"That was the feel we wanted to give the project." I was pleased that she found it to be that way.
"Are you going to help me find my way?" Blake asked, and I wanted to say always, but this was different.
I wanted her to get the full experience. "I won't give you any hints." After months of designing the maze, there wasn't any inch of it I didn't already know. It ruined some of the magic for me, but it would be neat to watch her go through it for the first time.
Blake looked at me expectantly. "Can you give me the instructions that you'll give guests?"
"You enter the maze here, and you'll need to find the exit over there." I pointed at the exit on the left, which we couldn't see from where we were standing. "You'll want to look for clues. There are four of them, and you'll want to make a note of them because they form a message."
Blake clapped her hands together. "I'm so glad you didn't tell me any of the secrets. I can't wait to go through the maze."
It was tough to keep everything hidden from her because her and Lilliana had spent a lot of time playing here. But I'd purposely hidden the words on the clue stations. "I think you're going to love it."
"Let's go." She flashed me a grin, and then walked through the entrance, still holding my hand. The water from the fountain sounded as she considered which path to take first. She went down one row, then another, laughing as she had to turn around and try other options. I ran alongside her until we were out of breath.
Blake paused occasionally to get her bearings, murmuring to herself about which path she'd already taken.
She ran ahead of me and cried out when she found the first station. She paused in front of it, insisting on taking a selfie in front of the first clue: Will.
I'd created a new message just for her. But she didn't know that. She thought these were the clues that all guests would find. I hadn't even revealed my plans to my brothers. I didn't want to spoil the surprise.
A single rose was resting on the station. I picked it up and held it out to her. "This is for you."
She smelled it, and I snapped a picture of her bent over the petals.
"This is lovely. Thank you."
"You're lovely," I said, my voice overcome with emotion because this maze was more than what it appeared. I had a brief idea to frame the picture and hang it in the gate house.
Blake grabbed my hand, and we hurried down the path, doubling back whenever there was a dead end. I tried not to help her, which was tough because I knew the maze so well. The misters kept us cool and provided a mysterious fog.
Soon we could decorate the maze for Halloween and even have monsters that could jump out and scare people. But first, I had to finish the maze with Blake.
My heart was full because this was the beginning of our forever. Or at least I hoped it was.
At the second clue, the word You, there was another rose. I snapped another picture of her, and at her insistence, joined her for a selfie. This time, she kissed my cheek, her hand on my racing heart as I took the picture.
My heart rate had picked up, and it had nothing to do with the pace at which Blake was dragging me down each row of shrubs. We finally reached the overlook and clambered up the steps until we reached the top.
At the railing, Blake drew in a breath and threw her arms in front of her. "It's truly breathtaking. Can you believe you built this?"
You could see everything up here: the maze, the pool, and the entrance. "It's amazing."
"I already knew about the pool, but I imagine it will be a treat for guests." She snapped a few pictures.
"You want to see if you can figure the way out?" I asked her, content to watch as her forehead creased and her lips pursed.
A smile spread over her face when she realized the path she had to take. “Come on. Let’s go.”
I laughed as she pulled me down the stairs and to the side of the maze we hadn’t been in yet. “I want to see the pool first.”
We ran in a few circles until she finally reached the pool, and then she stopped, trailing her fingers across the surface. “This is beautiful. I almost wish this were ours. Our private oasis.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” But with the ocean as my backyard, we didn’t have any room for something like this.
We took another selfie at the pool, and I promised myself I’d frame these photos because they represented our first trip through the maze. One day, I hoped we’d bring Lilliana and one or two of her siblings.
My future was unfurling in front of me with each new path that Blake took. With renewed energy she took off down a few paths, doubling back when they were dead ends. Then she paused and thought for a moment, scrolling to her picture from the overlook.
