Camp Mansfield - Chapter Nine

"What dd you think of Tom?" asks Ted wondering what Faith's opinion of his brother might be in his adulthood "Has he changed much since you remember him from years ago."

"Yes, it's been a long time ago.  He's probably changed quite a bit" suggests Faith wishing that he turned into a kinder and less arrogant man from his childhood but not wanting to point out her opinion "He's interesting."

"Interesting is a good description, but what does it really mean?" curiously asks Ted wanting to know how Faith feels about him.

"Tom always had his own set of friends he hung out with, it was very exclusive of the others.  But he was popular with everyone.  I think they were more in awe of him than an actual friend to him though. Tom seemed to be able to charm his way to get by with anything even if he was outright breaking the rules" accurately states Faith not surely how upfront she should be about how she felt about him.

"Did you ever have a crush on him?" anxiously asks Ted worried that every girl he liked also carried a torch for his older brother as well.

"No, are you kidding?" a little too bluntly expresses Faith remember Tom "He was a little too sure of himself for my tastes and he wasn't particularly sensitive to others.  He sometimes seemed oblivious to how his behavior hurt some of those around him, who he really had the power to protect but did nothing about it."

Ted raises his eyebrows and nods his head without a response for a moment reflecting on her comment.  "Did you know that he was interested in you at one point?"

"What? That's ridiculous.  I don't think so" remarks Faith appalled that Tom would ever think she would consider him "Tom always had a bunch of silly girls hanging around him to feel that need."

"No, I'm serious.  He asked about you a lot.  He always had a girlfriend.  But I think he still liked you because he couldn't figure you out or make you like him" genuinely replies Ted even though the thought of Faith and his brother together upset him then and now.

"The only reason he would like me is because I didn't like him. We didn't have anything in common with each other" stunned acknowledges Faith "I wouldn't have dated him anyway if I had known.  I was interested in someone else."

"Who was that?" curiously asks Ted not sure that he wants to hear that there was another guy in her life even as a teen.

"It's my secret" blushing replies Faith not wanting to expose the fact that he, himself, was her crush.

"I'm glad you weren't interested in Tom.  But this guy had to be not a great guy if he didn't act on you being interested in him" disturbed states Ted and adds " You deserved someone who would have noticed how wonderful you are."

"One day maybe" wishfully replies Faith hoping that he will notice who is sitting on the bench in the baseball field next to him right now.  "What about you?  Who did you like?"

"I'll never tell" playfully smiles Ted nudging her in the shoulder with his own "It's my secret."

"That's not fair.  We discussed Tom.  I always thought Mary Crawford was interested in you" thoughtfully replies Faith dreading that Mary will soon be around them again.

"Mary was okay.  But I think all the guys had crushes on her at one point or another.  It was more of my mother's idea rather than my own" Ted explains "Her uncle is a Commissioner and I think my mother thought  that it would be helpful in their position with all the politics in the Army as you know".

"Did you ever hear from her after camp when we were teens?" asks Faith not entirely sure what has happened in Ted's life after they lost contact for awhile.

"Yes, she dated Tom for awhile in college until he cheated on her.  She was in a lot of my classes so I often saw her.  We had the same group of friends so we often went places together.  She dated a lot of my friends, but the relationships didn't seem to last very long" explains Ted "I was too busy studying to care much who she was with at one point or another, it seemed to change rather frequently."

"What about you?  Have you been dating anyone these last few years?" nervously asks Ted wondering if there might have been a few serious boyfriends along the way.

"You know, it's camp.  I took classes as I could while working full time and eventually graduated.  I met a few vendors, contractors, and staff that came and went" offers Faith but being fully honest adds " I dated a contractor for awhile who was very nice but it just didn't work out.  He's married to someone else now and seems very happy with his own family."

"Oh.  Did you love him?" impulsively asks Ted before realizing what he asked  but wanting an answer anyway.

"Ummm ... not sure.  I think we were really great friends.  I even thought about what it would like to be married to him.  But loving him deeply without reservation ... no, not like that at all" reflects Faith remembering how sorry and sad she was when they broke up but having realized later that it had been a good thing.  "What about you?"

"Up until now, I haven't found the woman who I'm willing to give up my independence for.  Dating is one thing, but marriage for a lifetime is quite another" resolvedly replies Ted having repeated the statement many times in the past to his friends and family. But as the words are spoken this time, they no longer have the same ring of truth to his ears.  feeling unsettled by them  quietly adds, "i could one day though."

"This is such a beautiful day.  I could stay out here all day!" states Faith leaning her head back and smiling up towards the sun.

