Lover of the Light One-Shot

Tightning my grip on her hand, I continued to pull Hayley through the maze of trees and brush. Her breathing was light while mine was loud. Her palm began to sweat slightly in my own as we treked across the still damp ground as quickly as we could. Her eyes were glazed over and seemed to flit around the crowded woods. Hayley's lips were pursed in a straight line, her freckles linging her nose with a soft brown. In that moment, her wedding ring against my warm skin felt cold yet comforting, the first time that in a while that I felt this way.

"Where are we going Josh?" Hayley asked, voice echoing across the woods with a soft chime. A small smile seemed to form acros her lips while her eyes remained unfocused and distant.

"Almost there, I promise." I reassured, asking her to kiindly lift her left leg higher in order to avoid a protruding stick from the bush to our left.

"Don't get us lost Joshy." Hayley teased, her laugh warming both my cheeks and my heart at the simple sound that I had missed terribly over the past few months.

"Just beyond the break here." I whispered, knowing that she would be able to pick up my voice easily in the midst of the trees and brush. 

I head a silent sigh escaped from Hayley before we were finally past the woods and standing towards the top of a small hill overlooking a field and a lake. Helping Hayley sit down, I joined her on the slightly damp grass before letting out a small sigh of my own. Hayley's eyes were trained forward, hands folded delicately in her lap as she patiently waited for further instruction.

"Hayles, we're sitting on top of a small hild overlooking a small field and a lake." I whispered, brushing her red hair out of her eyes with a small smile.

"It smells like rain." Hayley commented, running her fingers through the dew ridden grass below us.

"It rained last night." I clarified, twisting the gold band around my finger a few times. "I brought you out here to see the sun rise Hayles."

"You did?" Hayley asked, voice growing weak as I watched her try to fight back the tears.

"You always told me you wanted to see one." I said, trying to smile but only to have it fall and to have my teeth dig into my bottom lip.

"I did, didn't I?" Hayey whispered, turning to face me but only to have her eyes look slightly to the left instead of directly on me.

"I didn't want to break my promise." 

Hayley nodded at my words before turning her attenion back ahead. I watched in sorrow as her lower lip began to tremble slighty and her emerald eyes that began to collect tears. Her pale hand reached up to wipe a few stray ones away before searching in the grass for my own. Lacing my fingers through hers, I brought Hayley's hand up to my lips and placed a soft kiss against the skin on the back of her hand.

"I wish I could see the light Josh." Hayley whispered, a single tear streaming down her face as the sun began to rise.

"You can Hayles." I encouraged, biting back tears of my own as I kissed her hand once more.

"How?"

"Imagine the sun creeping up over the hills, the gold breaking through the pale blue of the morning sky." I whispered, painting a picture for Hayley to see. "The sun is just beging to rise over the field and the lake, creating a gold glow over the grass and water."

"I can feel the warmth Josh." Hayley smiled, turning to look at me with tear filled, glazed over green eyes. "I can feel the warmth."

"That's the light Hayles." I smiled, letting a tear of my own stream down my cheek.

"I can feel the warmth of the light." Hayley laughed, lifting our intwined hands in the air in triumph. 

"I told you that I would take you to see a sunrise." I hummed, wrapping an arm around Hayley's shoulders and pulling her into my chest.

"Can we come every morning?" Hayley whispered, basking in the warmth that began to spread across her skin.

"I promise." I vowed, combing my fingers through her hair softly as a smile finally crept across the lips since the accident a few months ago. "I promise."

But love the one you hold

And I'll be your goal

To have and to hold

A lover of the light