Point of Retreat

you’s’
     
     
     
     
     
    I owe a lot to you, Will
     
    For making the sucks in my life a little less suckier
     
    And my sweet?
     
    My sweet is right now.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    I wonder if a person can cry too much? If so, I’m definitely reaching my quota this month. I stand up and make my way past Sherry and David and out into the aisle. When Caulder walks down the steps to the stage, I pick him up and give him the biggest damn hug I’ve ever given him.
     
    “I love you, Caulder.”
     
    ***
     
    We don’t stay for the awards. The kids are excited to be spending the evening with Sherry and David, so they were all in a hurry to leave. Kiersten and Caulder didn’t seem to care who won, which made me a little proud. After all, I’ve been drilling Allan Wolf’s quote into Kiersten’s head every time I give her advice about poetry. “ The points are not the point; the point is poetry .”
     
    After David and Sherry drive away with the boys, Lake and I walk to the car and I open the door for her.
     
    “Where are we eating? I’m hungry,” she says.
     
    I don’t answer her. I shut her door and walk around to the driver’s side. I reach into the backseat and grab two sacks out of the floorboard and hand one to her. “We don’t have time to stop and eat. I made us grilled cheese.”
     
    She grins when she opens her sack and pulls out her sandwich and soda. I can tell by the look on her face that she remembers. I was hoping she would remember.
     
    “We have a pretty long drive,” I say. “I know a game we can play, it’s called ‘would you rather.’ Have you ever played it before?”
     
    She smiles at me and nods. “Just once, with this really hot guy. But it was a long time ago. Maybe you should go first to refresh my memory.”
     
    “Okay. But first, there’s something I need to do.” I open my console and pull out the blindfold. “Our destination is sort of a surprise, so I need you to put this on.”
     
    “You’re blindfolding me? Seriously?” She rolls her eyes and leans forward.
     
    I wrap it around her head and adjust it over her eyes. “There. Don’t peek.” I put the car in drive and pull out of the parking lot, then ask the first question. “Okay. Would you rather I looked like Hugh Jackman or George Clooney?”
     
    “Johnny Depp,” she says.
     
    She answers a little too fast for my comfort. “What the hell, Lake? You’re supposed to say Will! You’re supposed to say you want me to look like me!”
     
    “But you weren’t one of the options,” she says.
     
    “Neither was Johnny Depp!”
     
    She laughs. “My turn. Would you rather have constant, uncontrollable belching or would you rather have to bark every time you heard the word the ?”
     
    “Bark as in like a dog?”
     
    “Yeah.”
     
    “Uncontrollable belching,” I say.
     
    “Oh gross." She wrinkles up her nose. "I could live with your barking, but I don’t know about the constant belching.”
     
    “Well in that case, I change my answer. My turn again. Would you rather be abducted by aliens or have to go on tour with Nickelback?”
     
    “I’d rather be abducted by The Avett Brothers.”
     
    “Wasn't an option."
     
    She laughs. “Fine, aliens. Would you rather be an old, rich man with only one year left to live? Or a young, poor, sad man with fifty years left to live?”
     
    “I’d rather be Johnny Depp.”
     
    She laughs. “You suck at this,” she teases.
     
    I reach over and interlock fingers with her. She’s leaning back into the seat laughing without a clue in the world where we’re headed. She’s about to be pissed…but hopefully only for a little while. I drive around a bit longer while we continue our game. I could honestly play this game all night with her, but I don’t. We eventually pull up to our destination and I hop out of the car. I open her door and help her stand up.
     
    “Hold my hands. I’ll lead.”
     
    “You're making me nervous, Will. Why do you always have to be so secretive when it comes to our dates?”
     
    “I’m not secretive, I just love surprising you. A little bit further and I’ll let you take off your blindfold.” We walk inside and I position her exactly where I want her. I can’t help but smile, knowing how she's about to react once I take off her blindfold. “I’m about to take it off, but before I do…just remember how much you love me, okay?”
     
    “I can’t make any promises,” she says.
     
    I reach