"Can you tell me where we're going?" I asked for what was probably the eighth time. Levi smiled coyly and shook his head.

"C'mon, the waiting is killing me!"

"Patience is a virtue."

I rolled my eyes. "That's so something my mom's boyfriend would say."

Levi screwed up his face a little. "Note to self, never say that again." I laughed, and returned to looking out the window.

We'd been driving for about half an hour, and were well out of town. There wasn't much around here, thin forest and dusty roads. We began winding down into a valley, and I gasped excitedly as the entire scenery changed.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, admiring the stretch of ocean that we were now driving down towards.

We spiralled down the windy road, pulling up a loose gravel driveway and stopping outside a small house, right on the edge of the sand. I stepped out of the car, inhaling the fresh, ocean air. One thing about living in a huge city was that I never got to go to a beach, it was always such a long drive. This was paradise. There was no traffic noises, no noise at all except the soft waves brushing against the sand, and insects and birds chirping away in the trees.

I trailed after Levi, who was walking towards the house.

"Is this yours?" I asked skeptically, watching as he pulled out a key and began to unlock the door.

"It was my mother's. She used to come here to paint. It's her gallery of sorts," he explained, pushing the door open and stepping aside. "Go ahead."

I smiled at him gently, aware that this was something that meant a lot to him. When I was inside, my jaw dropped.

The first thing I noticed were the murals, covering every inch of every wall. They flowed seamlessly from one scene to another, snaking into each room and down every corridor. They depicted everything from gardens to cities, people to animals, to abstract colours and shapes and an entire room devoted to their family. I stepped into that room, tracing lightly over the faces of Levi, Estelle, Georgia and their parents. On the adjacent wall there was five wolves, painted so incredibly that I could practically see them running, at dusk. Tears pricked my eyes, as I thought about the parents that had been lost, the memories they'd left behind.

There was no furniture in the house, but in the middle of each room were stacks of canvasses. I gently pulled them away from each other, admiring them all. She had such an amazing talent, I could almost feel her love for her family through the pictures. One portrait of what could only be Levi's father took my interest. He looked so much like Levi, and emanated the same power, just from the way he held himself. He had kind eyes, and I'm sure he was a wonderful man.

Levi had trailed behind me, quietly observing my reaction. When he saw I was crying, he looked alarmed.

"Too much? I'm sorry, I just thought it would help you to understand me. We can leave," he pushed his hair back, agitated.

I shook my head and wiped my cheeks. "No, no not at all. It's so beautiful."

"Why are you crying then?" He stepped towards me, hesitant and concerned.

"I'm so sorry you had to lose something so wonderful. I can feel their love, it makes me so sad for you," my voice was shaky, but I smiled at him sadly. His eyes were sad, but also held a sense of awe.

"Thank you," he practically whispered. I stepped closer, enjoying being able to just stare at him. My hands, with a mind of their own, reached up and brushed his hair back, running through it like they'd so often longed to. It was just as soft as I'd always imagined. He exhaled heavily, letting his head fall to mine, so our foreheads were resting on each other.

"It won't always hurt this much," I whispered, my voice barely audible. My eyes were closed, and I could feel his cool breath fanning down my face. I wanted to close the distance between us, to kiss him and never stop, but it wasn't the right time, or place.

We wandered through the house, hand in hand, for another hour. We laughed as he told me stories from when they were all younger, and pointed out small handprints from when he and Estelle had 'helped'.

While it wasn't exactly a conventional first date location, it was so much better. I felt so much closer to Levi, like he'd let me into the most vulnerable place inside his mind. It only strengthened the connection we had, and I was grateful to be trusted.

He locked the door, and smiled at me. "Thank you," he said again.

"Thank you. Your parents seemed like they were amazing people."

He smiled sadly. "They would have loved you."

I didn't say anything, squeezing his hand.

"Okay, that's enough emotional stuff for one day. Ready for the rest of the date?"

I nodded, smiling.

Why did things feel so right?!