We had paved our own trail. The dusty dirt under our feet had become crackling branches while the hills and hills of dead scrubs scratched up and down our legs with every step. We were coloring outside the lines, thinking outside the box, a trait I didn’t even realize I had before I met him. The moment was full of hope and promise even there. Surrounded by what looked like the aftermath of a wildfire, we were two stars alone in a deserted galaxy. It didn’t matter where we were. What mattered was what lay ahead. The pleasantly cool California air cooled the perspiration that built on the hike to the top. A slight wind brushed my hair across my face, tickling my nose and sticking to my eyelashes, forcing me to run my fingers through my knotted