Ginger was getting worse as time went on. The seasons were changing, although Los Angeles wasn't even realizing it, and it was starting to cool off. Jenny turned five years old and on Zac and Ginger's second and final wedding anniversary, Zac dropped Jenny and Christopher off with Kris and took Ginger out. Ginger was having a good day, one of the last she would have, and Zac made sure he took advantage of that.
"Where are we going, Zac?" Ginger asked. He didn't say anything as he led her out to the car. "Zac�I don't like surprises."
"This isn't a surprise," Zac said. "I know exactly where we're going." She sighed, realizing he wasn't going to tell her, and let him drive. They drove out of Los Angeles and Ginger was completely confused when they left the city, headed east.
"Zac, where are we going?"
"Hiking," he said. "I found a nice little place."
"We're going hiking?" she asked, her eyes growing wide. "You're taking me hiking?" He nodded. "I love you so much, honey." She kissed him. "How far away is this place?"
"About a half an hour, so sit back and relax," he said. "You've got a long day ahead of you." She smiled. "I know it's not Sydney, but�"
"Zac, this is better than Sydney," she said. "There are more important things in life than that."
"I'm glad you think that way," he said. "I did want to take you to Sydney, though." She shrugged.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
They didn't talk much the rest of the way. Camp Radford was in the mountains, near the city of San Bernardino, and now that autumn had set in, the trees weren't all green and there were crunchy leaves on the ground, but Ginger thought it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her life.
Zac had brought along a backpack with their lunch and enough water in case it got hotter as the day went on. Ginger was as excited as she could be and Zac took her hand as they walked toward the hiking trail. "This is so wonderful, Zac," Ginger said, giving him a kiss.
"Yeah, yeah, wait until you're eaten by bugs and you accidentally fall in a patch of poison ivy. Then tell me how wonderful it is." She gave him a look.
"Don't spoil my fun," she said.
"I'm sorry. It'll be the best time ever!" She smiled.
"That's better."
They hiked through the trail, Ginger looking around with every step she took. Every moment she was getting more and more excited and Zac had to continually tell her to calm down. Since she'd found out she was terminal, nature and everything around her seemed so much more alive. The world was a more beautiful place. She was more aware of the little things that she never noticed before�Christopher's smile, Jenny's laugh, the smell of rain and freshly cut grass, the ocean in her backyard, running away from waves, and how much she was like her sister. For the first time she noticed how amazing people were and how complicated the human being was. If she wasn't dying little things would still bother her and she would never have realized how great life really was. She learned how great her life really was. She had been so used to Zac she'd nearly forgotten he was there with her. She'd nearly forgotten why she fell in love with him in the first place, and she forgot how great of a person he could be. His music and his job meant the world to him and he just pushed it aside because he wanted to be near her during her last days. She loved him more than she loved anything (save her children) and he was exactly the same way.
"Ginger?" Zac asked. "Hello, Ginger?" He waved his hand in front of her face and she snapped into it.
"Yes, my loving husband?" she asked, looking at him.
"Just checking," he said, giving her a smile, "my loving wife." They approached a fork in the path. "Hmm�" He stopped, wondering which one to take. Ginger immediately turned to the left, not pausing for a second to decide which path to take. "Wait, Ginger."
"What?" she said. She stopped and turned around.
"I've never been here before. I don't know which one goes where."
"Zac, it doesn't matter. It's not like we're going to get lost and end up in Arizona," she said.
"I don't know where this one is going to lead us!" Ginger sighed.
"Zac, you can't spend your life wondering what road is going to take you where. You just have to go where life takes you and not think about it! It doesn't matter. In the end, you would have never known the difference." Zac sighed. "Come on, Zac. Let's see where this one takes us." She held out her hand for him to take. He walked up to her, took her hand, and they continued to walk.
They found a clearing where they could sit down and have lunch around twelve-thirty. Zac put down the blanket he'd brought and Ginger sat down, happy to be off her feet for a little while. They'd been walking all morning and she didn't have the energy she used to. "I say we go back after lunch," Zac said.
"Why?" Ginger asked.
"Well, it took us three hours to get here; I think it's going to take us three hours to get back. That and you look exhausted."
"I'm just fine," she said. "Just hungry." He opened his backpack and handed her a sandwich. "Wonderful lunch, Zac."
"What did you expect me to do? Cook you a gourmet meal? We're hiking!" She smiled.
"I'm just kidding, baby," she said. "This is so fun. I'm so glad we're doing this."
"Well, you said you wanted to, and who am I to say no?" he asked. She took a bite out of her sandwich and leaned up against him. Although the trees didn't normally change colors, Ginger found that the colors they did turn were just enough to signal that autumn was in full bloom. It was starting to get cooler outside, although it was particularly warm that day, and everything was dying along with Ginger. "Ginger?" Zac asked. She looked up at him.
