The clouds of sleep were parting as my senses began to wake. I turned over, still far from consciousness, and my face was on Tobey’s pillow, his smell filling my senses. I lazily lifted one eyelid and nearly jumped out of bed at the sight of the little blonde head at the edge of the bed, the blue-green eyes wide with surprise.

It was Weston.

“Shhhhhh!” he hissed. “I’ll be in trouble if Mom knows I’m in here!”

“What are you doing?” I asked groggily.

“My Go-Bot was lost,” he said and his head disappeared as I heard rustling coming from under the bed.

The blonde head resurfaced, toy in hand. “I knew he was in here,” Weston grinned triumphantly. “Don’t tell my Mom, OK?”

“It’s OK, Wes,” I told him. “I’m glad you found your toy.”

Weston quietly scampered out of the room as I rolled over and stretched. I felt like I’d been asleep for days, and when I looked at the digital alarm on the nightstand, I gasped. It was 11:30. I stretched again, enjoying the rest I had gotten. Pure, deep sleep – free from nightmares and insomnia. Something I hadn’t enjoyed in the last few weeks. I sighed happily, feeling more rested than I had in a very long time.

* * *

A fire had been lit in the living room, the crackling, snapping embers weaving a spell upon me-- I'd never felt so relaxed. The house had the comfort and warmth and noise of a home with children present. JP and Weston could be heard playing video games in the next room.

“Mom’s taking the boys for the afternoon, they both have dentist appointments,” Tobey was saying, as he finished unloading the dishwasher. “So what would you like to do today?”

I had showered and dressed and was sitting at the kitchen table, nibbling at an English muffin. “Well, what kind of sight-seeing is there to do around here?” I asked.

Tobey laughed. “Sight-seeing? In Medford?”

I grinned back at him.

“Well, he said, “we can go into town. I heard they just got a Starbuck’s.”

***

We both put on an extra sweater and jacket and went outside-- the cold going straight through our clothes and into our bones. My feet went crunch over the ice on the driveway. I opened the door to the car that Wendy was letting us use and nearly had a heart attack.

"Oh my goodness!"

"What?"

"It's . . . snowing!"

Delicate flakes of lace were slowly drifting from the sky. I held my hand out and let them land silently upon my fingertips.

"Barely, yes."

"Well, I've never seen the snow fall!" I said in awe.

Tobey blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I've been skiing and all that, but I've never actually seen the snow fall."

"Wow," he breathed. And then, "Okay, Homer Wells, get in the car."

I stuck my tongue out and obeyed.

We ended up in the center of town at a Starbuck’s with lots of wood and earthy furnishings. We walked in and seated ourselves in the corner where it was warmest. And darkest. Tobey had warned me that Medford wasn't like Los Angeles where the people were generally cool about celebrities and one could go to stores and restaurants with relative ease. Here everyone knew everyone else's business and being approached was inevitable.

We went up to the counter and ordered Tobey’s cappuccino and my caramel macchiato. Sure enough, by the time we sat back down at the table, I noticed at least a half dozen pairs of eyes staring at us. Especially a young woman behind the counter who was trying hard to make out that she wasn't staring, but kept stealing a peak every other second. Tobey was most definitely aware of it, but kept his smile all the same.

"See? What did I tell you about damn small town busy bodies."

"Do you want to leave--?” I asked.

"What? Why? No, we're fine here. Your macchiato okay?"

"It's delicious," I answered quietly.

Tobey took a sip and sighed. "They're harmless, really, they're just . . ."

My attention fell on a girl whispering quite loudly and pointing.

"Just . . . tactless?" I offered.

Tobey laughed and reached his hand over to hold mine. "Natty, what would I do without you?"

I smiled softly and looked away.

“I’m really glad you’re here with me,” he said softly.

“Me too,” I whispered, meeting his eyes again.

* * *

Our days in Medford were filled with activities with the boys and yet enough alone time that Tobey and I were beginning to settle into each other’s presence again. I still felt like a mess inside my head, but Tobey was very good at keeping things calm around me, and being around for me without being smothering. He seemed to understand when I needed time off by myself to read, or go for a walk or just to think.

There was so much to think about that I just couldn’t quite get it all sorted in my head just yet. At the heart of it, though, was the purpose of this familial trip. Was it really a simple getaway? I couldn’t even begin to guess Tobey’s motives. I didn’t know how to ask. I learned to just watch, and pay attention. He told me daily how happy he was I had joined him on this trip. He commented on my patience with his brothers, and how much they liked me.

I began to settle into living a day to day life again, getting out of bed each day, and going on with everyday activities. The clouds of depression were still there, but they were gradually beginning to lose their grip on me and fade away. I began to feel alive a little more with each day. I felt like I was beginning to heal.

* * *

When our stay was up, we packed our things and Wendy drove us to the Klamath Falls Airport. I could tell the boys were sad to see Tobey leave, they hung on him at every opportunity, and never stopped talking.

“Maybe you guys can come visit us in LA when you have some time off school,” I suggested.

“Can we?” JP asked excitedly.

“We’ll have to see,” Tobey said, “but probably. And you guys are coming to LA for the Spider-Man premiere, right?”

“Oh, yeah!” Weston cried. “Dude, me and JP are in it, we gotta be there in case some hot chicks want our autographs!” He and his brother proceeded to high-five one another as the rest of us laughed.

Wendy was shaking her head. “That kid is just too much like you,” she said to her older son as they hugged their good-bye. “You take care of yourself now. Natalia darling, see to it that he keeps himself out of trouble, won’t you? And out of the hospital too, if he can help it.”

I laughed. “Hey, I’m just the girlfriend, I’m not a Miracle Worker.” I reached forward and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you for everything, Wendy.”

Good-byes said, we boarded the tiny plane that would take us to Portland. It wasn’t until we were in the air that it hit me – tomorrow evening we’d be boarding yet another plane headed to Hawaii. My heart jumped and my stomach did a flip-flop. Hawaii!!!