"Just long enough to see you sit on the lid to get it to close." She shook her head in disbelief. "I hope that is not just for lunch." She teased the small woman, knowing her ravenous appetite.


"Nope, it’s our food for the weekend, two lunches, one dinner and one breakfast." She fastened the latch on the cooler to keep it closed.


"I take it we are spending the weekend somewhere that food is not easily obtained," she questioned.


The blonde woman lifted her head from her task and winked at her friend. "You’re just going to have to come along for the ride to find out, now aren’t you?" A sly smile shone across her face. She stepped back and looked at the cooler. "Hey, Gar…do you think we could take your Blazer? I don’t think this is going to fit in my car."


"Sure, but you are going to direct me, aren’t you?" She teased. "Do I need to take anything with me? Clothes, toiletries, anything in particular?"


Danni stood beaming, "Nope, already taken care of. I hope you don’t mind, but I packed your stuff yesterday when you were at work."


One dark eyebrow of the raven-haired woman rose at this tidbit of information. "So let me get this straight. I’m driving my Blazer to some place I don’t know, taking enough food to feed a small army, wearing outfits that you have chosen for me, leaving myself at your mercy for an entertaining weekend, and that’s suppose to help me to relax. Right?"


Nodding her head up and down emphatically, "Yep, you got it."


Garrett shrugged her shoulders. Putting her complete trust in the younger woman, she stated, "Sounds like a plan to me."


******************


Garrett felt like she was on shore leave, setting her sights for new and foreign lands as she made her way up the twisted road. The scenery was beautiful and intrigued her just as much as any port that she had seen during her time in the Navy. The only thing that was different was that, for the first time in her adult life, she was sharing the ride and looking forward to sharing the entire weekend of living and laughing with someone that she could call "friend." It was funny now, but the word no longer brought a dreaded fear to her. Instead, it felt like a breath of fresh air that had seeped into her world.


Stealing glances as she drove, she saw glimpses of the awed expression on her companion’s face as each turn in the road opened up another new world of color and whimsical fantasy in the showcase that Mother Nature was presenting to their very eyes.


Even though the young woman had planned out the course of travel the beautiful colors and her good fortune to pick the peak time for viewing, the seasonal changing of the foliage stunned her. Danni silently thanked the gods who were watching over her and her ‘Amazon,’ for not only giving them this beautiful and wondrous day to enjoy, but for allowing their friendship to weather the storm that had swept over them in such a fury.


The petite nurse had opened her heart to many of the doctors as they drifted through her work area during the course of their duties as interns, residents, and or fellows, but none had ever touched her in such a way as this one in particular. It was as if she had some hidden bond with the tall surgeon, tying the two together.


"So, we almost there?"


The question brought her back from her revelry. She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand, her eyes going over the cryptic notes that were scribbled on it. "Yep," she agreed, "just one more turn and we should be there."


"Is that turn in this state or the next?" Garrett teased her companion.


"Hey, you were the one that wanted to be far away from any beeper or paging system. I can’t help it if this was how far we had to go to get out of the hospital’s range." The blonde’s retort was filled with easy flowing laughter. "I think that’s it! Up there on the left, where the sign is." Her attention was directed from the road, as she leaned forward again, checking the note. The Blazer moved steadily forward as the seconds clicked by, each one bringing them closer to their destination. With an assured smile on her face, Danni pointed to the small dirt road just passed the sign saying, "Turn here."


The surgeon studied the rutted, dirt path that her friend had been calling a road, as she stopped before crossing the two lane black top to turn onto it. "Hmmm…I can see why taking my SUV made good sense. Hang on, it looks like it maybe a little bumpy."


The half-mile trek on the trail had been well worth it. There, ahead of them, in an area of cleared out trees, was a small cabin nestled into the midst of the forest. Pulling up to the structure, Danni was eager to get out, undoing her seatbelt before the vehicle had come to a complete stop. Her eyes flashed with the light of recognition, as she surveyed her surroundings. "It hasn’t changed one bit. It’s just like I remembered it," she declared. She opened the passenger door and sprang from the seat. She ran up to the porch steps and turned around with both her arms outstretched.


The sight of the young woman, her blonde hair being tussled by the breeze and an incredible smile showing from her radiant face, made the surgeon think she was intruding upon some long-lost, private memory. The surgeon’s keen eyesight followed the dancing figure as it glided from one point to the next, spinning and laughing until she finally stood very still and hugged herself, trying to hold on to those things she had just experienced in her mind.


The small woman looked up into the distant calming azure pools, a soft shade of crimson now spreading over her skin, as she realized she was being watched. It was as though she was a young girl caught playing at make-believe, but this time it was different. This time it was for real and she had the friend with her that her heart had always longed for, who would be the one that touched her very soul to its hidden depths. Danni could not help but be a little embarrassed at her unbridled actions pouring forth from her childhood, manifesting now in front of her friend.


