The mist rose up from the field, little droplets sparkling on each blade of grass as the rising sun began to evaporate it. Her feet felt cold; after all, sneakers weren’t rubber boots and stockings were poor excuses for actual socks but the feeling of the dew seeping through the stockings onto her legs made her feel alive and awake. Everything about this time of the day made her feel alive and wake as she ran through the field, only slowing down as she passed a congregation of sheep, many of whom lifted their heads to stare as she darted past.

If the sneakers and stockings hadn’t been enough, the purple dress blew around her knees as she ran, the tails of the black tuxedo jacket she wore overtop flying behind in her wake. She laughed jubilantly as she scaled the wooden log fence that enclosed the one field, snagging the hem of her dress on a nail on the way, but things like that were of little consequence right now.

The ground dipped sharply into a hill, her hands reaching out to grab tree branches for balance as she slid down the embankment through the forest. The air inside was colder than the field, but steam still rose up from the ground as her sneakers kicked up fallen leaves and dirt on the way to her destination. Brown hair was now falling out from the once neat bun that was pinned on the back of her head, and the brunette was quite sure her entire face was tinged with red from running and not just her cheeks from where the rouge had been. The jacket sleeves fell far past her wrists and the cuffs were now scratched with twig marks, and a leaf had managed to wedge itself into the cufflink but there was no time to waste so she merely shoved the sleeves up her arms once more.

It was an action of little meaning as the next minute they had fallen down once more, but the sound was growing steadily as she continued to race to the bottom of the hill, reaching gently rolling grass dotted with trees once more. Her lungs were screaming for a reprieve from the exertion but she continued forward, one mud clad sneaker in front of the other until the sound was nearly bursting in her eardrums and the sun was beginning to blind her. The ground was becoming rockier, her ankle rolling as she stumbled over a particularly vicious jut of stone. Yet even that was not enough deterrence for any action other than a shouted curse as she forced on, veering suddenly to the left through a thicket of trees before reaching a rocky outcrop of land.

Ocean mist sprayed down on her as the sound of the surf pounded in her ears, green eyes sparkling out upon the expanse of ocean in front of her. In the distance a dark landmass could just be made out, thousands of miles away from where she stood on the edge of the island, a hundred feet above the ocean below. A shout from the forest made her turn, wisps of brown hair falling into her face and before she could see she felt; strong arms wrapped around her waist as she flew around the air, shrieking at the top of her lungs above the crashing waves as her arms reached out for something stable to hold onto.

They came to cling to his neck as their chests rose and fell steadily against each other in the crisp air; her head found solace in the crook of his neck as strands of his brown hair ticked her cheek and his arms tightened around her midsection, holding her to him as if he were afraid to let go. Slowly they stopped turning, coming to swag gently on the cliff’s edge with her legs still dangling and his lips placing a kiss to her hair covered temple.

Slowly their breathing both abated and she felt his arms loosening from around her and her feet back touching the ground. Yet he still held onto her, one arm running down the jacket covered arm as the other pushed a large loose chunk of hair behind her ear and his lips breaking out into an unmistakable grin.

“I can’t believe you beat me.”
“Always the tone of surprise,” she laughed, “I told you the field was faster.”
“And I thought I had the distinct advantage of not being in a cocktail gown.”
“Obviously you thought wrong, Andrew.”
“Obviously I didn’t take into account your willingness to destroy your dress and my jacket.” Andrew said, plucking a leaf out of the cuff.
“Obviously.”

The mist was beginning to clear as the sun rose higher into the sky, heat beating down upon their faces. Her skin rose in goose pimples, but whether it was from the morning chill or the touch of Andrew’s lips against hers, Evelynne wasn’t certain. The wind gusted now as the waves seemed to pick up beneath them, thundering and crashing out even the sound of the gulls. With a simple nod the brunette placed her hand into Andrew’s outstretched one, allowing herself to be lead away from the cliff’s edge back into the winding forest.

“You’ve got leaves in your hair, you know.” She remarked after some time, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.
“And you’ve got mud all up your stockings.”
“It’s fashionable.”
“In Canada? I’m hard pressed to believe even that, luv.”
“You wouldn’t know what’s fashionable in Canada or not, would you, luv?”

His hand squeezed hers tightly as her voice teased; the ocean was beginning to fade into background noise by the time they silently scaled the hill and Andrew helped her over the fence. In the distance, beyond the sheep that again silently took time to watch them cut a path across their pasture, Evelynne began to see the old cottage nestled between two thickets of forest, surrounded by a large herb garden.

They had been gone only an hour from the elaborate party in the ballroom that, from the music resonating from the structure, still continued to go on. It hadn’t been Evelynne’s idea to have the lavish affair; no, that had fallen to Andrew’s grandparents who instead they host the entire family, plus family friends, at their estate in the Swords countryside. After all, they reasoned, it wasn’t everyday their grandson became engaged. Why a small, close family dinner couldn’t sufficiently celebrate that fact Evelynne wasn’t certain.

“Are they really all still awake?”
“Grandmum and Pops? Hardly,” Andrew laughed, kissing her cheek as they navigated the pathway through the garden, “It’s probably just the cousins, luv. I doubt even Mum made it to the morning.”
“She did have a bit much wine…”

Andrew burst out laughing as she grinned innocently, allowing him to lead her up the steps on the porch. The sun had risen fully at this point as they opened the door and slide inside the cottage, only to be accosted by a tall dirty blonde with a fag in one hand and a pint in the other.

“There you two are! Sod, Mum’s throwing a fit, Drew,” he paused to take drag, “thinks sneaking out of your own engagement party to have a shag doesn’t show well to the family. Not that I think anything’s wrong with a shag in the woods. Do you remember just past the barn there’s that grove of trees, and I’ll tell you that in there I had the best-”

She titled her head upwards to look at Andrew standing beside her; his blue eyes staring intently back at her as he bit at a smile on his lips. His fingers, still holding her hand, brushed over the diamond ring that sat on her finger, raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner as in the background his brother continued, nearly forgotten. She smirked while shrugging her shoulders, letting Andrew’s hand drop from her grasp to throw her arm around his brother, leading Scott farther into the house.

“Scott, dear, I love you to death, but if we’re going to be family, there’s something such as too much information….”