Nature Knows Best

As they headed out the door, Evelyn had to ask if her husband was OK. They were going to walk a long way and all that weight was not going to help on the rolling hills along the path to their hiking area. But Alex was insisting this was to happen as he had planned. The next several miles were going to be a real test that should he pass might reassure her about the long hike ahead. The course Alex had mapped out would give them plenty of alone time to talk privately.

Alex knew he was more prepared for this trip than Evelyn was giving him credit for. The city dweller that he had been should not have known how to handle the rigors of a near desert like hike up a mountain side. He knew he had to earn her respect, as she was a comfortable country girl who kept herself fit by enjoying nature fully whenever she could get away from work. The fact she grew up with nature proved an advantage, yet made her under estimate his abilities, a mistake she’d soon discover with a bit of blushing filled smiles.

For the time being, Alex could not understand why Evelyn could not trust him to adapt to various life circumstances. Worse, why couldn’t she let go of enough control to allow him to plan out an outdoor adventure his way anyway. Everything had to be adjusted to her taste, her experiences, her preferences. She seemed to love being in control and looked down on his urban skills in their suburban living.

Evelyn felt she had good reasons to refuse some of the ideas Alex had. They were not in touch with reality. They were not the best of ideas. They worked just for him, but she had to live with the cost of his ideas if things went wrong. That was just not acceptable. Besides the ridiculous request to have her hike in just a sports bra and leggings, Alex had tried to get her to wear nylon beneath the leggings. Absolutely ridiculous, out right stupid, and dangerous idea. He had no idea how much overheating this would cause her. Besides, that was not fashionable to do anyway. Evelyn felt good about rejecting that idea and putting Alex in his place. Guys had weird bizarre taste that was always super impractical and very superficial. How did they sleep at night making their women feel horrible was beyond her.

Her plan was to go at a fast pace and tire him out so that he’d change his mind before the sun got too warm. Once he got too tired and overheated, they’d take the bus back home and life would return back to their normal predictable routine. Evelyn appreciated Alex’s effort to spice things up a little, but the great outdoors was her area of expertise and his was making money at a desk job. Alex just needed to stay in his lane.

Several water bottles later, they were getting to some challenging terrain. They had not talked much as she was focused on keeping a brisk pace to tire him out. On his part, Alex was just managing his energy to keep up and leave some in reserve. After all, he was carrying a lot of supplies and he could sense that Evelyn was trying to push his limits.