In the middle of the night, Patrick was awoken by what sounded like footsteps. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and looked about, searching for who it might be. Was it one of the students? Amber?

Focusing his attention to the right, he could just barely make out the shape of someone clearly heading towards him. What with how dark it was, he struggled to pinpoint who it could be, but as they drew closer towards him, he saw it was a man. The guy had brown hair, wore jeans, a work shirt and a long tan coat that flapped in the wind as he walked. Around his neck he wore a garland of multi-colored flowers – a lei – as so commonly seen by those in Hawaii. He also wore an odd-looking ring on his finger. It was silver with a slate-colored stone in the centre. Surrounding the stone was a series of unfamiliar symbols that Patrick couldn't recall having ever seen before. It seemed to be some sort of inscription, but in no language the teacher could make sense of.

Strangely, though Patrick hadn't any clue as to who this guy was, he didn't feel any immediate sense of hesitation one normally felt when approached by a stranger. No, something about this new arrival made him feel he was the sort of guy one could trust and feel at ease around. He couldn't explain it, but he felt it just the same.

"Evening," the guy said in a friendly tone. "Great night for star-gazing, huh?"

Patrick yawned, and sat up straighter. "Sure," he answered. "Even got to see a couple constellations. I used to stargaze lots when I was a kid, but now, I get a lot more out of it. Makes me curious though, what's really up there."

The guy gave a knowing smile and replied, "Well, now that's quite the question, isn't it? What's truly out there? What wonders are out there to explore?"

Patrick studied the guy more closely, noticing how calm and confident he appeared. With his hands resting on his hips, he surveyed the sky as if he held all the knowledge of the ages. To Patrick, he looked like a prophet, or some person of great wisdom who held all the answers to so many questions. Whoever this mysterious stranger was, Patrick felt a sudden sense of curiosity about him that he himself couldn't quite understand. In a word, the guy was an enigma.

"You from around here?" Patrick asked the guy.

"I suppose you could say that," was the answer. "I'm from here, there, and all over. I come and go, traveling far and wide."

"So you're a traveler?"

Upon hearing this, the guy chuckled. Patrick went on staring at the guy in confusion, wondering what was funny, but now all the more curious as to who he was.

"You've no idea how right you are," the guy told him. "I'm indeed a traveler."

"Is this your first time in Hawaii?"

"Nope, I've stopped by here before. Wonderful place."

"Oh, I'm here with some students of mine," Patrick explained. "It's like a school trip, but more like a vacation, really. Of course, the kids love not having homework. Can't blame them for that. It is pretty amazing here."

"Can't argue with that," said the guy in agreement. "Then again, I've always been a beach kind of guy. Nothing like grabbing a surf board and riding some wicked waves."

Patrick was about to respond, but found his thoughts drifting off to other places. Without intending to, he found himself thinking of Amber and like a move on re-run, he saw her angered face, so full of hurt, staring at him with her conflicted eyes. Like daggers to his heart, he once more felt the pain of her stinging comments pushing down on him like a mighty storm.

With a quiet, almost inaudible sigh, he directed his focus back up to the sky. The only difference was he no longer looked up with awe-struck eyes; his eyes were now clouded by unmistakable loneliness.

"Something on your mind?" the guy asked, leaning against the tree.

"A lot of things, actually," said Patrick, sounding weary. He sounded like a guy who'd been through a lot, and he was now starting to feel the true weight of it.

Despite the fact that he was a stranger, Patrick felt if there was anyone who was willing to listen and take the time to offer advice, it was this guy. Normally, Patrick was a thinker and liked giving deep thought into things, but not tonight. Tonight, his mind felt as tired as if he'd gone days without sleep.

