Savage Hearts

Lila sat on her stomach, looking out on the calm lake in the early morning. She was wearing crewneck that had a moose on it and said ‘Welcome to Canada’ that Jon had decided to buy for her at a gas station in one of his few moments of spontaneity. She was sketching the lake in the calm of the morning.

She didn’t think she had ever been so happy in her life the she was these past three weeks. She was sad to know that this time next week they wouldn’t be here anymore. As much as the thought of meeting Jon’s family had been, all of this had bee more than worth it. She loved being in nature and being with Jon and his family. All of it felt so right. It was overwhelming for a bit, sudden drowning sensations, but then she realized this was right. This was what she wanted. She wanted Jon all the time, forever and as scary as it was, it was more of an exhilarating scary. Like jumping out of an airplane.

“Holy shit.” Lila screamed as she felt a body land on top of her.

“What are you doing out here so early?” Jon asked as he kissed her neck.

“Just sketching, it is so beautiful out here, I could just stay here forever and draw and paint and take pictures.” She smiled brightly.

“Why aren’t you wearing pants?” Jon laughed as he moved the oversized sweater up revealing her bikini bottoms.

“I haven’t worn pants in weeks, why start now?” She laughed as Jon kissed the dimple on her lower back.

“There’s that swallow tattoo you were telling my mom about.” Jon kissed the side of her body where the tail feathers were sticking out of her bottoms.

“You saw it yesterday and the day before that and you’ll probably see it tonight too.”

“Well maybe not tonight, my family is coming over. They’re staying the night so they can take us to the airport tomorrow and take my car back to my place.”

“Sounds fun, do you want me to make your favorite pasta tonight?”

“As delicious as that sounds I think we should just go out.”

“Sounds good and you’re sure you want to go straight to Georgia? No break in Chicago or staying here longer.”

“No we already made plans and it’s only two weeks, you thought this month was going to be horrible and you’ve loved it all.” He grinned poking her sides.

“So I admit I was wrong but my family is very different from yours.”

“Well I’m not going to Georgia in July that would be a hot hell-hole.”

“It’s not that bad, but then again I grew up there. You’ve always been the smart one in the relationship, you know since you have that fancy college drop out education.”

“You have the same college drop out education.”

“No I never even went to college, I just moved to Atlanta because it’s a big city, then I moved to Chicago to be with my soul mate, Lindsey. Who actually graduated from college.”

“And all that education has gotten her is Patrick Kane for a sort of boyfriend.”

“You’re being extra funny today Captain Serious. I’m liking this carefree Jonny.”

“Yeah well you have an effect on me. I’m going for a run and I expect a delicious breakfast for when I return.” He got off and began to walk off the dock.

“Yes master as you wish.” Lila laughed as she got up to go into the cottage. Jon turned around and threw Lila over his shoulder. “Jon stop, your going to hurt the baby!”

Jon set her down so quick someone would have thought she caught on fire.

“Are you pregnant?” Jon asked as Lila stared at him like a deer in the headlights.

“Um… uh… it was joke.” Lila burst into a grin and ran into the cottage. Jon rolled his eyes and followed her in.

~~~~~~~~

Lila and Jon had eaten their breakfast by the time Jon’s family had arrived. The boys immediately decided to go fishing, leaving the two women alone together. The girls decided to go get massages saying they might as well be as girly as possible if the men in their lives were doing something manly. Once they returned to the cottage they sat on the back porch. Lila began to sketch as the two talked.

“When Jonny first started talking about you, I didn’t really like you. Always disappearing or doing things he didn’t want you to. I never understood why he wanted to be with you.” Andrée said.

“Well I understand, it took a while getting used to being a girlfriend. I’m still bad at it. I was always moving around that I never saw the point of getting close with people when they just held you back from being who you wanted to be. And I didn’t have what Jon grew up with, he had parents who loved each other and love is one of those things spreads and when you don’t feel it filling a house it hurts. I mean I believe in love, I never thought it wasn’t real or worth it because of that, I don’t know, I guess I never learned what unconditional love was and Jon taught me that.”

“I used to hate that he was always with you and not meeting other girls, but then I would see the look in his eyes when he talked about you or just how he looked past all the mistakes. You made him more relaxed and always made him smile and I knew you were the right girl. Now that I know you I’m positive you are the girl. I’m glad you guys grew and taught each other.”

“We meshed our two very different personalities together.”

“That’s what love is, taking the best of each other and sharing it.” Andrée smiled.

“Thank you for being so kind, I was always so afraid to meet you but you make me so happy that I’m with Jon and that by being with him I’ll gain people like you in my life.”

“And I’m glad to have a daughter who can draw a picture of me like that.” Andrée said looking over at what Lila had been sketching.

~~~~~~~~

“So when are you going ring shopping?” David asked as the three Toews men sat in the boat fishing.

“What?” Jon asked.

“Don’t try and act confused, I know you better than that, how long have you been agonizing over this question?” Bryan said with a laugh.

“Probably a month, I’m thinking about proposing mid-July. When we’re back in Chicago, I just need to ask her dad when we’re in Georgia.”

“The first time you meet her family and you’re going to ask for her hand?” David tried to hold back her laughing.

“I feel like her family will be surprised she’s dating someone who still thinks that’s what a man has to do. Lila isn’t exactly traditional.”

“We are all well aware of that.” Bryan added.

“You guys hate her don’t you?” Jon sighed sitting down and rubbing his temples.

“No son, we don’t hate her, in fact your mother couldn’t stop talking about how lovely and honest she was last night. She really likes how Lila loosens you up, and you know I do too. She brings out a side of you that none of us really see. I mean to be honest, when we only heard stories about her I didn’t like her, she sounded like a real user and maybe to some extent she is but in that case you’re using her too.”

“I love her but maybe that’s because she likes me more than you.” David began to laugh again.

“Thank you for ruining that deep moment David, but maybe you should learn to get your own girls.”

“Just know Jon, that we are very excited to have Lila as a part of this family.” Bryan added cutting off the fight.