https://youtu.be/JZUJJMeK4uU

"I have something for you," An approaching voice said from behind her the next morning.

Elena turned around to find Andreas behind her. He grinned at her and pulled out a rock from the pocket of his sweatpants. He reached for her hand and dropped the rock into her palm.

"A rock?" Elena asked, confused.

"No," Andreas said, beaming from ear to ear. "It's a geode."

He turned the rock over in her hand which revealed lavender crystals on the other side. Elena gasped at the shining beauty. The crystals sparkled in the sun's light.

"The crystals inside geodes are formed from extreme heat and chemical processes," Andreas said as Elena turned the geode over in her hand. "They're usually found in volcanoes. Even though the geode goes through a lot of pressure, it comes out as a beautiful and valuable crystal."

"Thank you," Elena said, surprised at his kind gesture. "It's stunning."

Andreas was glad she liked it.

"But, why are you giving me this?" Elena asked.

Andreas warmly smiled at her. "Diego and I like to give out gifts found on the island. After all, we are near a volcano so there are lots of unique rocks that can be found."

"Thanks," Elena smiled, mesmerized by its beauty.

"You know what I think geodes represent?"

She shook her head. 

"They remind us of life, I think. Sometimes, we're upset about some things, but we have to remember the hurt only molds us into something more beautiful, just like this geode," Andreas explained. "Sometimes, we have to go under some pressure so our crystals can shine through."

They smiled at each other. This was the nicest thing someone had done for Elena in a while.

"Thank you, Andreas, " Elena said again. "This means a lot to me."

She looked back at the geode and watched its amethyst crystals twinkle in the sunlight.

Elena looked at Andreas's genuine smile and thoughtful expression. "Andreas, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," He squinted in the sunlight and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You always seem so...Happy. How do you do it?"

He chuckled. "It's my job, Elena, as a tour guide to make people happy. So, I've gotta put a smile on."

"Isn't that hard to do all the time though?"

"It is. But I've realized that people match your energy," He said and looked past her towards the rest of the hikers gathering their things. "Everyone has a certain energy to them and if you have a positive energy, it makes others feel positive and happy too. Of course, it works the other way around as well."

"But, what if you don't feel positive?"

"It's difficult. But, I'm passionate about what I do. And sometimes, passion can override your emotions. It can make your negative feelings turn positive."

"You have real purpose," Elena smiled up at him. "And you're very wise."

Andreas modestly looked down in appreciation.

"That's very kind," He smiled at her. "My grandparents have taught me everything I know. Especially my abuela."

Elena wished she had a purpose like he did. "You have no idea how impactful your job is, Andreas. You take people on incredible journeys and relieve their stresses. You make them forget their worries for a couple of days."

He raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"I mean it," Elena smiled at him.

"You're so good at making people around you happy," Andreas thoughtfully smiled at her.

Then he frowned as he looked at her. "But, you seem sad. Like there's something bothering you."

She nervously chuckled and was taken aback by his comment. "You're mistaken. I'm not sad. I'm just..."

She didn't know what she was trying to say. Andreas could already read her face like a book.

"You're important too, Elena," He stated seriously, looking straight at her.

She looked up at him as he said that. She had never heard someone say that to her.

She sheepishly blushed and looked back at the geode. "Thank you for the geode."

Andreas warmly smiled, revealing his dimples again. 

"Well, we should get going," He said, hearing Diego ushering everyone over. 

He turned around and Elena watched him walk over to Diego and collect his belongings. She smiled. It was so odd. They were talking as if they were great friends despite the fact that they had just met a couple of days ago. It had been a long time since she connected with someone like this. 

His warm, green eyes made Elena feel like pouring out her heart to him on the spot. All she knew was that she had found a special friend within Andreas and he sincerely cared about her. It made her feel like a bit of the burden on her shoulders was lifted off. Maybe, Margaret was wrong. Maybe telling a sincere friend was better than pouring your heart out to a stranger. It was all about trust and respect. Perhaps, Margaret had never found that person in her life.

As everyone gathered their belongings to continue, Diego stood at the front of the crowd with his bulky arms crossed and began speaking.

"Congratulations everyone," Diego said through his thick beard. "We're halfway through our trip now. Bien hecho!"

Everyone clapped.

"Today, the terrain is going to get a tad bit difficult as we're getting to the deepest parts of the island. So, stick close together, keep those bands on, and ask for help. Alright, with that said, let's continue. Vamos!"

Elena wished her father was here. He loved hiking in unknown and mysterious places. He loved a good challenge.

What would he think of her if he was here walking beside her right now? What would he say when he reached into her backpack and pulled out medication after medication? 

She walked in silence as the blazing sun disappeared behind the clouds, making the atmosphere a bit cooler in the hot afternoon. Elena listened to the silence of the trees and the footsteps of each hiker. She listened to the laughter of the couple in front of her and the giggles of Anna behind her. She watched Andreas in the front, his back facing her and his long strides getting over the terrain effortlessly. He frequently looked back at the crowd to make sure everyone was okay. 

Positive energy, Elena thought.

It was difficult being positive. How would she find what she's passionate about? And would it be enough to override her sadness?