"It's my girlfriend," he began. "Well…was my girlfriend. We're not together anymore. A month ago, we split up when she thought I'd left her for another woman. But that wasn't what happened. I'd never have done something like that, but she caught some other woman kissing me…but I hadn't any idea who she was! She…it was like she just showed up out of nowhere. Literally. She acted like we'd always known each other, but I'd never seen her before. Then next day, I find out her body was discovered in the woods – no one knows if she was murdered or if it was suicide – but nothing makes sense." Patrick stopped talking, long enough to quickly replay all that had happened that morning, the morning he and Amber's love had been shattered without hesitation. "I know it doesn't make sense," Patrick told the guy. "I don't even understand it myself. All I know is she now hates me…and I can't change that. There's nothing I can do to fix this."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," the guy shot back thoughtfully. "You'd be surprised at how things can change with a little time and perseverance."

"I want to believe that's true," said Patrick, letting another sigh escape him. "But I don't think anything can help us now. There's no changing what she saw."

"If it's help you're looking for," the guy offered. "Why not look to yourself?"

Patrick looked up at the guy, and raised a brow in puzzlement. "Me?"

"Sure," said the guy casually. He shrugged and added, "I'm sure you're a smart, resourceful guy."

"Not smart enough to find a way out of this," Patrick said doubtfully.

The guy smiled and said with unwavering certainty, "If you need help, son, then I can't think of a better person to help you than yourself."

"What can I do though?" asked Patrick, looking to the ground. "I tried talking to her, but that never seems to work. She's too upset to listen to anything I have to say." He paused for a moment, and then said in defeat, "Who knows? Maybe we're not meant to be together at all."

"Well," said the guy calmly. "Ask yourself: is this the way things are meant to be?"

"I want to say no," Patrick admitted. "But what do I know? What if we really aren't supposed to be together? Maybe this is how things were always meant to be?"

"From what you tell me," the guy concluded, sounding admiringly confident. "This isn't the way things were meant to be. Want my advice?"

Patrick waited for the guy's response.

"Go and change that," was the guy's simple advice. "If this isn't the way things were meant to be, then you go and change that till you can say with absolute confidence: this is the way it was meant to be."

Patrick rolled those words around in his head, considering their unlikely, deeper meaning. Like a puzzle of many pieces, no doubt there was a deep message hidden within that he so badly wanted to unravel.

"You're a smart guy, Patrick," the guy reminded him. "Someone like yourself will surely find a way to find the solution to your problem. You just need a little push."

As Patrick spent a moment analysing the guy's advise, scrutinizing over how he could possibly undo what had been, he hardly noticed the guy vanishing out of sight. High above, the shining stars appeared brighter than earlier that night, as if now wide-awake and humming with newfound energy.

After thinking it over, a confused look crossed his face. Looking over his shoulder, he called out, "Wait…how did you know my name?" But peering behind him, he saw the guy was no longer there. Patrick looked all about, but nowhere in sight was the mysterious man. Strangely, he seemed to have vanished right out of sight. One moment he was there, the next…gone. Where he could have gone to, Patrick couldn't guess.

"Well, whoever you are…thanks," Patrick uttered, his eyes again fixed on the vast sky.

It wasn't till the final hours of the night that Patrick fell into a dream that felt oddly familiar. When morning arrived, he didn't remember much of the dream itself, only that he recalled seeing that stranger again. Like when they'd spoken, he was still wearing jeans, a work shirt and a long tan coat and still he wore that smile that said so many things. Feeling the dream slipping away from him, Patrick tried calling out for the guy's name – wanting to know who he was – but everything was wiped out in an instant. Colors swirled, he felt the sensation of falling, and next thing he knew, he felt the radiant sun shining down on his face.

Morning already? he thought, surprised by how quickly the night had gone.

Remaining in bed for only a minute, he then got up, looked out the bedroom window and smiled. Just like yesterday, the sun was shining brightly as always, the palm trees were swaying lazily in the wind and the beach seemed to be calling to him. Another perfect day for relaxing on the sand and floating about in the tropical waters awaited him.

"Hello again, Hawaii," he said, no longer feeling sleepy. "Long time no see."

It didn't take long for all the students to hurry out of bed and make their way downstairs to the breakfast buffet. With the mouth-watering display of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, stacks of heavenly pancakes, fresh bits of fruit, creamy yogurts and chocolate fountain, how could one spend the day in bed?

