Page 116 of Under the Weatherman
12. Visit the McCormick observatory
13. Visit the Air and Space museum in D.C.
14. Tour the university buildings where you took classes
15. Do an escape room
16. Spend an evening curled up with a good book
17. Share your hopes and dreams with someone
18. Sleep extra late
19. Bake and ice sugar cookies
20. Take a risk
Chapter Forty
Evan
“Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.”
—Othello
Because our work schedules didn’t align at all, we packed every weekend in December with as many activities as we could. Elizabeth found clever ways we could combine or stack some things, and she’d been smart enough to add in relationship-building tasks that we could do any time.
In fact, we knocked off the honest conversation on day one—and every day thereafter.
In the first week, I requested a personal day on Friday night since the observatory was only open to the public then, and we joined with a small group to geek out about astronomy. I’d been wanting to visit, but I’d needed a little nudge to take the time off. As much as I’d been awed looking up through the telescope, my mind couldn’t even handle the earthly body of Elizabeth leaning back against me and letting me wrap my arms around her. It was by far the best date I’d ever had.
The following morning, we strolled through the university, visiting the classrooms where I’d taken physics and calculus, and Elizabeth showed me where she’d studied Chaucer and Romantic poetry. That night, with the help of one of the staff, we bested an escape room, laughing until we were crying at how bad we were at solving the clues.
Then on Sunday afternoon, we sat side by side at the Writer House, listening in as participants read snippets of their writing, braving feedback from the group. Elizabeth had been anxious until I invited myself along and promised to read something I’d written.
When it came time, I produced a page of a fantasy novel I had no intention of actually finishing, but I’d had fun creating a fake opening. Even knowing it wasn’t good, I braced for the reaction from the others, expecting at most a pat on the head and an acknowledgment that I’d indeed written a series of words. But they were kind and encouraged me to keep working on it. I would not. Writing was awful.
Elizabeth took my hand, and I squeezed it tight, letting her know I was with her, sending her courage. I thought she’d chicken out, but she surprised me by pulling out her phone and standing to read aloud from the novel she’d been working on. She halted to glance at me after the first few sentences, but she gained confidence and read to the end of the chapter.
And I was mesmerized. I’d known she’d be talented, but she’d made what I’d written sound like a children’s book.
When she finished and sat, her mouth drew into a single line, like she was bracing for the fallout.
Aidan said, “Now that is what I’m talking about when I say you need to ground your characters and make the reader care about them if you want the inciting event to make an impact. This is truly excellent, Elizabeth.”
The rest of the group added kudos, and I couldn’t help think that this was probably the best dateshe’dever been on. And with that we knocked off the scary point number nine. “I hope you’ll let me read the rest,” I told her as we left.
To my extreme shock, she said, “I will.”
During the week, when I had a moment free, I researched jobs in meteorology that weren’t at a TV station, wishing I’d turn up something close. My entire spine tingled when I landed on an opening with the national weather service. I read through the requirements, growing more excited about the prospect. I knew I’d qualify, but there was one drawback: it was across the country, in Colorado. I’d just signed a lease on an expensive rental, but I could afford to break it. That wasn’t what held me in Charlottesville.
If I was being honest, Elizabeth was tugging me like the moon on the tides, and I found myself factoring her into the equation.
The job was a reach in any case; those serious scientists probably looked down on TV weathermen—like everybody else. Still, I bookmarked it.
Saturday afternoon, I picked Elizabeth up for the drive to Staunton. We checked into the B&B, got gussied up for dinner at a fancy restaurant, then headed over to the Shakespeare theater forMuch Ado About Nothing.Elizabeth laid her head on my shoulder, and I took that as permission to drape my arm behind her and hold her. She shook with laughter at the lines in the play, which I had no doubt she had memorized, and I was proud of myself for making her happy like this.
As we walked back to the inn, hand in hand, she said, “You really knocked this one out of the park.”
