Friendship

The glow of the slow burning campfire shines on her beautiful face, much like how her presence in his life cast that bright light on his dull days. An affectionate smile crosses Caleb's lips mirroring her own that keeps lighting up her face every now and then. The night is beautiful with its clear skies and stars shining ever so brightly. But it doesn't compare to how he is feeling right now. Saying he is on cloud nine sounds like an understatement.

He still can't believe that the beauty in front of him agreed to be his. It's still so surreal. While he dreamed of it many times before, the reality is so much more than he expected. Every time he thinks about it his heart skips so many beats it makes him feel like a girl or a teenager again. 

A chuckle escapes him at that thought. Right now he can be called anything and he wouldn't care.

"She's a natural." Janice bumps him on his shoulder teasingly as she sits next to him.

"Don't give me ideas." Caleb retorts, as he watches Layla chat away with Emma and Emily. 

They look like a bunch of excited female campers out on a ladies trip. Up to now he has failed to understand how she has bonded with the girls so effortlessly. One would think they have been friends for long regardless of the age gap too.

He watches as they talk excitedly amongst themselves like nothing else exists around them. They are only seated on the opposite side of the fire but from where Caleb is seated it seems like a whole other world from their end. He wonders if that's how she would be if they did ever end up having girls of their own.

He smiles at that, as a comforting warmth surrounds him. 

"Nothing that hasn't crossed your mind though." Janice replies after a bit of silence.

"I can see how you've been looking at her. That longing in those pretty eyes of yours means only one thing." Janice points at him with what seems like an accusing finger.

"Pretty eyes? Aren't you mistaking me for your pretty boy?" Caleb teases back.

"Nothing pretty about my Darren's eyes. His eyes are breathtaking." She sighs dreamily and Caleb just rolls his eyes.

"Talking about your pretty boy, where is he?" 

"He is here somewhere." She answers while looking around the dark surroundings. 

"Something about an emergency he said." She adds when she turns back to him.

"Oh, ok…" Caleb says, before going quiet again. His eyes shift to Layla, watching her bubbly self as she chats with the two little girls. 

"They love her." Janice says with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm even jealous." He says with a pout.

"Grow up." She retorts and they both burst out laughing. And their laughter seems to end just where the two of them are as the other party doesn't even spare them a glance.

"See what I mean?" Caleb points out the trio's immense concentration on just what they are on about and nothing else.

"I'm sorry. She'll soon be yours." Janice says while she looks at her watch to which Caleb just scoffs. 

"So I heard that you went by the office." Janice says, shifting their attention from the three buddies. 

"Oh yeah that. Yes I did." He answers with little enthusiasm.

"So is it like time now?" Janice asks and he can pick how excited she is about that prospect.

"I don't know." He sighs loudly.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

This time he faces Janice and he finds her looking a bit disappointed.

"I just don't know, okay? Maybe it is.." He focuses in the dark woods spread out a distance away from where they are camping for the night. The dark shadows remind him of a time in his own life when he thought he would never smile again. When darkness almost kept him from breathing. And Janice's question has him wondering if he can risk everything he has found again. He is not so sure he would live if history repeated itself. 

Unconsciously his eyes land on Layla once more and he wonders if he would be able to live without that smile.

"She'll be fine." Janice squeezes his hand in assurance and he just sighs in response. 

He wants to believe that so much but a part of him can't help but want to take more precautions than necessary.

"Thank you." He suddenly says.

"For what?" Janice looks at him surprised.

"I don't know...for keeping it together when I couldn't." He looks at her, a smile escaping his lips.

"I've never thanked you for it Janice. For keeping us all sane through it all. For being there for Darren when had to shoulder everything." He squeezes her hand back relaying his appreciation. 

"Oh, it was nothing." She says timidly.

"Don't be so modest, it doesn't suit you." He pulls her in for a hug and whispers his thanks again.

"Just don't go back there again okay?"

Her cracked voice tugs at his heart and he finds himself rubbing her back trying to comfort her.

"Okay, I promise." He says after a long silence.

"Good." She replies, a hint of a smile in her voice makes him smile too. 

He doesn't know what he would do without the friendship of these two. They may pick on each other every now and then but beneath all that is a friendship that runs so deep they are like family. 

His life would look a lot different if they weren't in it. They have had his back in moments he thought the cruelty of life would swallow him whole. And he has vowed to be for them what they have been to him, if not even more. He smiles into the dark night appreciating the blessing of friendship while he tightens their hug. She hugs him back just as tightly and they stay like that for a while.

"Babe, I've barely been gone a minute and you are already in the arms of another man?"

Caleb rolls his eyes at the sound of Darren's voice. 

He turns to his best friend and finds him frowning. 

"Serves you right for working when you should be paying attention to your lovely wife."

"Hallelujah!" Janice exclaims after Caleb's words. 

"You agree with him?" Darren acts shocked and Janice just shrugs her shoulders. 

"See?" Caleb retorts.

"Oh please, move over." Darren says before squeezing himself between them. They both laugh at Darren's behaviour. Breaking them apart like a very jealous boyfriend. 

"Babe you jealous?" Janice taunts him but a resounding no escapes Darren's mouth, making Janice laugh even more.

"Well he may not be jealous but I definitely am." Caleb says before getting up. 

"I'm taking my girl away."

"See who finally got a life." Darren says after him and Caleb just sticks out his tongue at him.

"I swear you guys are worse than kids." Janice says before Darren shuts her up with a kiss.

Caleb just shakes his head at his two friends who get lost in each other instantly. They have been together for a while now but they are still so in love it makes him smile. 

"Hey." A sweet voice speaks from behind and he smiles before turning towards her.

"I was on my way to retrieve you actually." He says with a grin.

"Oh yeah?" Layla asks not believing him.

"I was beginning to get lonely around here." He moves a bit and reveals Janice and Darren who are making out like teenagers on a date.

"Oh, I see" Layla says, her cheeks getting their usual red tinge instantly. 

Caleb just laughs before embracing her and blocking her view of the couple.

"What do you say we get out of here hmmm?" 

"Sure, where do you want to go?" She looks at him nervously. 

"Away from here." He smiles.

"What happened to the girls." He asks when he notices that Emma and Emily are not with Layla.

"Oh they told me they are tired so they would be going to their tent." Layla says but Caleb frowns after looking at his watch.

"Since when do they sleep this early? He is obviously surprised and Layla looks at him questioningly. 

"I'm sorry, it's strange that's all. We usually have to force them to go to their tent." Caleb explains.

"It would explain why they kept eyeing you the last couple of minutes."

"Me?" He asks surprised. 

"Well you were kind of staring and I'm sure they got the message."

"Oh...smart kids." He smirks when realisation dawns on him and she just let's out a chuckle. 

"I missed you." He says the moment they start walking away, leaving Janice and Darren lost in their own world. He snakes his arm around her waist and he loves how she draws closer to him. 

"Me too." She says looking up at him and he doesn't miss the sparkle in her gentle eyes.

"Sorry about this." He says before capturing her lips in a quick kiss that leaves her surprised and he satisfied.

"Been wanting to do that." He smiles before bringing her closer to himself again.

He can't help but agree with Darren, he did really get a life and he intends to share it with her always. Damn anything that would try to come in the way of that.