Following breakfast, the students made their way to the beach. Nothing was on their minds except running barefoot across the soft, warm sand, searching for seashells, and floating about in the tropical waters. The group spent much time on the beach and around noon, Patrick and Amber led them up farther into the neck of the woods. Only a few minutes from the beach was a hiking trail that offered many fruits one could pick fresh from the shrubs. As they walked, Patrick wished he and Amber could enjoy this adventure in the woods. Instead, they hardly spoke and the longer they went on walking, the more Patrick wanted so badly to make the first move and try and speak with her.

He said I was the only one who could help myself, thought Patrick, re-running the man's words over in his head. But how can I help myself when I can't even talk to her? Am I really that cowardly?

After they spent some time picking berries from the shrubs – juicy blackberries, sweet raspberries and plump blueberries – they sat down to relax and enjoy the scrumptious feast. They'd found a perfect spot just beside a great river where the trees towered overhead, providing just the right amount of shade. As the kids snacked away and chatted amongst themselves, Patrick settled down in front of a large tree. With his back against the huge trunk, he took in the sight of the constantly roaring river before him. Letting his gaze wander farther outward, he wondered where the river ended. Was there a waterfall somewhere at the end, or did it continue on farther? He wondered this only for a moment, and then closed his eyes, rested his head against the trunk of the tree…and let the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves fill his mind. It reminded him of back home in Chelsea when he'd venture aboveground to revisit the rolling, grassy plains.

Amber, meanwhile, had noticed a particularly delicious looking shrub dotted with the reddest, ripest raspberries one could hope to see. Even from across the river, there was no missing the distinct red and one look at those berries, and it got her mouth watering. Wondering how she could safely cross the river, her eyes fell on what appeared to be a wooden bridge spanning across the width of the river. It looked plenty sturdy enough and without a second thought, she made her way towards it, being careful not to trip over fallen branches or loose stones.

When she reached the bottom, she examined the bridge more closely and saw that it was indeed sturdy enough. As she slowly started her way across, she felt the weight of the bridge and knew that it could likely hold herself and several others. Who had constructed the bridge, she wasn't sure of, but it was a convenient enough place to have built one.

Perched up high in the treetops, however, was a black raven. Unlike most ravens, it was much larger in size and its black was more the color of dark, ominous shadows. Its eyes though, were the brightest, most piercing shade of blue. Watching in amusement as the young teacher made her way across the bridge, it inched its way closer to the end of the branch. Then, as she was just about to step off the bridge, it dove downward in a single swoop, its eyes blazing like a wild, blue inferno.

Then, with a shrieking CAW, the bird adjusted its course slightly, now heading straight for her at eye level. She started in surprise, and turning, she saw the unmistakable form of a jet-black bird rushing towards her, its talons out and beak open, still shrieking fiercely. For a second, she almost couldn't accept what she was seeing. It made no sense – a bird speeding towards her? She had to be seeing things? Yet it almost looked like this bird was meaning to attack her. Like predator and prey, it continued its descent, not slowing down for even a second.

As crazy an image as it was, there was no shaking it loose. With a great flap of its wings and a startling screech, it was nearly on her, its talons ready to strike her in the face. She felt a growing sense of dread and confusion. Without realizing it, she started taking a step backwards and as if challenging her, the raven sped up, its cries echoing through the sky. She took another step; it was like her body now had a mind of its own and she was merely along for the ride. What she didn't realize was that she was drawing nearer and nearer to the edge of the bridge.

The next thing she knew, Amber had fallen right off the bridge itself…and was swallowed up in the rapidly moving river. Like a ravenous beast, she'd fallen right into its gaping mouth, and was now trapped and spiralling into a state of utter panic. As for the raven, it shot upward back into the sky, but still with its piercing eyes fixed on the now unfolding drama below. It was in no hurry, and wished to witness its latest spectacle.

"Did you hear that?" asked Jay suddenly, looking to the sky.