"I think it is quite nice too.  I might join you.  However, are you ready to meet my brother again?  I told my mom that you were coming for dinner at 6 pm, even though I haven't asked you yet.  Are you free?" asks Ted feeling a bit sheepish that he assumed she would be available without asking her earlier.

"Let me check" pausing for a moment without saying anything, Faith quietly waits and then smiles teasing  him "Yes, I am free.  Dinner sounds great!  I just want to run home for a few minutes to change my clothes after being in the sun all day and I'll meet you at your house afterwards."

At home, Faith looks through her closet and finally chooses an periwinkle vintage dress with a v-neckline and tiny buttons down the front with matching flats to wear.  It looks elegant on her in its simplicity.  She pulls her hair back into a loose bun with some tresses accidently falling from place but with an air of country beauty.   Choosing her favorite perfume, she dreams of the evening to come.

On reaching the house, the door is answered by a man who has the same features as Ted but slightly taller and with a more distinguished face. Tom  smiles as he greets her, "It's been forever, Faithless!  Ted didn't tell me how beautiful you are!" Giving her a tight hug and kissing her on the cheek, before she can even respond.  She can clearly see Ted standing directly behind Tom glaring at him.

"That's enough.  You need to let Faith breathe!" commands Ted taking his hands and separating the two of them "Faith hasn't seen you in a long time.  How do you know she even remembers you?"

Noticing that Ted sounds slightly jealous, Faith blushes and smiles at Ted.  "It's okay.  I remember Tom."

"Faith is sitting by me tonight.  We have a lot to catch up on.  It's been years" orders Tom guiding her into the dining room with the back of his hand. 

"I already set the table for Faith to sit next to me" sharply replies Ted not liking that his older brother appears to be taking over as he always did when they were kids.

"Let Faith sit next to Tom" advises Mrs. Bartram wanting to separate Ted and Faith for a while knowing that Tom is a bit of a player so nothing serious could come of it "They haven't seen each other in a long time.  You can still talk to her. You're sitting at the very same table.  Logan is here to, you can talk to him as well."

Seeing that Tom is already pulling out the chair for where Faith will sit, Ted reluctantly finds his place diagonally across the table from her.  Logan sits down next to him with his parents at opposite ends of the table.  They pray for dinner like a family and everyone enjoys that delicious meal that Mr. Bartram has made for this special occasion.

"So Faith, what have I missed these last few years without you?" teases Tom while winking at her with a friendly smile and turn of the head.

"Just living and learning at the camp.  Every day is something different and a new experience" shares Faith realizing that there is more truth to that statement than whimsy.

"What kind of things?" asks Tom wanting to know more about her life.

"Oh for instance this past week, we had snake bites, a tire fall off a wagon full of campers while doing a longhorn feeding, the pump breaking on the pool, the waste water overflowing, a friendly bear having a meal in one of the trash cans, that sort of thing" offers Faith running down the list of current adventures as she likes to positively refer  to issues that occur on a daily basis.

"Sounds entertaining or at least not a typical day like mine at the office" offers Tom smiling at her again "I think camp would be way more interesting than an office building."

"It can be.  How is your business going?" asks Faith wondering if things are improving for him.

"It is what it is.  I've got my hands into some new cutting edge projects that look incredibly promising.  I'm looking for integral funding for some outstanding investments that will have a atmospheric return on them" replies Tom in the tone of his typical exaggerated sales pitch.  "The new projects are fail proof.  Whoever invests in them is going to make so much money that they won't know what to do with it all. You wouldn't be interested would you?  If I remember right as a kid, you had a hobby of saving money and seemed to do much better than the rest of us"

"Well that was then" replies Faith not wanting to leave any room for a promise of investment in one of Tom's potential projects.  She had a feeling there was more talk than substance in the projects that were mentioned that evening.  She was saving her money for an extended trip to Europe or perhaps a wedding if that were to ever happen. 

"Is anyone ready for dessert?"  proudly asks Mrs. Bartram having won many county fair competitions for the best pumpkin pie for several years running. 

"Sounds great!" determines Tom not having homemade dessert for a very long time because of traveling and often staying in hotels while eating in restaurants for his business interests.  "When are Mariah and Julia arriving?"

"Tomorrow and the Crawfords are coming a couple of days later" replies Thomas Bartram "Your sisters are bringing their boyfriends with them as well.  It will be a full house for Thanksgiving."

Camp Mansfield - Chapter Eight

"Do you want some more chicken?" asks Ted handing her the bucket of fried chicken "I like the dark the best, but there is plenty of both left.  Which one is your favorite?"

"I like the dark and  the original recipe" offers Faith taking another bite and enjoying the random conversation "However, they don't make their potato salad as good as my grandma did".

