The trails were like arteries in the forest, and our goal was to reach the heart. A storm lingered in the air as we walked down the gravel path, and your arm brushed against mine. I fidgeted with the zipper of my raincoat before you grasped my hand and held it like a flower: gently and carefully, making sure not to let it wilt. Smiling, you noticed a small brick ledge that overlooked the river; we both stumbled over, gazing down at the gushing rainwater. Rays of sunlight from the once cloudy sky peeked through the entanglement of tree branches and reflected off the water and into your eyes – it was only in that light that I realized how turquoise they were, like hints of forest green sewn into ocean blue. We stood on the ledge, fingers interlocked, feeling the forest’s heartbeat thrum underneath of us.