'Yeah, sounds like a bird," Em remarked, her eyes studying the bird closely.

"A loud one, too," added Roger.

"Wait – what's that sound?" asked Jay, listening closely.

"It sounds like…like—" but before Em could finish, they were all interrupted by a deafening cry that cut through the silence.

"Help!"

One look down at the river and both Em and Jay spotted Amber, helplessly being carried down the fury of the river.

"Ms. Norm!" they both shouted.

"Get Mr. Mac!" Em ordered. Without waiting, she hurried down the hill as fast as her legs could carry her.

But when Jay, Roger and Shana looked, they saw he was no longer by the tree. But where had he gone? A quick look around, and Jay pointed to their left.

"There he is!" Jay announced.

Em caught up to them and declared breathlessly, "He's going after her."

"No way," Jay exclaimed.

"Come on!" she shouted and with that, she and the others hurried after their teacher.

The first moment when she'd fallen into the river, it hadn't hit Amber exactly what had happened. The shock of what was now unfolding hadn't occurred to her till she felt the jarring sensation of being dragged under. One minute she was struggling to keep her head above water, the next, she was horridly pulled under. Like a rag doll being dragged along, she desperately tried keeping her head up while gasping for breath. With the rush of water swirling all around her, she could barely make out her surroundings. Even the sky above her felt non-existent. All she felt was the water swallowing her up. All she heard was the roaring and rushing that seemed to scream like thunder in her ears.

With every moment her head was forced under, she thought numbly: I'm not going to make it.

Lifting her head back up, she coughed forcefully, struggling to see anything other than the furious water. Wait – was there something running alongside the river in the woods. Her head swam but she looked harder, thinking that it must have been someone. But…who was it? Or was she imagining it all? She saw the outline of the trees and what she thought was someone running amongst them? Whoever it was, they were running at top speed.

There was no time to wonder, for she was once again pulled under. This time, she felt the entire world spinning in a violent, startling blur. She felt her lungs screaming for air and with the greatest effort, she popped her head back up, feeling completely helpless against this unforgiving river.

That was when she heard it – the voice. Somehow it seemed to cut right through the rushing water.

"Amber!"

Exhausted, she looked again to her right. As before, she saw the faint outline of what appeared to be someone running. Through the trees, she saw the figure running so quickly, it looked like nothing more than a speeding blur.

She tried calling out feebly, but instead felt the water forcing her under yet again.

"Amber, hold on!" screamed Patrick, his heart pounding in his chest.

Amber felt a surge of hope. She knew that voice! It was the one, single, familiar voice that never seemed to leave her. It was always there, especially in times when she so desperately needed to hear it the most.

It was when she finally saw who it was that she cried out in a desperate, pleading call for help that sent chills down Patrick's spine.

"PATRICK!"

"Amber, I'm coming! Just hold on!"

With his heart wanting to leap right out of his chest, Patrick willed his legs to move faster. Never in his life had he remembered running so quickly, with such fear swelling in his heart. With each step he took, he silently told himself to keep moving, to not let her out of his sight…to bring her back to safety. Whatever it took, he told himself he'd take her out of the rush and fury of the river that had so unexpectedly snatched hold of her.

"Patrick, I—" but again, Amber's head vanished beneath the water.

Patrick's mind raced upon seeing this. That was when he quickened his paced, approached the edge of the woods and looked out onto the rushing water – and Amber. In that one single moment, he felt so many emotions flooding through him. But it was then that everything became crystal clear. He knew what he needed to do.

Without even hesitating, he jumped into the river.

Unlike Amber, the rush and speed of the water hit Patrick instantaneously. While running, it had looked to be moving quickly but it wasn't till now that he felt the true power as it now too dragged him along in its path. But rather than let the shock of it sink in, he struggled against the constantly moving water. Between trying to keep Amber in his sights and not get sucked under himself, it was a battle he hadn't expected. While pumping his arms to move faster, he wondered if his efforts would all be lost? Did he really stand a chance against this relentless river?

The answer he chose was…yes.