"What made your grandma's potato salad different?" asks Ted wondering what secret recipes might be handed down in her family.

"She put in boiled eggs, with sweet pickle relish, celery, green onion, and with both mustard and mayonnaise, and finally sprinkled with paprika on top.  It was the best!" remembers Faith licking her lips in response to the memory "I use to help her make it.  I'm not much of a cook, but I can make potato salad!"

"Sounds delicious! You'll have to make it for me sometime" offers Ted wishing that he could spend many hours having  a picnic with her especially like on a day like today in the fields of camp.

"This was a great idea!"  shares Faith leaning back on the blanket and looking up at the cloud formations above her.  "Even though I'm often outside, I don't spend much time looking up at the sky.  I always find it so relaxing.  I wish that I could remember to do this every day."

Enjoying the moment, Ted lies down next to her on his side with his hand propping up his face towards her.  "You make every day special, Faith."

Smiling back at him, "Sometimes" and then turning away from him and courageously speaking honestly "Just being with you makes my day special".

Next to her, Ted finds himself blushing at her comment and feels an overwhelming sense of happiness and comfort at the sound of her statement.

After a moment, Faith turns back towards him and finds that he has leaned even closer to her.  His eyes find  hers and there is unspoken conversation in the silence between them.  Ted slowly moves closer to her as Faith finds herself reaching out her hand to touch his face and moving towards him too.

"Hey!" yells a voice from behind them from over the hill snapping them apart in an instant, they can hear his spurs clanging while climbing the hill to reach them "Mr. Bartram is looking for you two!  He needs some help with the cattle.  Someone left wood over the cattle bridge for the cross country race and they've decided to take their own personal tour of the neighbor's ranch. Gladys and Ethel are leading the pack and you know they always get the rest of the herd into trouble."

"Thank you Logan. We'll be right there" apologizes Faith quickly standing up and gathering things to put away "I didn't realize they had gotten out of the gate".

They quickly load all of the picnic items into the crate on the back of the cart.  Ted doesn't say anything but seems focused on reaching the gate.  Faith grabs a hold of the bar near her head as Ted appears to be driving twice as fast as normal as the reluctant cart seems to fly over the hills and bumps among the fields.

The adventurous cows are quickly herded back to home with the help of the camp spotted border collie, Rascal who while barking commands seems to be the one in charge even though he only has four paws.  Behind him, Gladys and Ethel are mooing in obedience swaying while swatting flies with their tails wagging in a synchronized formation.  While chewing on some random grass, they eventually find their place at home in the meadow.

When Faith turns around, she notices that Ted while leaning against a shady tree has been staring in a way to appear to be analyzing her rather than seeing through her.  She waves and smiles back at him but he seems unfazed but is rather lost in his own thoughts.  Faith shrugs her shoulders and wonders to herself, "Why he is acting so weird now?  I hope it is not because I wanted to kiss him earlier.  What if he wasn't feeling the same way as me?  Did I really move towards him? Was I just reacting to how I felt?  Was he even responding to me?  Does he think that I'm a moron?".  She feels the heat rising her in cheeks and her heart begins to pound as if it is going to come out of her chest "What if I made a fool of myself?  What does he think of me now?"   

"Hey Faith" she hears a familiar voice behind her and moves her cowboy hat down over her face while responding without turning around.  She answers as calmly as she can "Yes?"

"I have some things to do today.  Would you mind catching a ride back with Logan?" requests Ted not making an effort to see her face either.

"No problem.  I'm sure there is room on his cart.  I've got some things that I need to do and catch up on as well at the Ranch house" blandly responds Faith not sure why Ted suddenly appears not to want to spend any more time with her.

"Great!" shortly replies Ted turning on his heel immediately getting onto the cart quickly heading in opposite direction.

While reflecting on the grass blowing in the wind surrounding her, Faith can feel all of her nerves unraveling,  "What if he doesn't like me?  What if he's appalled that I acted like I was interested in him?"

"Come on Faith!  We're going to be late.  Mr. Thomas will be looking for us and is probably wondering if we were able to get all the cattle back" suggests Logan about twenty feet away but lost in his own thoughts as well.

Climbing into the old green Chevy truck next to Logan at the driver's seat, Faith replies "I'm ready. Let's go."

When they reach the Ranch house, Mr. Thomas walks over to Faith as if he has something to tell her.  "Faith, a few minutes ago Ted sent me a text that he is going to out of town for a few days and asked if I would let you know."

"Oh thank you" surprised replies Faith wondering why Ted didn't text her directly. Mulling things over insider her head, she thinks "Ted is mad at me.  He's trying to avoid me now.  I have made a fool of myself and he's trying to create some distance.  How could I be such an idiot?  Now, I've ruined everything. How could I ever think that Ted would be interested in me?  He has so many other attractive women that fall over themselves trying to get to know him" and then adding to herself  while looking down at her scuffed boots "I'm only a plain ranch girl that's all I've ever been to him."