She took the geode out of her pocket and twirled it in her hand and saw the crystals catch the pale sun's rays. She observed the hard rock outside of it which was dull and hard like molten rock. Inside, the crystals almost blinded her with their sparkles.

You're important too, Elena, She smiled to herself hearing Andreas's warm voice playing the words over in her head.

"Are you all ready for a big surprise?" Diego asked everyone, suddenly halting after an hour of hiking.

He was stopped in front of what seemed like a gateway made of vines. Behind the curtain, there was something hidden. Everyone waited in anticipation. Diego nodded at Andreas who slowly opened up the curtain of vines to one side as Diego did the other. Everyone gasped as they took in the view. It made Elena's jaw drop. 

It was like a beautiful garden, but it had every shade and every type of flower imaginable. It was as if someone had planted the seeds of all the flowers in the world in one place. And in the middle, there were patches of the richest green grass Elena had ever seen. This island was full of mystery. Roses, geraniums, lilies, posies, chrysanthemums, and sunflowers of every shade filled up the serene and vast valley. This place seemed like it was a piece of heaven or a vivid painting.

Andreas had folded his arms and was leaning against a large rock as he watched everyone explore the place. He remembered the bird's nest that was in one of the trees. He had been observing the eggs for two weeks now and they would almost be hatching. 

"Diego," He said. "Do you think those eggs will hatch today?"

"They should be hatching anytime soon, son," He was sitting on the grass, taking a long sip of water. "You should go check on them."

Andreas decided to show Elena. 

"It's hard not to fall in love with this place," She said to him as he approached her. "It's like a dream."

https://youtu.be/vv64iYmEKN4

Andreas nodded and looked around. "Every time I come up here, it's like discovering it for the very first time. It's magical."

"I can see why that is."

He stopped in his tracks and hesitated. "I want to show you something."

Elena cocked her head to the side and frowned. Andreas looked around to make sure that no one was watching.

"Come with me," He said, walking deeper into the flowers.

Elena kept up with his quick pace.

"Where are you taking me?" Elena asked, a bit taken aback by his urgency.

"You're going to love this," He said as he quickly walked through the forest.

They stopped at a tree and Andreas pointed above their heads, grinning. Elena frowned and looked to where he was pointing. The tree above them protruded a large branch. On it was a bird's nest with three eggs inside.

"Since it's a really hot day today, this means these eggs are going to hatch really soon. You can already see the eggs cracking. We're just in time."

Elena looked at the eggs in the nest and stared in awe.

"Where's their mother?" Elena asked.

"Their mother will be back," Andreas said. "She's probably gone to find some food."

Elena gasped as she saw one of the eggs wobble in the nest. "I think that one is ready to hatch!"

Another one wobbled and then the third one too. They both watched the nest, their eyes glued to the eggs. The first egg saw more cracks as the baby bird inside slowly poked its head through. The mother flew in at just the right time with earthworms squirming in her beak. Elena's eyes widened as she watched the first bird free itself from its egg casing and squint in the sunlight.

She laughed at its scared, beady eyes and cute little face. "It's so adorable!"

The little bird stumbled towards its mother trying to make sense of its limbs while the mother immediately fed the baby. The other two slowly made their way out and all three of them walked around funnily. Andreas and Elena laughed and watched in astonishment.

"This is so precious," Elena breathed.

The birds chirped in high voices as they tried to figure out how to walk in the nest.

"It's amazing to watch something being born," Andreas said.

Elena nodded. The birds were seeing the world for the first time. They would learn to eat and fly and fend for themselves. It almost made her wish she could start all over again, so she could be a better sister, a better daughter, a better human. She stared at the birds who were surprisingly comfortable in their presence, their little, black eyes squinting up at them and snuggling up to their mother. Andreas looked at Elena's smiling expression and was glad she was enjoying it.

"Do you want to name them?" He asked her.

Elena laughed. "What were you thinking?"

"Well," Andreas said. "It seems like we have two females and one male."

"Can we name one Melissa?" Elena asked. "After my friend."

"Of course," Andreas said. "Diego wanted one to be Maya. She's his wife."

"And the male one?" Elena asked him.

"Alex," Andreas said. "What do you think?"

"It's great," Elena smiled at him. "Any significance to that name?"

"It's my grandfather's name," He said, looking at the tiny birds chirping. "He was a pretty special guy, but he passed away three years ago. He used to be a tour guide himself."

"My condolences," Elena said.

Andreas looked at her and gave her a slight smile. "Thank you."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"Melissa's my deceased friend," Elena said abruptly, regretting saying it out loud instantly.

Andreas's eyes widened for a moment and he sadly nodded. "I had no idea. My condolences."

"It's alright. Thank you for showing me, Andreas," Elena smiled at him. "This was amazing."

Andreas was beginning to unravel more about Elena. The sorrow behind her eyes was subtle but now he understood. Losing a best friend would be unbearable to him. This girl was so strong. He admired her for that. 

Elena caught him admiringly staring at her and nervously blushed.

"Let's go," He said, shyly smiling and looking away.

They headed back to where everyone else was.