"Amber!" he hollered, watching her closely. "Amber, I'm right here!"

"Patrick, please!" she called out weakly.

"Swim hard, Amber!" he screamed. "Keep your head up!"

"I-I can't!" she yelled, the roar of the water drowning out her cries.

"Yes, you can!" he yelled back, keeping his head above water. "I'm not far! Just swim to me."

But try as she might, she just couldn't seem to reach Patrick. What with how helpless she felt, he sounded like he was miles away, completely unable to release her from the devious trap the raven above had so easily executed.

For Patrick, it dawned on him that she wouldn't be able to reach him. She just didn't have the strength to fight against this. But could he himself find the strength to keep fighting until it was too late?

Then they both heard it. The sound was unmistakable. Without needing to see it, both knew at once what awaited them – a waterfall. If they couldn't find a way out of this river, it wouldn't be long till both went plummeting to their deaths.

"Amber, just keep swimming!" Patrick called frantically. "Don't look anywhere else. Just keep looking at me! I'm right here!"

"Patrick," she cried out, trying to listen to nothing other than his voice. It was close, yet still so hopelessly far.

"Just hold on!" he cried out, focusing only on Amber and Amber alone.

Closer and closer he drew, but still not close enough to reach out and grab hold of her. But that didn't stop him from trying. How many times he himself got dragged under, he couldn't guess. For him, it didn't matter – so long as he was in that river, he wouldn't stop till he'd gotten hold of her and brought her to safety…or died in the attempt. But it was a wild, overwhelming battle he'd just become part of, and he could feel the weight of it draining him.

But then he heard Amber's pleading voice and a surge of energy shot through him like the wildest storm. Where the rush of energy came from, he couldn't say for sure but whatever the case, he was thankful for it. After another minute of struggling against the water, he was now close enough to reach out for her.

"Amber, here!" he called quickly. "I'm right here! Grab on to my arm!"

Amber looked and saw the outstretched arm, but so tired and dizzy she felt.

"Amber!" he cried forcefully. "You can do it!"

Hearing his voice, she shook off the weight of dizziness, reached out…and grabbed on to his arm. She feared that the river would drag her away and down, down over the waterfall, but she held on tightly. She did her best to block out the frightening image of falling over a roaring waterfall; she envisioned she and Patrick reaching the edge of the wood and climbing up to safety.

Relieved for the moment, Patrick then focused on getting them out of the river. A part of him wondered if they might not make it at all. Would the river grab on to both of them without mercy and bring them to the edge, only to then send them plummeting downward? But still another part of him – a part that never failed to arise when he needed it the most – told him not to give in.

Keep your head up, eyes open…and keep moving, he told himself.

One moment, he was seeing the edge of the woods, and their place of safety. Another moment, his eyes were seeing multiple, intertwining images. Like blurring colors that blended seamlessly into the other, they clouded his now swirling vision.

Focus, Patrick! he thought, blocking out any distractions. Focus…focus…just keep focusing.

And then, like a lifeline to a drowning man, he saw it – their ticket to safety. With increased focus, Patrick forced his arms and legs to propel them across and closer towards the fallen log that was just within reach. Despite having to carry both the weights of himself and Amber, so light she felt behind him, that it wasn't as difficult as he'd expected. What made it tirelessly challenging was having to fight against the water that kept trying to pull them along, wanting to keep them from escaping.

But Patrick Mac was a fighter – and wasn't about to stop fighting now.

After a last moment of struggling, he summoned the last burst of strength that was in him, reached out…and grabbed on to the log. Holding on for all he was worth, he then looked back to Amber and declared breathlessly, "We did it."

At first, she couldn't register what he was saying. Had she heard him right? Had he really just said they'd done it?

"Here, I'll help you up," offered Patrick. While still holding on tightly to the log, he pulled her up so she could grab on, walk across and make her way back onto solid ground.

When she did so, she felt a little unsteady on her feet. Stopping, she stared down at the ground, waiting for the world to stop spinning in chaotic circles. Finally, when it did, she felt the incredible, reliving sensation of standing. She was again standing on her own two feet. No longer was she being dragged along down a rapidly moving river, fearing that death was waiting for her at the end. It didn't matter that she was rattled, weak and drenched from head to toe. She was alive!

Stepping up beside her, Patrick took a minute to catch his breath. Swallowing, he took in a lungful of fresh air, thankful and beyond relieved that he and Amber had survived. Just minutes ago, he'd feared that not only would he fail to rescue Amber, but that he too would become swallowed up by the mouth of the river. But they'd survived. Both teachers had survived and feeling the sun beaming down on his face, Patrick silently thanked the man from the previous night. He'd explained to Patrick that all he needed was a little push. It wasn't till then that he understood what he'd meant. Through all his doubts and fears and insecurities, he'd triumphed against them all to keep safe what he cared so much about – Amber.

As he stood there still catching his breath, he focused on Amber. She too was catching her breath, but was now looking directly at Patrick. As their eyes then locked, Patrick realized that it had been the longest time since she'd looked at him like this. For the last month, she'd only looked at him with hurt, anger and distrust. But now, all he saw when he stared into her unblinking eyes was a sea of soft, shimmering colors. He tried to read what all these colors meant but before he could try and do so, she rushed up to him, wrapped her arms around him tightly…and held him closely.

Not quite knowing what to say, he wrapped his arms around her, thankful that she was now safe and out of harm's way. Feeling her arms around him, he remembered how much he'd loved feeling her so close to him. And now, he wanted nothing more than to keep her enveloped in a blanket of comfort and safety. He felt it was a miracle that he'd been able to once again protect the woman he loved.

When he felt her body trembling, he pulled her in closer and told her softly, "It's okay…you're okay."

He wondered if just maybe the two might be able to resurrect their buried love? But then the truth hit him, and he remembered. There was no changing how she felt about him. Yes, he had once again saved her life, but would that do anything to change how she felt about what she thought he'd done to her?

In a shaky voice filled of intense emotion, she uttered, "T-thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Amber, I—"

"No, I do," she answered firmly. She stepped back, looked him square in the eye, and felt a tear trickling down her cheek. "You already saved my life once." She paused briefly, then wiped the tear away and told him, "Then you go and do it all over again. Y-you could have died."

Patrick considered this. Yes, he could have indeed died. But that didn't stop him from doing what needed to be done.

He held her gaze and said softly, "And I'd do it again. A thousand times over if I needed to."

"Mr. Mac!"

"Ms. Norm?"

Both teachers turned and saw Em, Jay and all the other students hurrying after them. Patrick had almost forgotten that they'd been calling for him. He felt instant relief at seeing that no one had been hurt.

"Thank goodness you're all okay," he told them.

"Thank goodness you guys are okay!" said Jay, still trying to catch his breath. "That was crazy."

"You sure you guys are okay?" asked Em with concern.

Patrick and Amber exchanged glances, and both nodded numbly.

"Yeah," said Patrick, still trying to wrap his head around what just happened. "We're fine."

Above them and far out of sight, the black raven surveyed the scene below. Its eyes flashed intensely and with a flap of its wings, turned and shot off into the day.

Nothing like a teacher's love to save you from harm, it thought, amused by the spectacle. My, Patrick, how you continue to surprise me.

"How about some lunch?" Patrick suggested. We can eat back at the house."

Everyone agreed to this and in no time, the group was back at the house, sitting down to a delicious lunch. Unlike yesterday – with Amber sitting at the opposite end of the table from him – she now sat beside Patrick. Still trying to wrap her head around things, the two teachers didn't say much, and mostly ate in silence. But every now and then, he caught her eyes watching him with a look that was somewhat hard to read. What was it that was going through her mind? Was she still upset with him over what had taken place between he and that other woman? As the two were still tired from their struggle in the river, they didn't quite know what to say.

It was later that night when the moon was once more in the sky that Patrick made his way outside. He walked past the hammock he'd slept in yesterday and instead, settled down comfortably on a soft, grassy patch. Stretching out before him was an endless, gorgeous view of the golden sand and sapphire-blue waves gently crashing against the shore. Above him were the countless stars that never failed to shine and twinkle in a way that was downright magical.

He was about to see what constellations he could spot…when he heard someone approaching from behind.

Turning, he saw Amber walking towards him. She wore light-blue pyjamas, cottony slippers and had left her hair down, it falling just past her shoulders. What with how she was dressed, she looked to have been just getting ready for bed. But she was outside, under a star-filled sky, now looking to Patrick with shining eyes.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked quietly, as if fearing he might turn her away.

"No, not at all," he said quickly, smiling up at her. "I'd love the company."

Sitting down next to him, she shifted her gaze upward. She hadn't appreciated till now just how breathtakingly beautiful a star-filled sky could be.

"Great night for star-gazing, isn't it?" said Patrick, his eyes taking in the glistening stars.

Amber only nodded in agreement. She then wrapped her arms around her knees, paused only briefly, and said, "Patrick?"

"Yeah?" she heard him say.

She sighed, and then said the two words Patrick hadn't expected to hear, not after what had sprung up between them.

"I'm sorry."

He blinked, and turned to her with a look of surprise on his face.

She felt a dry lump in her throat, but swallowed and went on to say, "When I was in that river today, and I thought I was gonna die, the weirdest thing happened. I was scared to death and could hardly think of anything, but there was one thing I just couldn't get out of my head. I kept thinking: If this is the end, I just hope I can see Patrick Mac's face one more time."

Patrick felt a rush of confusion upon hearing this, but he listened intently as she continued.

"There was only one person I wanted to see. He was the one person who always made me feel so safe, who made me laugh and smile and feel everything you'd ever want to feel. If I was to die, I just hoped the last thing I saw was your face, Patrick. If I could just see your smiling face once more, just once…well…that's all I kept asking for."

"B-but I thought—"

"No," she softly interrupted, locking her eyes on his. "I was wrong. I didn't see that till today. I knew when I first saw you running after me that I was wrong." She then felt the building of tears in her eyes as she whispered, "Here all this time…I was the one who was wrong. Here, I put all the blame on you, thinking you were in the wrong when it wasn't you at all. It never was."

There was a short pause, and then she went on, "Here all this time, I pushed you away and kept telling myself you were the one in the wrong. But it wasn't you. What man would put his life on the line not once, but twice, for someone unless he cared about them? It just didn't make sense. I was too angry and blinded to see it. But then I remembered what you did. You took a bullet for me, Patrick. That's a debt I'll never be able to repay. But you didn't stop there. Here that river could have just as easily kill you, but still you jumped in to help me."

She wiped her face of the tears and told him, "Here this whole time, I kept telling myself you were the enemy when all along…you've always been there for me. Always. Maybe I just couldn't get over what my eyes saw but today, after what you did, it just didn't matter anymore. I get it now. You never lied to me. I just wasn't able to listen when you tried helping me understand."

She paused again, and revealed, "Truth is, I kept wondering if I was in the wrong. I kept going back and forth between what I saw, what I felt, and what my heart kept trying to tell me – that you weren't lying. Every day, I kept thinking about you and I started hating that I was avoiding you so much. I…I just wish I'd listened to you. This wouldn't have happened if I'd just listened. Instead of trusting in you and believing you, I just believed what my eyes were seeing." She dropped her head and uttered guiltily, "I shouldn't have done that. I should have trusted you."

Rolling her words around in his head, Patrick tried coming up with a response, but came up empty. With all the emotions that had been rising between them, he just couldn't think of what to say to that. So instead, he didn't try doing so with words. As there were other ways of communicating one's thoughts, he knew exactly how to do so.

Without hesitating, Patrick leaned over, cupped Amber's face into his hands …and brought his lips onto hers. Instantly, it felt like all the emotions over the past month – the doubt, separation, frustration, longing, sadness and confusion – had washed away with this one, single kiss. All those emotions seemed to be fading away and replacing them was the passion that had been hiding within them, waiting to resurface.