A couple of days later after work, Faith heads back to her small cottage.  Sampson greets her at the door wagging his tail and ready to play.  Weakly, Faith throws his ball a couple of times around the room but doesn't find much energy to do much else.  She changes into her big red heart pantsuit pjs leftover from the sale after valentine's day, with her green grouch fuzzy  slippers, and sits on the couch with her knees to her chest sipping on a cup of tea.   Her wet hair is in a messy  casual bun.  She's placed some bright pink blemish cream on a few pesky marks that have suddenly appeared across her face from the anxiety of the day and quietly sulks.  She contemplates why someone hasn't invented some type of home laser yet that will make things like pimples disappear forever.

Unexpectedly she hears a knock at the door, believing it to be Mrs. Bartram or the Shirley the Cook kindly bringing a shell of leftovers having missed with the others for the last few days, she opens the door and finds Ted standing in front of her.

The only thing Faith can hear is herself softly gasping  while her ears ring in fear and embarrassment.  She finds herself mumbling "I didn't know you were back."

Looking down at her, Ted smirks wondering how many dots did she add to her face. Was this a game or was she sick? "Are you feeling okay?" he asks concerned.

"What?  Yeah, I'm feeling okay. Why?" asks Faith forgetting about the cream but suddenly feeling nervous and subconsciously twitching and moving around awkwardly.

"You weren't at dinner and they said you hadn't been all week" explains Ted seriously wondering what is wrong with her.

Glancing sideways trying to come up with an excuse rather than the truth, she taps her fuzzy slipper in an attempt to help her to think but fails, clucking her cheek  with big eyes responds very slowly in a unusual tone hoping not to reveal her real motive  "I don't know."

"What?  Don't know what?" asks Ted a little confused about the answer for a question he didn't ask while wondering if she is on some medication that is making her act a little weird.

She rolls her eyes towards the ceiling hoping to find inspiration for a logical answer other than she's been moping the whole week for making a fool of herself, "I am allergic to green beans" is the only thing that will come out of her mouth.  Unfortunately, it is not true. She loves green beans and wonders why of all the things she could have said the only thing she can come up with is green beans.

For a few seconds, Ted stares at her.  "You ate a whole bunch at the picnic the other day.  Did it make you sick?  I'm really sorry for getting them , I didn't know.  Those spots look really bad!"

"Uh, no.  They were delicious" replies Faith not wanting him to feel bad especially about a lie. Wondering how she will never eat green beans in front of him and not knowing what to say adds "It just happens once in awhile when I'm in a mood."

"A mood causes an allergy?  How strange!  I've not heard of that before" sincerely replies Ted wondering if Faith needs to see a specialist.

"Yeah, actually the allergy is there all the time but a mood can make it flare up" offers Faith wondering just how stupid she can sound within a period of less than ten minutes. This must be a record.

"What are you taking for it?" asks Ted if it is the medication that is making her seem kind of strange.

Feeling frustrated, Faith rolls her arms in big circles to her side trying to gain momentum for a somewhat rational response and finds only nonsense winning the race.  She notices the saucer on the coffee table, "I'm drinking herbal tea.  They say it helps."

"Maybe I should try some" suggests Ted walking towards her kitchenette where the box of tea is still sitting on the counter.  "This is Earl Grey, is that the same as herbal tea?"

"Yes, it comes in different flavors.  Such a gray and charcoal ... metal ... steel" mumbling states Faith randomly trying to pick colors in the gray spectrum that makes sense only to her at the moment.

"I've heard of charcoal for stomach problems, but never metal tea.  It must be something new" offers Ted not exactly trendy in the tea department "Coffee is more my thing."

"Yes, we will have to talk about that more in the future" offers Faith wanting desperately to change the subject to something she can handle with some sort of ease and grace. "They have wonderful healing elements like iodine, mercury, and menthol".

For the first time, Ted looks directly at her and wonders if maybe she took too much Nyquil. "Maybe you need to rest so you can feel better."

"That sounds like a good idea.  Did you need to see me about something?" asks Faith catching a glimpse of her reflection in the microwave and realizing that all of the pink medication spots are still affectionately attached to her face.  She scrambles to cover her face nonchalantly but awkwardly with her hands as if she is a deep thinker with one covering her chin and check with the other on her sprawled across her forehead.

Watching, Ted sees her while looking down smiles to himself "Yes, I think that I'll show you tomorrow when you're feeling better.  I hope you have a restful night".  Without thinking, he gently kisses her on the forehead before turning to leave.

