a side of fries, and bottled water — also, can we have a few of those little ketchup packets?" He asks with an even sweeter tone. It makes me smile. He looks so cute.

"Yes, sir. If that will be all for you today you can proceed to the next window. Enjoy" she responds.

Xyle pulls his right hand from my left thigh and wraps his long fingers around the steering wheel. Pressing the gas lightly, he moves the car forward before he comes to a smooth stop. He pulls his wallet from his back pocket and flicks the thick thing open to take a single card from it. He has so many. He drops it, letting it splay onto his lap as he waits patiently. When the girl opens the window, I see that she has two cute pigtails. She has a cute smile on her face as she stands up straight.

"Your total is twenty two, seventy two" she says.

Xyle veers his head towards the girl and reaches his arm out of the window to give her his card. She cautiously takes it and in the split of a second, she is pulling her arm back and closing the window. The man of my dreams turns over to me and lets his head roll on the front of the headrest on his seat. He's still smiling.

"You may be asking why I've driven you two hours away from home, and I'm here to say No it wasn't because I craved this certain type of burger. We're going to go meet someone. We'll sit and eat with that person, and talk".

I mirror his sweet but crazy smile, not knowing what to expect with him. What gets me is that he says we've driven two hours. I had no clue it was that long. With his entertaining games of I spy, it felt quicker than it actually was. I tilt my head a bit to the side and eye him. "Then why do you look so nervous?".

His eyebrows begin to touch as he looks at me. He didn't think I'd notice? He usually has finely tanned skin, but it's hard to see when he's blushing crimson and changing to a different color.

The sound of the food place's window opens and it gives Xyle the perfect opportunity to switch subjects and forget I ever called him out on his change of shades. He turns away from me and reaches a hand out for his card. He quickly pulls back and sticks it into his wallet before he grabs our drinks. I smile. They've given us two straws. I'll use one. He gives me my bottle of water and I don't hesitate to open it and have a sip. He fiddles with the paper of his straw before he gets it to open. He sticks it inside of his drink and haves a quick sip before he places it into the cup holder. The window opens again so he turns to get our bags of food. He opens the top to have a peak.

"They gave us a lot of ketchup. Food joints never do that" he tells me, his smile big as he looks at me. He's pretty amused.

He gives the girl one last thank you before he hands me the bags of food and proceeds with pressing the gas. He smoothly rides out of the lot and turns onto the street. Having being so focused on the road, he doesn't bat an eyelash when I reach into one of the bags of food. I stuff a fry into my mouth and then roll the bag down to close it. I'll lose all my self control if the bag stays open. The fries are very delicious, crispy, and well salted. I may have to go to that food place again.

He switches his hands on the wheel. He moves his left hand to clasp around it as his right hand reaches over into the cup holder. He takes his coke and in the midst of holding it, he extends his pointer finger to press a button on the screen. The screen changes and up comes his messages. The first one that appears is one from his father.

Caliver: Drinks on me tonight, son? I'd like to sit down and talk to you. I understand your frustrations, but I'd like to have a chance at redemption. I can't erase the past, I can fix the present.

Two Huxley men have claimed to be on a road to redemption. I can only believe one, though. He pulls his straw to his mouth and looks up at the road to be sure that it's clear before he read the message. His lips twitch, and his jaw tenses.

"Fucking hell" he mumbles under his breath. He swipes
away with the message and sits his coke back into the holder. "Pass me my phone, please, darling" he asks softly.

I can already tell he will say something mean. I hand him his cellular device that was resting on my right thigh. He waits until we approach a red light to pull his hand away from the wheel. His thumbs start to fiddle like crazy. He looks to be typing up a storm. After a few seconds he clicks the power button and sits his phone near the center console.

"Power that off for me, love. I don't want any interruptions at a time like this. This will be a positive experience for the both of us and I want to remember it that way" he says gently. I hear his fist tighten around the steering wheel. Caliver really sets him off.

Without a word I reach over and power his phone off like he's asked. I sit it back down and glance up at him. He's trying to direct his anger towards somewhere where it'll dissolve, but things never seem to dissolve. Not with Caliver.

I don't say anything for a few minutes, wanting to give him a bit of time to blow off that steam.

He does seem to perch up when we enter a very empty parking lot. My face creases in confusion as he pulls to a parking space and stops the car, assuring me that this is where he's meant to take me. He powers his engine off and clicks his seatbelt. He reaches across my lap and takes the bags of food, as well as his coke and my bottle of water. I slowly reach my hand over to click my seatbelt as well giving him an unsure look of question.

I don't dare to open the door, no. I wait until he walks around the car and opens it for me. I step out with a hand on his bicep, and keep it there as he shuts it and guides me away from the vehicle.

This place is beautiful.

