Flash Fiction Romance! - Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

Heading back to camp at sunset.

This week on Romance Writers Weekly, S. C. Mitchell has set us a Flash Fiction Challenge:

Give us a romantic scene to set the mood for Valentines Day.

Before I give you my scene, I have to confess something. Mr. C and I don't "do" Valentine's Day. We don't exchange cards or give gifts or go out for dinner. It's something we decided a long time ago in our marriage, and it works for us. But that's not to say we aren't romantic at other times of the year. As our kids get older and leave home, it's actually easier to find time for romance, for connecting with each other again. We love camping, and while times at the lake with the children are some of our best family memories, there is something to be said for the two of us heading off on our own. That being said, what I've written below isn't really fiction. We've had days like these. But here's my scene:

We spend the day in our boat, puttering around to different bays and backwaters, anchoring when we feel like it to take a swim in the clear, peat-coloured waters. The sun warms my skin with a gentle caress, and the rocking motion caused as other boaters skim by us is soothing. In the prow of our boat is a wide bench and I lay there, pretending to read but really just soaking in the view, the serenity, the very air.

When the sun begins its descent behind the mountains, my husband steers us back to the dock. It's a short walk to our trailer, set up in a clearing among the trees. On our way we pass other campers—a group of young men in tents, harried parents with young children drunk on freedom, a rental motorhome with its tourists shut up tight behind closed doors.

The steaks have been marinating all day. I slice onions, green peppers and mushrooms and wrap potatoes in aluminum foil. My husband gets the fire going and pours us each a glass of wine. We're in absolutely no hurry, even though we are both starving after our day in the fresh air. When the potatoes are just right, he fries up the vegetables, then slides the steaks onto the grill over the dancing flames. The sizzle and snap makes my mouth water.

We eat off plates on our knees sitting beside the fire, with a second glass of wine to complement the meal. The light is finally starting to fade on this long summer's night. We will clear up our dinner together, play a few games of crib, and then snuggle together in our comfortable bed.

It may not be lobster and roses, champagne and candlelight. But to me, time like this, time spent together with no distractions, no interruptions, in conversation or in silence, is the most romantic of all.

I love to hear what you think of my little scene above. Are you a outdoorsy person? Or would you prefer a more urban experience? Let me know. And then, be sure to hope on to A.S. Fenichel whose next on the blog hop! 

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