—- Chapter 18 That night, Elmer arrived at the campsite carrying a heavy pack. He set up the tent by himself, laid out the snacks, and got the campfire going-all without letting Elizabeth lift a finger. Once everything was ready, he patted the soft camping mat beside him and said, “Come sit here.” Then he pulled out a blanket he’d packed in advance and gently draped it over her shoulders. “This is the perfect spot.
I’ll take pictures , and you just enjoy the aurora.” As soon as he said it, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Elizabeth had grabbed his cuff. ”The best views are meant to be seen with your own eyes. Sit down. Let’s watch it together,” she said softly. Elmer’s ears turned bright red again. They sat in silence, waiting for the aurora. Elizabeth munched on snacks while soaking in the fire’s warmth. Then, suddenly , her phone lit up with a news alert.
“Former business tycoon Daniel Woolridge passed away this morning , and this news coincides with a —- devastating announcement from the Woolridge Group. The company has officially filed for bankruptcy, marking the dramatic collapse of a once- powerful enterprise.” The name sent a flicker through her heart. For a moment, Elizabeth spaced out. Elmer got the same notification. He had always harbored a quiet crush on Elizabeth, so of course , he’d looked into her past.
He knew what had happened to her in Florasia , and he knew who Daniel was. So when he saw the news of Daniel’s death, his first instinct was to check her reaction. Contrary to Daniel’s expectations , Elizabeth merely glanced at her phone before switching off the screen and returning it to her pocket with an unsettling calm. “Elizabeth, are you-” “Look! The aurora!” The sudden appearance of the northern lights cut him off before he could finish the sentence.
All around them, students lifted their cameras to capture the moment. Elizabeth grabbed a pair of binoculars and stood on her toes to get a better view. In the distance, the deep navy sky had split open, and waves of green light poured through, unfurling across —- the heavens like silk. The snow-covered ground below shimmered beneath its glow, cloaked in a dreamlike veil of color and light. Elizabeth was completely swept away by the beauty of itall.
When she finally lowered the binoculars, she realized that Elmer hadn’t been looking at the aurora at all. He’d been looking at her. In the soft glow of the night, his features looked even more delicate -rosy lips, white teeth, and jet -black hair that caught the faintest light. A few strands fluttered gently in the breeze. For a second, Elizabeth thought she saw her own reflection in his eyes.
And just as Elmer’s face flushed even deeper, so red that not even the northern lights could hide it, Elizabeth suddenly remembered something. She crouched down and began rummaging through her backpack. Amoment later, she pulled out a white scarf. She’d originally made it for Pamela, but Pamela had started dating someone the month before, and now the two of them wore matching ones instead.
Looking at Elmer’s neck, red from the wind and cold, Elizabeth suddenly felt the urge to give him the scarf. —- “Why are you standing so far away? I don’t bite.” She stepped forward and slipped the scarf around his neck. They were close now, so close that their breath clouded in the space between them, softening the lines of their faces and the distance between their hearts. In that moment, Elizabeth realized something . She had truly moved on.
“Elmer , when the weather gets a little warmer… let’s go hiking,” she said gently. Elmer’s eyes widened. “You mean it?” She nodded. “I like spring.” Pain would fade with time, and love could always rise again from the ruins. After the coldest winter, spring would come.