After the door closes, Ted laughs to himself "Metal tea?" all the way back to his house.

As the door closes behind him, Faith leans her back against the door and slowly sinks to the floor wondering if she is winning a competition for the biggest fool yet.

Camp Mansfield - Chapter Seven

 "Te -ee-ee-d?  Ted, Where are you?  Ted!" exclaims Mrs. Bartram searching through the house looking for her youngest son "WHAT are you doing?"

"Don't worry about it" nonchalantly answers Ted trying to defer his mother's attention at that moment.

"I think you need to explain this to me" disturbed remarks Mrs. Bartram quietly tapping her foot on the floor like a child ready for a temper tantrum.

"Really mother, it's nothing" replies Ted "I was just looking at some old things we have in the attic "There's plenty of old treasures here that I think most of us have forgotten about."

"Why do you have great grandma's wedding dress out of its package? I paid a fortune to have to stored correctly so it wouldn't mold or decay" slyly observes his mother "You certainly aren't thinking of doing anything that you would regret later."

"What?  What are you talking about?  I found this in the cedar closet and I wanted to see what it looked like" answers Ted ignoring his mother insinuations but also trying to deflect her intuition "I think you are jumping to conclusions."

"Mary Crawford will be arriving next week.  She was such a beautiful girl" trying to steer the attention away from the subject of Faith, Mrs. Bartram continues "You and Mary seemed to always get along well.  You made such an attractive couple! Whatever happened to her?"

"Don't you remember?  She decided to date everyone else at camp and ended up dating Tom" Ted smirks at the memory "I think she was only interested in me so that she could be around Tom who was two years older and probably wouldn't have noticed her otherwise."

"Nonsense! Mary looked like she could be a contestant for Miss Universe even as a teen.  Tom would have noticed her anyway.  But Tom had so many girlfriends, he really needed to settle on just one" quietly reflects Mrs. Bartram "He is such a handsome young man.  I'm so proud of my son!"

"Yeah" replies Ted with a sarcastic tone recalling his brother's multiple less than scrupulous girlfriends and issues with them as well as his current gambling debts that he more than once bailed Tom out of recently  "I think it is more than past time to reflect on his personal life and make some better choices."

In the corner, Mrs. Bartram glares at Ted out of the corner of her eye recognizing that Ted isn't exactly in agreement with her.  "Tom is good natured.  He just sometimes let himself get involved with people who are not good for him.  It's not his fault."

"He's a grown man.  You talk about him like he is still twelve.  He knows exactly what he is doing.  Tom doesn't care if he screws up his life or not, he lives in the moment regardless of the consequences or how it will affect others around him.  Tom is too self-absorbed to notice" accurately but disgusted replies Ted recalling many times that he supported Tom even when  he didn't deserve it because he was his brother.

"You're right.  But Tom has so much potential.  He only needs to find the right person who will keep him on track" remarks Mrs. Bartram satisfied with her answer and feelings of hopefulness of her son's prosperity.

"i feel sorry for whoever that will be" bluntly responds Ted "She probably deserves much better."

"Maybe Mary will make that difference.  Or, maybe even better she make that difference for you" shrewdly responds Mrs. Bartram finding an old camp photo of Mary in the photo album from the trunk and handing it to Ted to look at.  "Mary was so beautiful when she was younger."

"Yes" observes Ted looking at Mary in her swimsuit standing between her brother and Tom, with Faith and him standing on each side like bookends in the photo and then Ted replies with a chuckle "Faith is wearing her favorite pink shorts overalls.  I think she lived in them."

"Is that Faith?  I could hardly tell.  It just look like a tomboy in the picture" snidely replies his mother wanting him to notice instead the girl in the bikini whose parents might offer her more status and admiration than most as a future mother-in-law.  "Mary was such a nice girl.  She would often come over just to see how I was doing."

Impulsively Ted rolls his eyes and remembers more a girl coming over to talk to coerce his mother to find out what other girl his older brother was with at that moment and in some way plan and cause future interception.  "I think Mary had a few ulterior motives of her own."

"You're right" replies Mrs. Bartram "I think she was interested in both of my sons and getting to know and become friends with her future mother-in-law".

"Mmmmm .... I think dad might be wondering where we are right now" suggests Ted wanting to end this discussion as quickly as possible.

"Promise me Ted that you will at least be open to becoming better acquainted with Mary again.  When we met last month to discuss the details of renting the old cottage, she was so warm and kind.  Really, I believe she has grown up and matured quite nicely.  I think you would be a perfect match with her.  Give her a chance for my sake" begs Mrs. Bartram in a tone that she knows Ted finds hard to refuse "I don't ask for much, and this isn't even a difficult thing.  She's quite lovely you'll see."

"I'll be nice to her, but I can't promise much else" decidedly replies Ted returning the old photo albums to the cedar chest.  "I've got to live my own life and make the choices that are best for me."

As they walk downstairs they can hear Mr. Bartram's low voice mumbling to himself in distress.  He's pacing the kitchen and seems quite tense.  "I don't know what I am going to tell Faith" he says to his wife as she enters the dining room.

"What do you mean?  What does Faith not know?" questions Mrs. Bartram heading for the coffee pot "Why don't you sit down and we'll talk about it."

Thomas Bartram rubs his forehead with his handkerchief that he keeps in his back pocket of his jeans. "Faith will be devastated.  Apple Dumpling didn't make it."

"Ohhh ...." signs Ted wondering if Faith already knows since usually the first thing she does each morning is check on Apple Dumpling and if she is feeling well enough takes her out for a ride. "Have you seen Faith yet?"

"No, she texted me that she would be late coming to the stalls this morning" responds Thomas obviously struggling with his own attachment to Faith's horse and distress at telling her the news  "It's not going to be a good day for her."

"Dad, I'll go talk to her" offers Ted not wanting his friend to grieve too much and wanting to comfort her.  Grabbing his jacket and heading towards the front door "I'm on my way."

"Thanks Ted" mumbles Thomas wiping a stubborn tear from his eye and feeling sorry for Faith "Let her know it is going to be okay."

As quickly as he can, Ted shuttles over to Faith's cottage in his golf cart at the fastest speed it will go. He knocks on her front door, but no one answers.   He then notices that her golf cart is not parked in the tiny driveway and heads directly for the stalls.

As the smell of wet hay and straw rustles beneath his boots, he enters the stalls to find Faith on her knees holding her head in her hands sobbing in front of the stall with the name of  Apple Dumpling creatively carved with flowers in the wood of the frame.  Ted doesn't say anything but kneels on the grown next to her and after waiting a moment or two, puts his arm around her and lets her cry.

After a few moments, Faith leans into his shoulder barely aware that he is there but feeling instead the comfort of a friend.  With red swollen eyes Faith finally looks up to see whose arm has been around her in her grief, "I'm sorry Ted, I didn't mean to blubber all over you" taking a big rather unpleasant sniff.

Looking at her, Ted smiles "It's okay, I don't mind" softly patting down her ratty hair from crying so much and finding his own comfort being with her at this moment.

"She's was one of the last things that I have from my parents"  explains Faith "I think that I'm not only crying for her but the memory of my parents too."

Not saying anything, Ted nods his head and holds her closer to him until the sobbing subsides once again.  Her shoulders shudder in her sorrow until finally sighing deeply in resolution and stillness.

"Why don't we do something different today?" suggests Ted  "Why don't I take you back to the cottage, so you can be more comfortable.  I'm going to pick up some things and I will be back in about an hour."

Slowly Faith smiles up at him with stained checks and fussy hair, "Okay".

A few minutes later, Ted walks Faith up to her door who is greeted by Sampson.  Sensing immediately that something is wrong with his beloved owner, Sampson lays his head down on her foot while Faith speaks to Ted in the doorway.  "Thank you for just letting me cry.  I'm sorry if it was a bit messy.  I don't usually cry that much but I think that everything got to me".

"I don't mind.  Anytime, I'm here for you" sincerely offers Ted feeling connected to Faith in a way that he had not before. "You have to promise me that when something like that happens to me, you'll be there for me too."

"Anytime" smiles Faith for the first time that day "I'll bring some Kleenix with me next time though."

In response to how he is feeling, Ted quietly kisses her on the cheek as she turns to walk inside.  He is surprised how sweet it felt to kiss her innocently on the cheek even though it wasn't planned and not intended to be romantic but somehow it felt that it was anyway.  Checking his mood as he makes plans for the day, Ted wonders what it feels like to fall in love with someone.

Camp Mansfield - Chapter Six

The familiar creaks in the old chapel bring a sense of serenity as Faith counts the wooden splits below her feet that have been there for decades, polished many times over the years but remain as reminders of the guests who have knelt or prayed silently for things to come or that once were.

Leaning her head back in the solitude surrounding her, Faith hears the quietly chirping birds fluttering to communicate with each other where to find the best locations for food or others of their flock. Closing her eyes while listening to the clicking music of the crickets, she recalls many times sitting in the same exact place waiting for answers that seemed long in coming. Taking in a deep breath, Faith feels peaceful with calm reassurance that everything will work out all right.