There's an entire array of grass. I've never witnessed a field as green as this one. It looks so full of life and well kept. Amazed, I narrow my eyes to see the tiny hydrangea's popping out of the beautiful grass. The sight of this is like never seen before. How did he find this place? It's the most perfect thing ever. I cling to his bicep, sticking my arm under the space and letting my hand splay across as he takes careful steps up onto the hill of concrete, a very small hill. I can not take my eyes off of that field. It makes me want to grow my own flowers one day.

Maybe I'll add a bunch of pretty flowers, definitely some pretty hydrangeas.

While I expect to go left, Xyle guides me right, away from the field of flowers. My eyebrows crease in confusion as I peer my head up to look at him. "Where are we going?" I ask.

He smiles a gentle, happy one. "We're going to meet someone. I'll take you to the flowers after this if you want. I knew you'd like them".

I dive my head back down and pay attention to what's ahead of us now. In the small array of distance, there is a gazebo. As we approach it, I am able to have a better look at it. It is beautiful. The shingles on the roof are a gorgeous pale pink color. The posts are white. The floor is white as well. There are two cute benches inside, one on either side of it. On the wall between the two, there is a large line going horizontally, and two lines vertical, to shape off a square.

I release myself from Xyle's arm and take a jittery step onto the first step. I hurry, turning around and giving him a smile. "This is so beautiful. I love the colors" I smile.

I turn myself back around and go up the rest of the way. I run my hand along the post, feeling how clean it is. With the color it is, I half expected it to be a bit dusty. I continue admiring the wood. This is amazing.

Xyle comes up the way and goes to one of the benches. He sets our food and drinks down before I hear his feet make its way towards me. I feel like I'm near an Angel.

His body heat doesn't allow me to be oblivious to the fact that he's standing right behind me. He slides his hands around my waist for a chaste hold and gently kisses the very top of my ear.

"I'm flattered you think this place is beautiful. Come. I want to show you something else" he whispers.

Something else? There's more? I turn to him and he rises, now standing up straight. He holds his hand out and I don't think twice before placing my hand inside. His skin feels so soft, but warmer than usual. I think he's sweating despite how delicious the wind feels as it breezes through. He gently tugs me toward the other side of the gazebo. I gasp, actually paying attention to what the square shaped outlines are boxing in.

Here lies a beloved mother and friend: Eleanor Irene Huxley

5 — 1 — 1977  →  3 — 12 — 09

My eyes widen as I trace along the name. His Mother. My body goes silent for a moment, not a single breath falling as I am in total awe. This is for her. All of this is for her. No wonder this place is so empty. That's why this place is so beautiful. A true Angel lies here. I blink, feeling an overwhelming and intense feeling of happiness and sorrow at the same time. He must feel so incredibly close to me to even consider bringing me here to meet his mother again. This is the most beautiful thing I've ever participated in.

"Mum, you've met this woman before, well she was a little girl when you last saw her. I wanted to bring her here with me as I spend time with you, I hope you don't mind. I'm sure Celeste is carrying a big heart as she stands before you, as I am too" Xyle says aloud.

He slides a hand across the middle of my back, making me veer my eyes up at him. His smile is full of life and hope as he looks down at me, mirroring the perfect expression.

"We can either eat here, or down in the field. I just like to talk to her and let her know that I'm still here" his voice is strained.

I can tell he doesn't want to cry in front of me, but my tears are already threatening to spill as well. I know if a single tear falls from my eyes, his will follow right after. I turn to look back at her resting place. "I want to talk to her... alone. I only need two minutes" I say.

He takes a small step closer, closing the space between us. His lips press onto my cheek, giving me the most gentle kiss I've ever received. "How about I go pick a few flowers for you?" He asks me.

My smile deepens. "Please" I whisper.

He pulls himself back and turns on his shoes. I turn my head around, watching his backside and that gorgeous, brown curly hair he has. He takes a step off of the gazebo and starts to walk the way we came from. I turn back to his mother and reach out to touch her.

"So you're the woman I have to thank for someone as perfect as him" I say lowly, tracing my finger across the date and small details in the writing. It feels warm here too. A type of warmth I've only ever felt from him. He truly is his mothers child.

"I want to say thank you. He just... is. He's perfect. He is so gentle with me. So understanding. So passionate. He truly is the best man I've ever dealt with. It frightens me to know that if it weren't for a certain someone, we would have never happened" I softly laugh.

I turn to gaze to the side of me. I want to be sure he's gone. He may still be lurking around. I don't see him, so I begin.

"He talks about you as much as he can. He tells me that you were his only parent, and I respect you so much for treating him as a boy should have been treated. In a way, I'm learning from you, the same way he's learned from you. I want to treat my children with as much love and respect he says you treated him with... by the way, we will have three little ones one day. I can see the progress he's making, and it's amazing to see that someone so damaged can have an attempt at redemption. He's progressing so quickly. Just a while ago I hated him, and now... I feel something different. Something totally different" I explain.

