However Long the Night

Chapter Twenty

Will's shift at the clinic dripped by so slowly on Saturday morning, he could almost hear the soft scrape of the clock's hand as it counted down the seconds until noon.

Though time moved at a glacial pace, Will's body moved at warp speed in anticipation of seeing Skye later that night. His body stuttered through the simplest tasks, and he clumsily spilled Marlene's precious coffee over a stack of freshly printed invoices, prompting her to growl, "Somebody should have stayed in bed today!"

Rushing to clean up the mess, he brewed a fresh pot to soothe the savage secretary and made himself scarce. Marlene's grudges were legendary and long, and he had no interest in being added to her shit list. When his shift finally came to an end, he hastily wished Dr. Tate and Marlene a good weekend before taking off to kill time at home.

Practically giddy to be rationed a scrap of news from her son's personal life, his mother had thrown herself into making a flower arrangement for Skye and Bridget. When Will arrived home, the kitchen table was covered in newspaper and a colorful clutter of discarded petals, stems, raffia and garden tools.

"I could add an extra flower for Skye's hair – that might be really pretty! What do you think, honey?"

Will didn't like the eager gleam in her eyes.

"Uh, Mom, it's dinner, not prom. The flower arrangement is great as it is, thanks for your help. Really. I'm good."

"Okay, but it's no trouble. Just let me know if you change your mind."

"Alright, Mom. Will do." Backing slowly out of the kitchen, he left her humming and fussing with the flowers while he snuck upstairs to be alone for a while.

At the top of the steps, a soft breeze wafted through the window, sending a shaft of sunlight dancing across the floor. Pausing outside his parents' room, Will listened to his father's rolling snores as they tumbled down the hall. His dad had successfully left the spare room behind, and the doctors were happy with his progress, but he still tired more quickly than before. Will checked on his 2 a couple of times a day, just to make sure he was okay. So far, it continued growing brighter and stronger as the days passed.

A text came in around three o'clock.

Skye: See you at 5:30? Wait until you see this feast :)

Will: You betcha, Stormy. Looking forward to it.

Skye: We're gonna eat on the back deck so let yourself in through the front door. Mom & I will be getting stuff ready on the patio.

Will: Can't wait. See you soon ☺

A hive of nerves buzzed in his stomach as his mind wandered ahead to the time he'd spend alone with her later that night. He was pretty sure about Skye's feelings, but what if he was wrong? What if he was just a summer flirtation, or a convenient shoulder to cry on, instead of something more? Will took a deep breath. He was about to take a leap of faith, and he just hoped she'd take the plunge along with him.

***

By 4:30, he was showered, coiffed, and ready to go. Not that he was eager or anything. With an hour left before dinner, he played some random games on his phone, goofed around with Toby for a while, and tried his best to avoid looking at the clock every two minutes. When he finally pulled his shoes on to leave, he could barely contain his excitement. In a few hours, if he was lucky, he'd officially leave Skye's friend zone behind.

Parking across the street from the house, Will lifted his carefully curated bouquet from the passenger seat and walked up the steps with a smile on his face. If Skye remembered their game of Start Over, he'd be having steak for dinner. Remembering her instructions to meet on the back deck, he snuck a quick peek at his hair in the windowpane before pushing the door open and stepping inside.