Between the Stars

Chapter Fourteen

"Do you really think she'll like it?" Sam asked his dad for the tenth time that week.

"Yeah, I do," his dad replied, ever-patient.

Sam fidgeted with the brown paper he'd carefully wrapped around the package. He'd thought and rethought and overthought what to get Charlie for her birthday until the ticking clock had forced him to decide. Thankfully, with his dad's help he'd been able to find what he hoped was the perfect gift for her. She expressly told him not to get anything— she almost hadn't even told him her birthday was coming— but that was beside the point. He knew she would have done the same for him, which quelled any lingering doubt he had about his decision.

So here he was, half an hour before he was supposed to meet Charlie, obsessively checking the clock because he'd gotten ready too quickly. His leg bounced impatiently as he looked around the room. His dad sat on the other couch, immersed in his new book that he'd ordered along with Charlie's gift. Sam checked the time on his phone again, then let out a sigh and leaned back against the couch.

"Why don't you just go early?" His dad asked absently.

"But what if she's not ready yet?" Sam replied. "I don't want to go stand outside her house like a weirdo."

His dad set down his book. "What's worse— waiting here or waiting there? If she's not ready yet, you could always go for a walk."

He lifted the book again as Sam mulled over his words. He could tell his nervous energy was disturbing his dad, even though his dad would never admit to it. He checked his phone once more, then pushed himself up and headed for the door.

"Package," his dad called.

Sam made a face and spun around to snag the gift from where he'd almost forgotten it.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Should have stayed quiet and let you kill some time coming back for it," his dad teased.

"Hilarious. See you later."

"Tell Charlie we said happy birthday!" His dad's voice followed him as he pulled the door shut.

It was a beautiful summer day; puffy clouds littered the sky and it was warm, but not sweltering like it had been a couple weeks before. Sam tucked the package into the pocket of his sweatshirt and headed down the road.

The world seemed like it was set on high definition today. Everything looked sharper. Brighter. The wind whispered through the trees, ruffling the needles on the pines. The afternoon sun glowed on the edges of the cream colored clouds, highlighting the electric blue of the sky. Bird calls echoed through the forest as they flitted back and forth above him. Sam took a deep breath of air that smelled like pine trees and sunshine and let the peaceful feeling envelope him. He hummed some old song he'd heard on the radio the week before as he turned onto the main road. The lake sparkled in the distance; the afternoon sun hit it at such an angle that it was impossible to look at without going blind. The rush of waves against the shore replaced the rush of wind in the pines as Sam made his way towards town.

Once he turned onto Charlie's road, it didn't take him long to reach his destination. The faded brown house sat quietly among an overgrown yard bordered by a chain link fence. A dart of relief shot through him as he noticed the rusty red truck they'd taken to go stargazing was nowhere to be seen. He had no desire to interact with Charlie's dad if he could help it. He made his way up the cracked sidewalk to the red front door and knocked twice.

No response.

He was about to knock again when the door flew open to reveal Charlie. She wore a faded green t-shirt and floral patterned jean shorts, and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun.