Desert Detour

He told you that he wanted to show you something. He parked the truck after he took a seemingly random road off the highway. You had been on the road heading home after spending a few days together in a cabin within a forest. The trees were long left in miles passed. Now you were in the desert on your way to the coast until this little detour. You followed him as he walked with renewed energy. You asked him where he was taking you. He smiled, glanced back to you, and said, "You'll see," cheerfully. You smiled back and trusted him, especially since you're pretty familiar with his way of showing excitement. You were approaching a wall of stone. He stopped and reached for your hand. He then turned to you and said, "I came here once with my dad when I was little, and I haven't been here since. When I noticed we were going to pass through here, I thought it was the perfect chance to revisit it." After he said that, you sensed his feelings of nostalgia and the fact that he missed his dad. He lives in another state. You both continued on your path, and after you passed an unusual rock formation,  there was an opening in the stone in front of you. He turned to you and said, "I've been wanting to show you this place for a long time." As you both walked in together, you were in total amazement. You had entered a slot canyon. A beautiful hall of rocks shaped by water and wind. He looked ahead and noticed some sand trickling down from above. He showed it to you,  and you took a photo of the enchanting sight. As you both trekked your way through it, you'd periodically stop to take in the dimly lit view of your surroundings. In some moments, he'd steal a kiss from you. At one point, a beam of sunlight created a spotlight on you both as you embraced. It was as if the universe approved of your bond. As you both continued walking towards the exit of the slot canyon, he said that this wasn't the main thing he wanted to show you. There was something else just beyond the exit. Sure enough, as soon as you both exited the canyon, you noticed a wall of hundreds of hand indentations on the stone. You were amazed. He explained that those prints were from many thousands of years ago. You put your hand on one of the indents, and you were wondering about those ancient people who stood there in this very place that you're standing. You

wondered how they could've made those marks. It's possible that it wasn't rock back then, but mud or clay that solidified after all these years. He gave you a look of admiration as you were taking in all of the mysterious elements of your surroundings. He explained that his dad was an archaeologist before he retired, and this was one of his discoveries. He wrote a book about it. He mentioned that he could get you a copy if interested. You replied by telling him you were interested.

He reached for your hand, and you held his. It was nearing the end of golden hour. The sun was setting gradually .shortly after, there was a beautiful red glow from the setting sun on the clouds. It was beautiful. As the sky was nearing a light lavender hue, he leaned in to kiss you. He said you looked beautiful in this light. You

felt extremely comfortable with him. The sensation of his arms around you, holding you, felt like home. You felt an extra sense of love for him in that moment. That's when you sensed that this location must be special since it could've been a gathering place in the ancient days. When you both stopped kissing, you both head back to the slot canyon. He mentioned it's probably best to go through it before it gets dark. Eventually you got back to the truck. He put on some ambient music as he drove with one hand. The other resting on your lap. He started to tell you that he loved traveling with you as you both reminisced and the past few days you spent together. It was secluded and tranquil. A big change from the city. You thought about the days of hiking through the trees, the scent of the pine, to the cozy nights in front of the fireplace, a glass of wine, and each other's company. At times you'd sit outside, under the starlit sky, finding constellations. Occasionally seeing several falling stars. You remember you made a wish when you first saw one, and you kept it to yourself. When you both finally arrived home, you decided to unpack tomorrow. You were both very tired from the journey home. You both went upstairs and got ready for bed. As you both lay there, you told him that you loved that he surprised you with that detour and that it was such a remarkable experience. He smiled, looking up at the skylight. There were clouds and stars. The pale blue glow of the moonlight created a box on you both, shining through the skylight. He turned to you and asked if you would like to stay home tomorrow and just watch movies together. You loved that idea. He then snuggled with you, and you held him close. He felt your beating heart and sensed it beat faster as he started kissing you. You let the night take you into a realm of tranquility that can only be fulfilled by him. As you held him tight, you gazed at the starlight and felt the fulfillment of your earlier wish. You wished for a confirmation of his love for you, and as your fingers intertwined, he looked into your eyes and told you he loved you. In that moment, you felt your eyes well up. You held him close, and that's when you felt a teardrop on your shoulder. It was his tear. That was the confirmation. The next morning it was raining. You both stayed in bed all day watching movies. It was special because this time it was different. This time, you knew he was yours, and you were his. It was a bond that was written in the stars. Two souls like two galaxies,

colliding to become one. A graceful

dance of peaceful coalescing that is

one of beauty rather than destruction.

As if they were meant to be all along.

When his dad's book finally arrived, you

found the page where he talked about

the hand prints, and he said that that

was the zone of the oracles, and when

you touch a hand, you gain universal

wisdom. He proclaimed that it was a

myth, but deep down, you knew that

something was activated within you.

As you looked into his beautiful green

eyes, he smiled and said, that you were

his wish, and that he felt confirmation

of that after he told you he loved you

last night. You closed the book, set it

aside and you both leaned back as you

laid your head on his chest. He played

with your hair as the movie credits

rolled with the ambient music in the

background blending with the sound of rain. Over the years, you'd often reminisce about this weekend, and you built your life together. The many scrapbooks you kept were enjoyed by your descendants. And you'd both watch them through the astral realm, fulfilling their wishes, because that's the eternal love bond that never diminishes through many dimensions. It's the eternal force that keeps the balance of everything.

Hubble Space Telescope captured image: Two colliding galaxies: NGC 4038 and NGC 4039 (60 Million LY from Earth)

IG: Desert Detour

Photos of Timothée found online, credit to Warner Bros., Legendary and Dune Movie. Other photos, taken by me, of Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona. Satellite image via Hubble Space Telescope.