I can’t look away.
“Hey, you wanna go outside with me for a bit?”He asked when our game was over, but he wasn’t ready to start a new one just yet.
“Sure.”I say, and we walk out to the front of the building together.
It’s kind of cold out here but I didn’t bring a jacket, so I just shove my hands in my pockets and keep walking because I don’t want to go back inside yet.He stops by the stone wall facing the parking lot and sits.I sit next to him, and he scoots closer to me so that his leg is touching mine.
He says, “Let’s play thirty questions, I’ll go first.What’s your favorite color?”
“Green” I say.“What’s yours?”He smiles but doesn’t say anything.“What’s your favorite color?”I ask again, nudging him with my elbow.
“Green” he says.And we go back and forth naming our favorite things, talking about what grade we’re in – he’s in ninth, I’m in eighth, how many siblings we have and what we like to do for fun.
I like you Lee.
He asks me if I’m cold and before I answer him, he takes his windbreaker off and drapes it over my shoulders.“Thanks.”I say and then he grabs my hand, and his fingers are laced with mine.He smiles again and then continues our thirty questions game.Only we’re way passed thirty questions by now.
I know I’ve only known you for an hour, but Ireallylike you, Lee.
Chapter Two
ELLIE
Present Day
I woke up and rolled over to look at the clock, groaning.I had slept in far too late, but I really didn’t sleep much at all.I tossed and turned with my dreams most of the night and now it was nearly 10’oclock in the morning.
I quickly threw the blankets off, went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs.I was careful to be quiet in case Dylan was still sleeping.When I walked into the kitchen, I saw a note on the fridge:
“Mom – Went out with Carrie.Be back late.
Love you -D”
I folded it up and placed the note on the counter so I could fix myself some breakfast.My usual choice for a laid-back morning: a bowl of yogurt with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and granola.I ate it slowly, savoring every bite of the home-grown berries.After breakfast, I contemplated logging onto my laptop to check work email then decided against it, opting instead for a stroll around the property.
The walk got me thinking again about our journey to get to this point, to this life.It’s a great life – me and Dylan.I think I’ve done good for myself, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished.
Today, the sun was shining and the sound of the birds chirping called to me from the willow tree by the creek bank, begging me to come out and enjoy the morning.I grabbed my sunhat and walked down to the creek, kicking my sandals off and stepping into the cool water.I splashed my feet, listening to the trickling of the water and the memory of little boy’s laughter.
Was it really coming up on the eighth anniversary of owning this beautiful property?Sometimes I could hardly believe I was living here; it’s like a dream.Then when it’s quiet and all I can hear is the water whooshing over the rocks, I wonder what life could have been like if Lee hadn’t died or how our story would have changed if I hadn’t walked out the door and got in that taxi.
Would things have been different?Would they still have ended up the same?But then I shake off the questions.Get out of your head, Ellie.I tell myself.You can’t change the past.
Chapter Three
LEE
21 years earlier
It’s my birthday today.It hasn’t started off like a great day because all I got from my mom was a rushed “Happy Birthday, son” as she grabbed her keys and ran out the door because she was late for work.
Again.
She’s been late to work every day this week.Mom’s been seeing a new guy, and he takes up all of her brain space.I don’t really like him much, but mom does, so I try to be happy for her because she’s been trying to find herself after Dad left us.
“Thanks” I say to nobody because the door has already closed.
We don’t have school today since it’s the first day of Christmas break.I’m going to hang out with Steff and the gang tonight, but I don’t actually have any plans for the rest of the day, so I plop down on the couch and turn on the TV.
