Natalia nodded and closed her eyes.
They stayed at the hilltop and had waited for a long while.
The meteor still did not appear.
Natalia lied on Archie's lap and she was covered by his coat. She started to feel sleepy.
The surrounding temperature dropped when the night got darker. Natalia still felt a little cold although she was covered by the coat. She moved closer to Archie in a daze for more warmth.
Archie looked down and fixed his eyes at her who was in his arms. He caressed her locks of hair with his fingers and looked sympathetic.
They had no idea how long had passed, and the sky started to turn bright.
Dawn broke and the first sunlight shone on the tranquil land. Natalia was patted softly and woken up.
She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Archie's beautiful, chiseled face. His handsome face was shrouded by vague halo and he looked divine.
She was dumbfounded by the beauty in front of her. She then narrowed her eyes with joy, extended her hand and pinched his cheek. "It feels too wonderful to wake up in such a handsome man's arms every day."
Archie did not stop her and he only spoke after she had done pinching, "The sky's gone bright. Let's go."
Natalia sat up and looked around. As expected, everyone was packing their things with a disappointed look, preparing to leave. She then scratched her scalp.
"What about the meteor? Was there any meteor last night?"
"No." Archie stood up, extended his hand and held her up. "Maybe the news had made some mistakes."
"Aw..."
A disappointed look flashed across Natalia's face, she then nearly fell due to the extreme soreness of her legs.
Archie was quick enough to hold her. He asked, "Have your legs gone numb?"
"Yeah." Natalia nodded. She stooped and hit her numb and sour legs.
Archie's eyes went somber and he stopped her. After putting on his coat, he took a step forward and squatted before her.
"Get up."
Natalia was startled.
She hesitated when she saw his broad shoulders. "The mountain road is steep. I can walk on my own. I'll be fine after resting for a while."
"Get, up!" Archie repeated.
Natalia bit her lower lip and could only climb to his back gently. Archie carried her up and they walked down the hill together.
The mountain road was winding all the way down, and the dew last night had not dissipated. A layer of mist was lingering among the mountains. They were instantly surrounded by coldness the moment the wet air stimulated their skin as they walked in the mountains.
Natalia waved the branches that extended from both sides of the mountain road away and asked, "Have you not slept the whole night yesterday?"
"Yeah."
"Then you must be very tired? Why don't you put me down and I'll walk on my own? It'll be fine if we walk slower."
Archie did not do what she asked and he continued walking forward. He rumbled, "I'm not tired."
Afraid that she did not believe him, he paused and added, "I used to burn midnight oil when I'm busy with work back then, I've gone used to it."
Seeing how he insisted on carrying her, Natalia did not force him anymore. She lied on his back obediently and allowed the sense of happiness to fill her heart.
"Archie, if you get old in the future and can't walk anymore, I could carry you as well. You can go anywhere you want."
Archie finally could not hold back his laughter when he heard her innocent words. He said blandly, "Could you possibly carry me?"
"Of course. I might look tiny, my strength is huge."
"Alright, I'll let you carry me in the future."
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Wife Is So Sweet (Natalia Dawson)