The clouds break open for the first time in over a week. It’s a welcome respite from the storms that have ravaged the hills in recent days. The late autumn sun is weak and pale, yet manages to provide a slight warmth. The lush, green grass glistens with dewdrops.

He steps back inside the tent. She still lays in her sleeping bag, curled up to protect from the chill of the past night. He smiles at how peaceful and content she looks. They had planned this trip for so long, it was hard to believe it had finally come to fruition.

She won’t wake for a few hours. Time for him to brew up the first coffee of the day. They may be spending time in the wild, but there’s never an excuse for having bad coffee.

*

They had been friends for years. By now they knew each other better than they knew themselves. This trip had for so long been merely a dream, a hope that they had both clung on to.

Their journey here had not been a smooth one, neither physically or emotionally. But they had made it, at long last. They only had a few days left on this trip together; they both needed to get back home to their respective families and return to normality once more. The journey had been necessary though; they had needed to spend this time together after years apart. A truly beautiful friendship.

*