Finding a more comfortable spot, Faith stretches her legs and opens her Bible again, rereading the lines to see if any new insight or perception seems to reveal itself to her. Praying silently about the longings in her heart, she feels that God is near to her and no matter what the outcome, He will be there.

Slowly with her hand, she strokes the printed line of her favorite Scripture verse of the well-worn Bible whose edges are bent and pages ruffled from tears and previous heartache.  She has read this passage so many times when seeking comfort and encouragement that the words gently flow in her whisper without having to intentionally remember them.  Quietly she nods her head in agreement as if someone has rested his hand on her shoulder telling her that everything is in His hands now.

Realizing that the horizon is higher in the sky, she glances down at her phone disappointed that her morning has gone too quickly before other chores are required.  She gathers her notebook placing it in her satchel and takes one last moment to rest before standing to face the day in front of her.

When exiting the simple place of retreat, Faith turns off the switch that controls the large humming ceiling fans cooling the room and wishes that she could stay longer even if only for a few moments, but her schedule is packed for the day with an demanding agenda of chores that has yet to be done.

Walking past the maintenance shop, she passes many co-workers who are also good friends. While still a distance away, they wave and smile as Faith does the same.  Some dust from railing on the rec hall porch has stained her jeans as Faith brushes away the clutter, she wishes that someone had invented an automatic cleaner built into her clothing for times just like these.

Analyzing the items listed on her clip board, she begins to prioritize what is needed and required for the day.  She feels disappointed that they will not be much free time to spend with Ted until this evening as many of the tasks will take most of the day. In the windy climate, Faith pulls back her straying hair behind her ear while she considers her next step.

Lost in her concentration, she doesn’t sense or hear someone approaching behind her.  She can feel two hands covering her eyes with a citrus scent of cologne that she knows well. She pulls away while turning around, but Ted moves closer. “I wondered where you were today.  I’ve been all over camp looking for you!”

Taking a step back, Faith replies “I have a lot to do today so I thought that I would get a head start.  It looks like it is going to be a long day.”

Moving next to her again to peer over her shoulder “It looks like an extended list.  I don’t know how you are going to get it all done.  Would you mind if I came along to help you?” asks Ted not moving away from her to speak or to wait for a response.

Sensing his closeness, Faith can feel her heart beat beginning to race, “Sure, it’s not easy though and you’ll get a bit dirty especially if you help me with the livestock.”

“I don’t mind.  See I’m dressed for it.  I wore my favorite blue plaid shirt and baseball hat that I found in my closet” demonstrates Ted as if a fashion model “I’ve haven’t worn this shirt for years, I’m surprised it still fits but it is more snug that I remember it being.  I had to wear a t-shirt under it and it doesn’t really button.  It use to be bigger, but I think the dryer must have made it shrink.”

Looking at him, Faith giggles and smacks him with the back of her hand in the gut that he is attempting to hold in for affect. Ted lets out a roll of hot air and starts to laugh.

After a few of the chores are completed, Faith and Ted wander over to the horse barn and find Apple Dumpling in her stall.  “She’s getting older now” explains Faith.  I think she is about as old as I am.  My parents gave her to me when my dad first became the Facility Director and I was very little.  I don’t think that she will be with me much longer.”

While Faith talks, Ted pets Apple Dumpling’s along her nose while feeding her an apple from the bent bucket beside her stall. Apple Dumpling neighs in delight and nudges Faith to pet her too and for another snack as well.  “She’s not been doing so well lately.  Mr. Thomas recently said that it might be time to let her go. I think it will break my heart but I don’t want to see her in any pain. She’s one of the last things that I have that my parents gave to me.”

Sympathetically, Ted places his arm around Faith’s shoulders as they walk to the feeding trough and share some memories of her parents.

“Some of the staff are having a late night campfire, would you like to go?” asks Faith “We get together every so often for a relaxing evening together when other groups are not on the camp grounds. It’s very laid back.  Mostly we cook hot dogs and s’mores, tell stories, and sing some.  It’s not meant to be  a planned event just a come-and-go-as-you-wish kind of thing.”

“Sounds great! I haven’t been to a cook out for a while now” excitedly replies Ted thinking of the possibilities “Do I need to bring anything?”

“Maybe some chips or soda, whichever” answers Faith glad that Ted is free to join her and her friends “I’ll see you later tonight.  Thanks so much for helping me today!”

“No problem.  I need to take a day off every once in a while” remarks Ted feeling very satisfied with the events of the day “Looking forward to seeing you tonight!”

Taking one last swoosh of bug spray, Faith comments to herself “I wish someone would find a way to make this stuff smell like perfume rather than a stinky medicine cabinet.  There is nothing that is terribly appealing about this smell but it is better than having a thousand red dots all over my face!”