"Yes, dear?"
"I love you." She smiled.
"I love you too." He kissed her and for a moment things were all right again.
When Ginger and Zac got home Ginger was so exhausted she fell onto the couch and within minutes she had fallen asleep. Kris, who was sitting across the room with Christopher, smiled. "How was it?" Kris asked.
"It was wonderful," Zac said. "She loved it."
"She didn't have any problems, did she?" Kris asked. Zac shook his head.
"No, she was just fine. She obviously got tired towards the end, but she made it the whole way there and back," Zac said. "How were the kids?"
"Oh, they were great. Jenny got a test back from school," Kris said, grabbing a piece of paper off the table. "She got a 'super!' " Zac smiled, looking at the paper. It was on counting and she'd gotten every question right. "Her teacher says she's doing exceptionally well."
"Well I could have told you that," Zac said. "She knew how to spell and how to add before she even went into school. I'm going to put this on the fridge." Zac walked to the kitchen and Kris followed. Zac put Jenny's perfect test up on the refrigerator with a magnet.
"How do you think she's doing?" Kris asked.
"Jenny?"
"No, Rosemary."
"Oh," Zac said. He turned around and faced Kris. "I think she's been doing�okay. I mean it's been a month, and according to the doctor she's got about five left; I think she's doing good. She's still going fast, though. There are things about her that are already gone. She doesn't smile as much, she has a lot less energy, and she has a hard time concentrating on anything. She's going and she's going fast but she's not going so fast that we can't say goodbye."
"She's hiding it from you."
"Hiding what from me?" Zac asked.
"How fast she's going." Zac shook his head.
"You don't know what you're talking about," Zac said. He walked to the pantry and opened the pantry. "Did you feed the kids?"
"No."
"Okay." He took out a box of pasta and set it on the counter. "They're having spaghetti."
"I know what I'm talking about, Zac. Either you don't see it or you're denying it," she said. "She's going to be gone soon. Have you even thought about funeral arrangements?"
"Can we talk about this later?" Zac asked. He grabbed a pot out of a cabinet and filled it with water before putting it on the stove.
"No, we can't talk about this later, she's dying now!"
"Kristina today is my day. It's our anniversary. It's our last anniversary. Can we not talk about her funeral at least until tomorrow? Geez!" He turned on the stove and huffed.
"Fine," Kris said. "I'll see you tomorrow." She left. Zac, sighing, sat down. Jenny came running into the room. He wasn't exactly in the mood to be cheery for her, but when she gave him a big smile he couldn't help but feeling better.
"Hey darlin', how are you doing today?" he asked. Jenny pulled herself up on the chair next to him. He looked over at her.
"Fine," she said. "Daddy, I'm hungry."
"I know you are. I'm making dinner right now," he said.
"It doesn't look like it," she said, eyeing him. He smiled.
"I have to wait for the water to boil before I put the noodles in," he said. "How do you feel about spaghetti?"
"I don't like spaghetti," she said.
"Yes you do! You love spaghetti!" She giggled. "Oh, you're such a little teaser. Go play with your brother."
"Daddy�"
"Go!" he said, turning away. "I don't negotiate with teasers!" She giggled again and kissed her father's cheek before running out of the room as quickly as she came running in. Zac sighed. This is what he was going to have to deal with when Ginger was gone.
"Hey hot stuff," Ginger said from the doorway. "What's cooking?" He looked over.
"I thought you were asleep," Zac said. She shrugged.
"I just needed a little nap. I'm quite awake now," she said. She walked over and kissed him. "What's for dinner?"
"Spaghetti."
"Mmm, sounds romantic," she said. He rolled his eyes.
"Kris didn't feed the kids so I need to make something they'll like as much as you will. I can't make anything fancy or Jenny will just turn her nose up and not eat," Zac said.
"That's just fine. As long as we can get romantic later," she said, sitting on his lap. "It is our anniversary."
"Ginger�"
"What?" she asked, kissing him. "It's not like you're going to catch it."
"No, but I don't think you're up to it."
"Oh I'm up to it," she said, grinning. "Please?"
"Fine�"
"I love you."
"I know." He kissed her. "I love you too."
"Daddy! I'm hungry!" Jenny yelled from the other room.
"Oh shit," he said. He nearly threw Ginger off him and poured the spaghetti in the boiling water. Ginger laughed at him. He shot her a look and she just laughed at him again. Suddenly she gripped the counter and Zac looked at her. "Ginger?"
"I'm fine�" she said, putting her other hand up. "I'm fine."
"Go lay down," Zac said. "I'll call you for dinner. And no sex tonight." Ginger nodded and walked away, barely making it to the couch before she passed out. Zac knew she'd be okay; she'd done this before, but it still hurt to see. Kristina was right. She was going fast.