She groaned, but slowly turned around, her grip on me tightening with every step. Her eyes widened. “Wow,” she murmured. “That’s beautiful.”
“Andy would be proud of you,” I said as she gazed out over the dark sky where the red glow of the sun had begun to break through.
“Proud of me how?” she scoffed.
“For facing your fears. For getting out there and doing this for him. Don’t underestimate how strong you are, Em. You might not feel it, but you’re one of the strongest people I know.”
She smiled, resting her head on my shoulder. She sighed as she gazed out over the stunning view. The sky was a beautiful mix of reds and oranges. It was spectacular.
“I can’t figure out why this was on his list,” Em mumbled.
“I imagine that it was probably something he wanted to do with you.” I studied her face as she stared up at the stars. Her creamy porcelain skin glowed in the soft light of the full moon. Her lips parted into a smile as she turned to me.
“Do you think he’s up there, watching?” she asked.
“Definitely,” I smirked. “Andy wouldn’t miss this. I think he’s always watching over you.” She nodded, as if she was happy with that thought.
We floated around for the next half an hour, drinking champagne and snacking on fresh strawberries. I could spend every morning this way. It was amazing what these experiences were doing to push us out of our comfort zones. Every task brought with it the realization that life is short, and we needed to push ourselves to get the most out of it. What was the point in sitting at home wishing things were different?
Even in death, Andy was pushing us to face our fears.
***
“So what now?” Em asked, smiling at me.
After the balloon ride, we had driven out to Vicker’s Point and gone hiking, and had lunch down by the creek. Then we had gone into town and done some shopping. Now, it was just after six in the evening and we were driving back to the beach house. I was beat, but there was more planned. It was time to cross another thing off Andy’s list.
“Now we go back to the beach house. Everything should be ready,” I added, wiggling my eyebrows.
“What have you planned?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.
“You’ll see.”
We left the shopping in the car and I led her down the beach. She laughed as soon as we walked over the hill and she saw the surprise. It wasn’t much of a surprise, because it was kind of hard to hide the inflatable jumping castle that was floating on the water.
“My God.” She giggled, her hand covering her mouth. “I wondered what that big blob was from the sky! How the hell did you pull that off?”
“I have connections.” I grinned. “Come on. Dinner will be getting cold.”
“Dinner?” she repeated. Her face was glowing. It felt so good to see her smile. I’d been surprised at how easy it had been to find a company willing to bring a castle all the way out there and set it up on the water for the night. I was paying extra for the private chef who was preparing us a three-course meal, but it was worth it to see her happy.
We walked to the edge of the water and over the inflatable ramp into the bright yellow and blue castle. Em laughed as it swayed beneath us, each step like walking through a vat full of marshmallow. Losing her balance, she crashed into me, sending us both into a fit of giggles.
“Good thing I don’t get seasick,” she joked. She sat down next to the tabletop that had been placed in the center of the castle.
“Good thing for me, you mean. I can just imagine you throwing up all over the place.”
She reached over and shoved my arm.
“Anyway, I hope you’re hungry.”
Em looked up as a formally dressed waiter stepped onto the castle, juggling two perfectly plated appetizers.
“Salmon ravioli.” The waiter smiled, setting the appetizers down in front of us. The smell of butter, cream, and salmon wafted around me. My stomach rumbled loudly as my mouth watered.
“Wow, this looks amazing,” Em said. She picked up her fork and eased it under one of the delicate pillows of pasta, scooping it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and smiled. “So good.”
She was right: it was delicious. As were the confit duck legs we had for main, and the rich double-chocolate mousse that was served for dessert.