"You're the only person to ever show him love, and I really adore you for it. I don't remember much from when I was a child because we were rarely ever around your family, but I now have memories to put in place for you. I don't know what happened, but I hope you're at peace with it..." I stop when I see him out of the peripheral view of my eyes.

I quickly turn around and walk towards the top step. He's wearing a small smile, and he has flowers in his hand. "I wasn't gone too long, was I?" He asks.

I shake my head. "Just the right amount of time. I was able to say what I needed to say" I admit. When he reaches me, he leans down to kiss me before he's pulling back and smiling.

"I have five flowers" he states the obvious.

I nod. "You do. They're pretty. Thank you" I hold my hand out for them and he gives them. They're even prettier in person. I will keep these forever. I'll put them inside of a ziplock bag.

When I look at him, I see that he nervously swallows. "Do you see how many flowers I got you?" He asks, expecting me to notice something.

My eyebrows pull together as I look down at them. "There are five flowers" I state.

He nods. "Five flowers. You. Me. And those three little ones you talked about wanting. A flower for each member in our family, the family we will create in a few years".

I blink down at them, not understanding how I didn't notice it. "You're actually considering that we'd have a family of five? I mean, it's so early; our relationship" I say softly, licking my lips as I stare at them. Could today get any more perfect?

He nods, shrugging desperately. "I don't say it in terms that we should start preparing for kids now, but I'd like to build a family. I see that with you. Do you see that with me?" He asks.

I look back up at him. "Yes".

He exhales, letting out a breath through his smile. "Good. We can revisit this conversation in about... four to five years". As he finishes his sentence, I lean forward and wrap my arms around keep his neck, pressing my lips against his.

"In four to five years" I promise.

He holds me for a few moments, just gazing into my eyes. Eye contact doesn't make me shy away at this moment. We both pull back at the same time and turn to walk towards the bench. My stomach rumbles at the sight of the bags of food. I'm pretty hungry. We both take a seat and he pulls the food out for us. He surprises me when he takes a burger and sets it near where his mother rests.

"I still remember what you like on your burgers, Mum" he mumbles.

He stands up straight and comes back to me. I bite into my burger already, and pick a fry. "This is very sweet, Xyle. How often do you visit her?" I ask.

He takes his sandwich and bites into it. He chews a bit before answering. "I'd say about three to four times a month. I'm trying to come less. It was really bad at first. I drove here every day" he tells me.

I frown. His grief is so much. I extend my arm and place my hand on his cheek. He stops the movement of his mouth and looks up at me. "She's lucky to have a son like you. You're so amazing" I whisper.

He smiles and nods a bit. "I won't forget about her. I'll tell my children about her and show them pictures to keep her alive. She was taken too soon, she should be here with us now".

I agree. I pull my hand from his face and rest it on my lap. "I think it's the sweetest thing in the world to know that you're a mommy's boy" I tease and he chuckles.

"I won't deny it. I love her" he says. "Thank God I am. If I grew up to treat women the way I saw my mother get treated, you wouldn't have given me the chance of day. You probably would have your father come to kill me, or you'd kill me yourself".

His words make my heart ache. What is it that Caliver's done to his family? How did he treat Eleanor? Why did he treat her that way around his son. Why was he so careless? I frown deep as I think about the possibilities. Caliver seems like a strong man. Has he physically hurt his family? Oh no. I don't want to think of that. It makes my stomach turn. I gently place my burger into the wrapper and close my box of fries. I put it into the bag, moving frantically.

"You alright?" He asks me, his voice a big blur for a moment. I swallow as I draw my eyes up to see the concern in his eyes. I don't want to rotten his mind with what I'm thinking. I'd rather not open this box of things right now at his mothers beautiful grave sight. I'm sure whatever she went through was enough to last her a lifetime. If she wasn't at peace before, she needs to be at peace now. She deserves it. Her sweet soul deserves it.

I give Xyle a small smile as I roll the bag down. "My stomach is a bit upset. I think I'll be starting my menstruation soon" I lie. I know exactly when I'll start, and I'm not cramping just yet.

"Do you want to leave? We could stop to get pain pills and the snacks you like" he suggests, starting to wrap his own burger up.

I shake my head as I reach out to hold his wrists. "No, I want to stay here. Tell me about her, please" I ask softly.

I pull my hands away and he stops wrapping his burger up. "I remember how her voice sounded. It was always so fierce. She spoke with lean and confidence. I wish I could show you the memories in my head" he smiles.

"What else?".

He looks as if he's the happiest man in the world right now. He looks like someone who's been studying something for a very long time and is finally having the chance to talk about it. "She wore her hair curled all the time. She never wore lipstick, only lip balm. She had the prettiest teeth I've ever seen. It's weird, but they were so straight and perfect" he chuckles, seeming to remember it vividly. "She had the softest touch. When she would wake me for school, she'd put her hand across my cheek and wait for me to open my eyes so that she could tell me what we were having for breakfast".

My heart. It's why he snuggled into my hand that time.

"She liked to knit. She also made a few