She slowed her pace to a standstill and gazed back at the tall woman emerging from the opened driver’s door of the vehicle. The long, raven locks moving gently with the forest’s natural air current, beckoning to them as she moved away from the vehicle and closer to Danni. The small woman stood mesmerized as she watched Garrett come to within just a few feet of her. Reaching out to her friend, she touched her arm, just ever so lightly to make sure that this was not just another of her dreams. Wrinkling her nose, she cocked her head to one side and spoke softly. "I guess you think that I’m silly."


"Nope," the word was deliberately drawn out. "I think you look cute." She looked around the clearing and then back to her friend. "You must have had some wonderful times here in the past to feel this way."


The blonde was speechless at the surgeon’s words, nodding in agreement. Closing her eyes, she willed her emotions to yield once again to her control.


A warm smile tugged at her lips as she began to speak. "I used to spend time here with my grandfather when I was growing up. My brother and sister never really enjoyed it like I did." A single tear rolled down her check as she remembered. "I haven’t been up here since I was sixteen, right before he died." She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "By the gods, I don’t know whether I missed him or this place more," she confided.


The older woman was curious about what had kept her friend from coming back sooner than now. "So why did you wait so long to come back?"


Reflecting inwardly, she sighed. "I guess I just got too busy with school, friends, and all the stuff that goes along with becoming an adult. Besides, my uncle inherited it but never spent more than a week or two here each year." She shrugged her shoulders, "No one to enjoy it with mostly. It was never one of the "in" places to go when I was a teenager. You’d say Sandy Lake to someone and they would look at you like you were from Mars." She was quiet for a moment before continuing. "There is something about the beauty of nature that you just can’t enjoy unless you share it with someone."


"But surely you had friends that you could bring…"


"I’m friendly, Garrett, but that doesn’t always mean that I had friends to share quiet moments with, or who would understand and appreciate the solitude of the forest."


Her words seemed profound to the surgeon’s ears. She looked at her companion, as if seeing her for the first time in this new light. Here, in front of her, was not the social butterfly one thought that she was originally, but rather the lone pine tree that stood ever-vigilant against the changing weather patterns, offering shelter to all who sought it. A sense of pride came over the woman, realizing that she was thought of as someone special and deserving to share in the beauty of this place. It felt good to be thought of in that way and she let her small friend know it by the lopsided grin stretched across her face. She choked on the words at first, but finally got them out. "Thanks for thinking enough of me to share this with you."


Danni smiled back at her, too scared to let her know what she was thinking.


****************


The remainder of the day, after unpacking the supplies, was spent on exploring the area and enjoying the natural beauty of the land. The two grown women frolicked and played like children in the piles of fallen leaves that had accumulated on the ground, first gathering them and then taking turns jumping into them. Anyone watching would not have considered them capable of holding the highly disciplined and demanding careers that they had. The sounds of laughter and giggling were like music to their ears, as each delighted in the closeness of this budding friendship.


With the light of day drawing to a close, thoughts of food and a warm fire soon came to their minds. Each one chipped in to the common goal. Garrett stacked the small branches and kindling, starting a fire in the fireplace, as Danni prepared their food for dinner. By the time they were done eating, darkness had fallen outside making the glowing embers of the fire even more inviting. They sporadically conversed about the day’s events; their thoughts often left long moments of comfortable silence as they sat in front of the fireplace, soothed by its warmth and their full bellies.


The fresh country air had taken its toll, as Danni began to find it hard to keep her drooping eyelids from closing almost completely. Shaking her head to try to fight off the ensuing sleep, the blonde yawned as she slowly made motions of getting up from her chair. "I guess I’m more tired than I thought." She stretched and yawned again. "I better turn in before you have to carry me to bed," she teased innocently.


The dark-haired woman looked into the fire studying it. "Hmmm…sounds like a plan to me." She smiled at the young woman. "Maybe I should bank up the fire so it will last ‘til the morning."


Danni nodded, making her way over to the beds. "Does it matter to you," she pointed to the two bunk beds against the wall, "upper or lower?"


"You take what you want," she chuckled, "I’ll sleep in whatever is left empty."


The small woman grabbed her nightclothes out of her bag and headed for the bathroom to change. Stopping at the door she looked over to Garrett who was strategically placing more logs on the fire. "Hey, Gar, I couldn’t find your pajamas when I looked for them yesterday, so I packed a pair of sweats for you to sleep in. I hope that’s okay?"


She held onto the log she was about to place and began chuckling, "Yeah, that’s okay." She watched the perplexed look on the blonde’s face.


"Where do you keep them anyway?" She shyly asked, then offered, "for future reference, I mean."


"Ahh…Danni, I don’t really have pajamas per say, that’s why you couldn’t find any."


"Oh! A boxer and T-shirt kind of girl, eh?"


A lone eyebrow arched as she answered with all sincerity. "Not really, I sleep in the buff when I’m not on call."


Mouthing the word ‘Oh!’ she went into the bathroom with visions of a tall, raven-haired, stalwart, unencumbered body being carefully caressed between the sheets on the bed. She closed the door and fell back into it. She fanned herself with her hand in an attempt to cool her raging thoughts. "That was more than I needed to know," she said under her breath as she contemplated taking a cold shower.