A Different Slice

39 - Keychain (Naomi)

"And everyone called me Star Dork. Except you, Marc, and Shivanna."

"If I'm going to insult you, it'll be more creative than that, Sir-Brakes-A-Lot."

They both laughed, and a weight lifted off her chest. She looked down at her palm, where the golden dog smiled at her in the moonlight. "Thanks for this. It looks so much like her."

He settled on his rock seat. "Look at the back."

Naomi ran her fingers over an indented section that must have said something. Greg shined a small flashlight on it. Hailey's name was engraved, bringing Naomi to the brink of tears again, but she handled them solo this time.

"This must have cost way too much."

He didn't flinch at the statement and turned off the light. "It's worth it."

"Thank you. You're the best friend I could hope for."

Greg smiled. "Good thing Shivanna didn't hear that."

Naomi laughed, which made him grin more.

"There's Nomi peeking through the clouds."

"Thanks to you."

"Anytime you need to be cheered up, you find me, alright? And if I'm not around, Faux Hailey is there for you." His voice softened more. "She hated seeing you upset, and so do I."

Damn, those tears returned. She hid them with another hug, claiming it was the least she could do to thank him. But he didn't tease her and instead held her with the soothing qualities of her favourite fleecy hoodie.

***

Her sister hadn't known Greg had given her the keychain, nor had her friends. Telling anyone about it would make that moment lose its magic. She didn't need their analysis or encouragement. She just wanted that unspoken closeness between her and Greg. He would smile when she had it out, and it comforted her like one of his hugs.

When she was 22, she'd brought it here, but the latch must have broken. She'd always thought she'd dropped it on the beach, but it must have fallen in the bedroom. Her grandmother had sold the house to Jodie not long after that. Keychain Hailey had been resting in a keepsake box since then.

The memory made Naomi restless. Now, she hardly hesitated before crying and took every hug she could get. Greg had changed so much too. His confidence had soared. He'd gotten more into fitness, hit a growth spurt, and he'd given up several hobbies. But back then, he'd known how to fix everything and support her. Never in a million years did she imagine that kid shattering her heart.

Jodie, her husband, and Kieran happily played games in the family room, but Naomi couldn't sit still or focus on the trivia game. Kieran would pick up on her mood in a second, and she was reluctant to admit the reason for this sudden shift. When she excused herself to go for a walk, he offered to come, but she assured him she'd be fine. Most people would have gone home after the fireworks, and he was having fun. She didn't want to ruin that when all she offered were melancholic reflections.

Her feet guided her to the lake's rocky upper shoreline, like the one from her memory. She tucked her hand in her pocket where the keychain rested. The metal—warmed slightly from her leg—soothed her like the smoothness of a skipping stone. She was about to sit on a rock when she noticed another person seated in a hoodie and shorts.

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. "Shit, I'm sorry I didn't see you."

As the person stood, she stepped back and stiffened. Would he attack her, or was he harmless?

"It's all yours." That voice was familiar. Deeper than the memory she'd relived earlier.

"Greg?" She had to be wrong, but the more she studied his stance, the more she recognized, even with his hunched shoulders. "Why are you in Gimli?"