297: BEAR PROBLEMS LUKE’S POV The first light of dawn began to paint the sky with soft pastel hues, I gently shook Ariel awake. “Hey, love, wake up,” I whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Ariel stirred, blinking sleepily as she slowly registered her surroundings. “What’s going on?” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep. “Come on, I have a surprise for you,” I said, my excitement bubbling beneath the surface. With a curious glance, Ariel allowed me to help her up from the cozy nest of blankets we had made on the floor. I led her outside, where the crisp morning air greeted us with its invigorating chill. The sky was a canvas of soft purples and pinks, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of dew–kissed grass. “Where are we going?” Ariel asked, her curiosity piqued. “You’ll see,” I replied with a grin, taking her hand in mine as we made our way through the quiet streets, leaving the hospital’s location. And we got into my car, I drove to somewhere different. Earlier this morning, she was filled with fear, so I wanted to give her a delightful face at least, before carrying out anything else today. So, arriving at the spot, I got out of my car and went to help Ariel walk out as well. She smiled at me, while I held her hand, feeling her soft and wonderful fingers. We were at a small riverside area. We walked in comfortable silence, the only sound accompanying us being the soft crunch of gravel beneath our feet. As we approached the edge of the area, the sound of rushing water filled the air, growing louder with each step we took. Finally, we arrived at our destination: a secluded spot overlooking the great river. The water stretched out before us, its surface shimmering in the early morning light. The riverbanks were lined with tall trees, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. “Oh, Luke, it’s beautiful,” Ariel breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. I smiled, squeezing her hand affectionately. “I thought you might like it,” I said, leading her to a spot where we could sit and watch the river together. 297: BEAR PROBLEMS LUKE’S POV The first light of dawn began to paint the sky with soft pastel hues, I gently shook Ariel I awake. “Hey, love, wake up,” I whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. Ariel stirred, blinking sleepily as she slowly registered her surroundings. “What’s going on?” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep. “Come on, I have a surprise for you,” I said, my excitement bubbling beneath the surface. With a curious glance, Ariel allowed me to help her up from the cozy nest of blankets we had made on the floor. I led her outside, where the crisp morning air greeted us with its invigorating chill. The sky was a canvas of soft purples and pinks, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of dew–kissed grass “Where are we going?” Ariel asked, her curiosity piqued. “You’ll see,” I replied with a grin, taking her hand in mine as we made our way through the quiet streets, leaving the hospital’s location. And we got into my car, I drove to somewhere different. Earlier this morning, she was filled with fear, so I wanted to give her a delightful face at least, before carrying out anything else today. So, arriving at the spot, I got out of my car and went to help Ariel walk out as well. She smiled at me, while I held her hand, feeling her soft and wonderful fingers. We were at a small riverside area. We walked in comfortable silence, the only sound accompanying us being the soft crunch of gravel beneath our feet. As we approached the edge of the area, the sound of rushing. water filled the air, growing louder with each step we took.. Finally, we arrived at our destination: a secluded spot overlooking the great river. The water stretched out before us, its surface shimmering in the early morning light. The riverbanks were lined with tall trees, their leaves rustling gently in the breeze. “Oh, Luke, it’s beautiful,” Ariel breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. I smiled, squeezing her hand affectionately. “I thought you might like it,” I said, leading her. to a spot where we could sit and watch the river together. BEAR PROBLEM We settled down on a patch of soft grass, wrapping our arms around each other as we gazed out at the tranquil scene before us. The river flowed steadily onward, its waters reflecting the colors of the dawn sky. For a while, we simply sat in silence, content to be in each other’s company as we watched the world awaken around us. The sun rose higher in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over everything it touched. “Thank you so much, Luke. It’s really great to have you by my side,” Ariel said softly, resting her head against my shoulder. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, feeling a surge of love and gratitude wash over me. I feel the same way,” I whispered, tightening my hold on her. The both of us sat there, lost in our own little world, the worries and stresses of everyday life seemed to melt away. All that mattered was the here and now, the two of us together, sharing this quiet moment of connection. Eventually, the sun climbed higher in the sky, and the world around us began to stir with the hustle and bustle of another day. Reluctantly, we rose to our feet, knowing that we couldn’t stay in our peaceful sanctuary forever. “Hey, let’s take a picture,” I said, pulling out my phone. Ariel smiled and nodded, posing next to me as I snapped a quick photo. We both laughed at how silly we looked, and I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss her again. But before our lips could touch, we heard a loud growling sound coming from behind us. We froze, turning around to see a bear emerging from the trees. “Oh no,” Ariel whispered, her eyes wide with fear. “What the heck!” “Don’t worry, love. We’ll just hide behind these bushes until it goes away,” I reassured her, trying to remain calm. Ariel nodded, but her grip on my hand tightened. As we crouched down behind the bushes, I had to realize how her whole body was trembling. “It’s okay, Ariel. We’ll be fine,” I whispered, trying to soothe her. “I–I know. I’m not scared,” she said, her voice shaking. I chuckled softly, “Really? Because it sounds like you’re pretty scared to me.” She gave me a skeptical look, but I could see the fear in her eyes. I wanted to kiss away all her wonies, but we had to stay quiet “I’m not scared, alright? She disagreed “Are you sure about that? I mean, we got a bear moving around here 1 smirked, teasing her “Just keep quiet, will you? She told me in a whisper “Okay, anything you say ” “Luke, I’m serious. Don’t say anything if you don’t want us to be breakfast for some goddamn bear who just popped out of nowhere.” The bear sniffed around the area, and I could feel Ariel’s grip on my hand getting tighter. 1 wanted to take her hand off my mouth, but she shook her head, silently telling me not to Eventually, the bear walked away, Ariel and I burst into relieved laughter. We were still hidden behind the bushes, but the danger had passed. “Thank God that’s over,” Ariel spoke softly, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Who knows what would have happened if that bear had seen us?” I chuckled, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “Well, I couldn’t let anything happen to you,” I replied with a smile. Ariel blushed, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. “Thank you, Luke. You always know how to make me feel safe,” she whispered, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Well, you were the one who actually kept me safe,” I responded in a playful tone, and she playfully hit my arm. I chuckled, then I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ll always be here to protect you,” I murmured against her lips. We stayed there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms, enjoying the warmth and comfort of our love. But eventually, we knew we had to leave our hiding spot and head back to the car. As we walked back, hand in hand, Ariel turned to me with a serious expression. “Luke, I just for want to say thank you for everything. For this morning, for always being there for me, making me feel loved and cherished,” she said, her voice filled with sincerity. I smiled, squeezing her hand. “I love you, Ariel. And I’ll do anything for you,” I replied, my heart overflowing with love for this amazing woman. BLAR PROBLEMS We reached the car and I opened the door for Ariel, helping her in before getting in myself. As I started the car, Ariel turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “So, Luke, do you think we could come back here sometime? Maybe without any unexpected bear encounters?” she asked with a playful grin. I laughed, feeling the weight of the world lift from my shoulders. “Of course, love. Anytime you want,” I replied. “Just don’t bring honey along.”
