"SMELL THIS!" Mary said, pressing the flower to Gil's nose. "I wish we'd had some of these at the wedding."
He sniffed cursorily and turned his face away. "Let's go find a beach."
"Why don't we stay here awhile first?" Mary said. "We can find beaches anytime. But this"—she waved the flower up toward the leafy, cathedral-like rainforest canopy, the thick vines dangling from the arching branches, the orchids sprouting from tree trunks, the tangled profusion of life—"this place is extraordinary! It looks likeThe Land Before Time."
"I'm heading back to the car," Gil said.
"How can you expect to appreciate the beauty of a place if you refuse to spend some time in it?"
"I don't consider this place beautiful," Gil replied. "I think it's malevolent. And besides, there are ants. Let's go."
Mary dropped the flower. "You always want to be somewhere else, Gil," she said. "Why can't you just enjoy where you are?"

Comments