After meeting up at the coffee shop I bid Jean-Paul a farewell and told him to meet me the next morning around 6 am so we could begin our eleven-hour journey to Gatlinburg. I still needed to get in touch with my Dad to make some arrangements for us, but I knew that Dad's old friend Dave could help us out.

I went back to my apartment and thought about what I could pack, starting to get excited about my trip with Jean-Paul. As I rummaged through my drawers to find the clothes I'd need for the wee-long getaway, I pulled out my phone and dialed my Dad's number. It rang for just a moment, before I heard my father speaking on the other line.

I smiled as I heard my father's voice. I was always a Daddy's girl growing up. Although I loved my Mom's hugs and gentleness, my father held a special place in my heart. I felt safe when my father was near, like he would protect me from anything and everything that could cause me harm. I admired his advice and words of wisdom.

"Hey, there sweetheart. How have you been? How has life been treating ya?" He asked as his voice was loud with excitement.

"I'm okay, Daddy. Life has had its ups and downs, but more ups than downs lately."

'Your mother told me what happened with Max. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I've been worried about you; we both were. Your mother also tells me you met a new man. She said something about him being French," he chuckled.

I smiled. "Yes, he is French. His name is Jean-Paul."

If only he knew just how ironic it was actually running into a French man in New York when you're someone that is so obsessed with France.

"Good. Because if anyone hurts my baby girl, they will be sorry," My father said very seriously. He has always said he has a gun and that he wouldn't want to have to use it. Of course, any father is very protective of his daughter.

"I don't think you will have to worry about Jean-Paul, Daddy."

"Good. Then I approve of this relationship already," My father chuckled.

We sat and talked for what felt like hours. I learned what new things were going on in his and my mother's lives, and caught them up on the happenings in my own. Finally, I decided to tell him about the trip to Tennessee that Jean-Paul and I had planned to go to.

"Speaking of Jean-Paul, next week my office is closed for the week, and Jean-Paul and I were thinking of getting away to Gatlinburg for a few days. I know it's last minute, but do you think Dave could hook us up with one of his cabin rentals?"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. I can call him and then text you to let you know what he says.

As much as I hated to, I told my father goodbye and that I loved him as I hang up the phone and waited. I wasn't sure how long it would take for my father to get in touch with his friend Dave about the cabin rentals, but I hoped that it wouldn't be very long.

I decided to go ahead and start packing just in case. Because no matter what, Jean-Paul and I are going on some kind of vacation the upcoming week.

I took my duffel bag and suitcase out of the back of my closet and began throwing travel toiletries that I picked up one day after work. I also packed my blowdryer, hairbrush, hair ties, some outfits, some pajamas, a faux fur blanket, socks, and some extra shoes.

I felt the vibration come from my phone that was lying on the bed next to my duffel bag and suitcase. I glanced down and saw a text from my father. I opened it up.

Dave said he had an extra cabin that he could rent out to you for the week. I hope you have a careful ride down there and back. But most importantly, have fun. I love you.

-Dad.

I finished packing up for the trip and spent the rest of the evening lounging around the apartment watching movies.

Finally, bedtime came and I tried hard to fall asleep. But the excitement about a week away with Jean-Paul made it hard for me to find rest.

The next morning, the alarm sounded at five AM. I got up and made a cup of coffee as I got dressed and put my bags by the door. I was exhausted from what little rest I was able to get. I ended up waking up every hour to check the clock to see if it was time to leave yet. Although it's great to have something to look forward to, it was also a curse.

I sat on the couch and drank my third cup of coffee as I waited for Jean-Paul to arrive.

Five minutes before six I heard a knock at the door. When I opened, it there stood a very cheery, but exhausted-looking Jean-Paul.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked.

He nodded as he came inside while waiting to walk down to the car together. I offered him a cup of coffee in a travel mug as I poured one last cup of coffee for a travel mug for myself. Then I ran to the bathroom one last time, knowing it would be my last chance for a while.

Afterward, I came back into the living room. Jean-Paul grabbed his luggage and mine. I bid my apartment a farewell and locked the door behind me. We walked out to the car and placed our luggage into the back seat.

I got into the driver's seat, put the address into the GPS, and then we were off.

The entire drive to Tennessee was a long and tiring one. I sat in silence as Jean-Paul snoozed away in the seat next to me. He didn't snore however so that was a good sign. He was actually a very quiet sleeper. If I couldn't see him sitting right next to me then I would have never known he was actually in the car. I took that as a positive sign for the future. I could handle a man that doesn't sound like he's cutting logs in his sleep...like Max did.

After about four hours, the lack of sleep was really starting to get to me. I had to make frequent stops to get coffee and to rest my legs.

Finally, after a long eleven hours, we made it to Gatlinburg. As we drove up the long driveway to our cabin rental for the week, I looked out the window and saw nothing except trees, not another person or cabin in sight. I met Dave up at the cabin to get the keys.

It was amazing how different this place was from bustling streets of New York. I had gotten used to the noise, the constant sounds of sirens screaming and horns honking. Here the world was peaceful, almost like it was frozen in time. There were no people rushing about, or traffic backed up for miles. It was just me, Jean-Paul, and mother nature.

I glanced to Jean-Paul and he smiled, feeling just at peace as I did. My shoulders relaxed, already feeling the benefits of the vacation. Until that moment, I didn't realize that a getaway to a cabin was the answer to everything all along.

I stepped out of the car as the smell of Fraser fir hit my nostrils. It smelled almost like Christmas which is my favorite holiday of the year. I took the keys from Dave as he bid his farewell.

I looked all around us. There wasn't another cabin in sight. It was just me, Jean-Paul, the smell of Fraser fir, and peace and quiet.

Jean-Paul was still asleep when we arrived. I knocked on the passenger seat window as he gave a startled look. He opened the door and stepped out of the car. He took in the trees, the cabin, and the serenity.

"This is so much more beautiful than I could have imagined," he said as we made our way towards the cabin. The building was a beautifully constructed, single log cabin, with a front porch. We walked up onto the wrap-around front porch before unlocking the door and going inside.

On the inside of the cabin, there was rustic decor and barn doors instead of regular doors. There was a fireplace in the living room to the right and a kitchen to the left. There were two bedrooms in the hallway straight from where we were, standing and a bathroom right between the bedrooms.

We walked back outside and brought our luggage into the cabin and to our chosen bedrooms. Then we went to the store to buy a few groceries before coming back to the cabin and making a meal for the first night in the cabin.

We had decided on hamburgers and fries for dinner for the night. I was still exhausted from the long drive, so I was thankful for a meal we could cook quickly. Even still, it was almost seven o'clock when we were finally able to sit down and eat. We ate our meal in silence although Jean-Paul and I kept exchanging smiles to each other.

When we finished our meal, we cleaned up the dishes together, and made our way to the couch for a moment of cuddling. When Jean-Paul held me in his arms, everything felt right. At that moment, Jean-Paul felt like the man I would spend the rest of my life with. I wasn't sure why I was feeling that way, but it was just the way he made me feel when we were together. It never felt the same way with Max.

"I've missed seeing you," he whispered as he touched his lips to mine. He kissed me as I kissed him back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him closely. A tear of happiness slipped out of my eye, but I wiped it away quickly before Jean-Paul could see.

He carried me into the bedroom, giving me one last goodnight kiss before he slipped off into his bedroom for the night.

As soon as I couldn't see him any longer, I closed my eyes and immediately fell into a deep sleep.