Wrapping her arms around him, she nestled her face into the crook of his neck. The familiar warmth of his skin spread through her like an open fire. For the longest time, she too couldn't think of anything to say. All she could focus on was the simple, incredible joy of feeling his arms around her, holding her close. The emotions from that one kiss were still dancing about inside her, wilder and far livelier than she'd ever remembered.

At last, Patrick finally broke the silence and said, "I suppose it's a great night for star-gazing…and kissing. Who would have thought?"

Amber chuckled at the remark and added, "Guess you're right. Kissing under the stars in Hawaii. What a night."

Patrick smiled. "What a night," he agreed.

For the next hour, the two reflected back on that morning that had led to such frustration, grief and confusion.

"So…you were telling the truth," she uttered, half to herself.

Patrick nodded. "It didn't make sense to me either. But when I thought back to what happened at the school with the gunman, I kept thinking there has to be something bigger going on here. It was the only explanation that made sense. And then today by the river. You said the raven was coming right toward you?"

"I swear it came right at me," she told him, shivering at the thought of the startling image. "Its claws were out, it kept shrieking, and…and I know that sounds weird but—"

"But you know what you saw," Patrick said, finishing her sentence.

"Exactly."

"I don't know who that woman was or where she came from," he added. "But how and why did she end up dead? Nothing about anything that's happened makes sense. The only thing that has to be true is something bigger is going on."

"But what?" she asked, the possibilities making her head swim.

"I don't know," he said honestly, placing his hands behind his head. "But whatever it is, we'll get through it. If someone out there means us harm, well…they'll have to get through me first because there's no way I'm letting them hurt you."

"Wait," said Amber suddenly.

"What?"

"There was a dream last night."

"A dream?" said Patrick. "What was it about?"

"I…I don't really remember much about it. All I remember is falling. I couldn't see anything or hear anything or anyone around me. It was like I was free falling, but then I saw it. It…it was a lion."

Patrick raised a curious brow. "A lion?"

"I'm pretty sure that's what it was," she told him. "I don't know what happened but somehow, the lion took me out of that dream. I was terrified of hitting the bottom or dying but then when the lion showed up, that all went away. I felt safe around it."

She then looked to Patrick and smiled, "But I do know who the lion was. That one's obvious."

"What do you mean?"

"It was you, Pat," she said, still smiling.

He chuckled, ran his hand through his long, brown hair and shrugged. "I'm not a lion."

"But you are," she corrected, taking his hand into hers. "You saved my life…twice. I don't think I've ever met anyone as brave as you. The fact that you risked your life twice to save me…Patrick, that's amazing. I don't know that I've ever met someone like you."

She kissed him, placed a hand on his cheek and told him with unwavering confidence, "You're a lion, Patrick, and you've got a lion's heart."

For a while, the two did nothing but lie on their backs, stare up at the sky and watch for shooting stars. They felt they could have gone on like that forever, till Patrick looked out towards the beach with a small smile.

"What?" asked Amber, noticing the change of expression on his face.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"A walk on the beach," Amber said, rising to her feet. With a little wink, she declared, "Sounds good to me."

"A walk on a Hawaiian beach," Patrick threw in, winking.

Amber laughed, and for the next hour, the two teachers walked the length of the sandy beach, the peaceful silence all around them. The feeling of the soft sand under their feet was something they felt they could get used to. What with the sand under their feet, the dazzling stars over their heads and the comfort of the other's hand locked in theirs, it was nothing short of a perfect Hawaiian evening.

Following this, the two then returned to the house. Rather than sleeping inside, both decided to instead spend the night outdoors under the stars. With Patrick beside her, Amber snuggled up next to him, resting her head against his chest. Hearing the sound of his beating heart, she closed her eyes, felt his arms wrap around her and was soon fast asleep, feeling more comfortable than she had in weeks. Before nodding off himself, Patrick kissed her softly on the forehead, and then he too dozed off with a smile on his face.