Slipping on her boots since shoes would probably not be the most practical thing in the muddy areas surrounding the fire pit, she checks her reflection one last time and adds a touch of mauve lipstick to her rather minimal makeup of powder and blush.

Once arriving at the campfire, she realizes Ted has not arrived yet.  She places a blanket over the rustic treated logs meant for seating and finds a comfortable spot to sit.  Out of her satchel, she grabs a flash light and a bottle of water which she sets down on the ground next to her. Her longtime friends have started the fire which is now a controllable blaze.

Finally Ted arrives looking haggard and a bit worse for wear “Where’s your shoe?” asks Faith noticing a foot covered by a very muddy blue sock. 

“I lost it a way back.  I think it is buried in some mud pit. I forgot how muddy it gets in this area after it rains.  I just bought that pair last week” disgusted admits Ted “I should have worn my boots, but I must have left them at home.  I don’t wear them very often except when I’m here.”

“Here, you can wear these” offers Faith pulling out a pair of pink flip flops with smiley faces on them out of her satchel.  “I had them on earlier today while at the pool.  We were cleaning the filters from all the fall leaves.”

Reluctantly but without any other option Ted places the hot pink flip flops on which are about two sizes too small but at least they cover his feet from the random sticks and scattered stones. He rolls up the muddy ends of his jeans and tries to relax. 

While watching the fire, Faith suddenly slaps him on the arm. “What did you do that for?” surprised asks Ted.

“You had a mosquito on your arm.  I was trying to help you” admits Faith not sure if that was the right thing to do.

“Uh, thanks” replies Ted who then continues to swat his arms, legs, and feet trying to prevent bites from the unwanted creatures “Why are there so many?”

“I think it is because of your cologne, which by the way smells really good” impulsively adds Faith without realizing what she said until she hears the over emphasis of own words ‘really good’.  She immediately looks the other way and hopes that he was not listening.

Ted smiles at her but doesn’t say anything but he leans closer and asks her “What is your favorite part about camp?”

“I don’t know.  I think that I pretty much like everything about it” honestly replies Faith “Even in bad weather, camp has its own beauty.”

As they are talking two small creatures can be barely seen through the darkness waddling side by side and playing together.  “Look I think there are two cats over there playing together!” suggests Ted aiming his flashlight at them.

“I don’t think those are cats, Ted” corrects Faith shining her own flashlight on them “See how they have two white stripes down the middle?”

“See, I’ll show you” jumping up before Faith can say anything Ted chases after them “Come here kitty, kitty, come here!”

“Those aren’t cats!” advises Faith wondering what Ted’s next move will be.

“Aren’t they cute?!” offers Ted sneaking up quietly behind the pair “I’m going to take a picture of them.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea” wisely offers Faith “I think it would be better if you just backed up slowly.”

“I’ll take a picture and then will leave them alone” whispers Ted not exactly seeing clearing what he is hoping to take a picture of but determined to anyway.

Taking his phone from his pocket, Ted aims the camera at the two ‘cats’ in front of him.  A large flash of light covers the darkness simultaneously as a horrendous odor filters the air surrounding him “Ugh, what is that awful smell? I can’t breathe!”

Next thing Faith sees in the firelight is Ted trying to hop and skip in his flip flops as fast as he can away from the ‘cats’ while tripping over a log by the fire.  The animals unsure of what to do since he is blocking their way spray again to protect their territory.

“Eeewww … wow they really got you!” exclaims Faith for a second not sure if she should help him up or just run in the opposite direction as she gags next to him.

“Why didn’t you tell me they were skunks?” whining pleads Ted trying to fan away the invisible relentless odor. “I would have left them alone!”

“You moved to quickly and you weren’t listening to me anyway” counters Faith trying to stifle her laughter while grabbing his hand to help him to stand in his flip flops that have moved to each side rather than under his feet.

“Come on Toad, I’ll take you back in my golf cart.  I don’t think you will want to ride in your own car at the moment” offers Faith pinning her nose with the other hand while leading him towards her golf cart.  “Where did you park anyway?”

“I parked over behind the Fort which is where I earlier lost my shoe” explains Ted disappointed that it didn’t turn out to be the potentially romantic evening he had planned for it to be not able to even tolerate his own smell let alone hope that Faith might.

“I’ve heard that a bath of tomato juice helps” offers Faith trying to be helpful having been sprayed once or twice before “However, using a quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent will probably help to get the stink out of your clothes and you too!”

“Thanks!” sighs Ted feeling defeated exiting the cart at his parent’s home “I’ll see you tomorrow as long as I smell somewhat better.”

“I hope it works!” replies Faith enjoying the feeling of having made a new lifetime memory to share with him.