Page 83 of Indescribable

She squeals and I tell her to spell outrabbit.

“R-A-B-B-I-T.”

“Now pick a number.”

She picks five and moves the chatterbox five times.

“Another.”

This time she picks the number seven.

“Open it up and see where we’re heading first.”

With a grin she slips open the paper flap and reads aloud, “Ax throwing!” She pumps her fist in the air. “Yes!”

Laughing at her enthusiasm, I say, “Better get a move on then.”

“This is so exciting! What else is in the box?”

“So impatient. Maybe you should just wait and find out.”

We drive for twenty minutes to get to the next town where they recently opened an ax-throwing place, the box sitting in the back seat, taunting her the entire way. She continually looks back at it, and I know she’s so curious it’s driving her nuts.

“Have you ever done this?” she asks, our hands linked together on the console.

I nod. “Only in the backyard with the family. Stone set it up for us last summer.”

“I’ve never been,” she says a bit nervously. “What happens if I toss the ax behind me on accident.”

“Then I’ll make sure to stand clear.”

When we arrive, I’m glad I’d called ahead to tell them we were coming and put our names down. For a Thursday night, it’s surprisingly busy here. I let them know that if we didn’t come, I’d pay for our spot anyway, since I wasn’t sure what activities would be chosen for the night.

“Holy smokes, it’s actually kind of crowded here,” she comments.

“I called ahead.”

“How did you know I’d land on ax throwing?”

“I didn’t, but I wanted to get our names down just in case.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

She has no idea how much thought I’ve put into tonight, wanting us to have a good time and simply enjoy each other’s company.

When we walk in, we’re greeted at the front desk and I tell them my name, handing over my card to pay for us to throw some axes at a wooden target.

After we’re given our safety guidelines and basic throwing instructions, we’re told to choose an ax and brought to our area.

Since we’re newcomers here, our instructor gives us an example of how to stand and hold the ax and when to release it. Once we’re comfortable, he leaves us to it.

“Do you want to go first?” I ask her.

Naomi shakes her head. “I want to see you do it first.”

“Nervous?”

“A little. This is kind of intimidating.”