𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | b. rodriguez

the epiphany

✱ ✱ ✱ ✱

"11.. 12? 10?" I muttered under my breath.

Kate had been babbling on so fast I couldn't remember her address. At least I was on the right street.

Right? Palmwood Lane?

The street was narrow, and lined with giant palm trees, and beyond them after yards of somewhat green lawn stood big houses. Nice houses.

Kate lives here?

"Shaye!" she called to me from the front porch of the big house next to the one I was currently standing in front of, admiring from the sidewalk.

The porch was high, and four white columns stood upon it, holding up the roof above it. The windows to the sides were big, and clean and the curtains inside appeared to be white lace. In the driveway to the left of the house was a bright blue car, waxed and shining in the Summer sun.

Wow.

Kate was running down onto the lawn in her socks, and I decided to walk up towards the house to save her the time it would've taken to run all the way down to me.

"Hey!" I said, smiling as she met me and fell into step beside me.

"Hi! So, I've got some good news, and some bad news."

"Oh man. Bad news first."

"Okay, bad news: I have to leave tomorrow at noon to go spend three weeks with my mother in Washington. I just found out this morning. Dad just told me."

"Aw man! What on earth am I supposed to do without you for three weeks? You can't leave me here with all these boys!"

She chuckled, grinning at the way I scrunched up my nose when I said "boys."

"I know, right? You'll probably die."

"Probably."

We laughed after a moment of trying to maintain serious faces.

"So, what's the good news then?"

Her face lit up and she wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "We," she started "are going shopping to treat ourselves to some stuff that will fill the holes in our hearts while we are apart. And we're going to have a sleepover."

At this point we were walking up the steps of her jumbo house where the front door stood open.

"That sounds awesome," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "But I don't have any money." After we stepped into the house she shut the door behind us. "And nothing could fill the hole in my heart," I add, cheesily.

She rolled her eyes.

"I'm paying, silly. And you're right – nothing can fill the void. But we can try."

"You don't have to–

"–shut up, Shaye." Kate held a hand up to my face and I dodged it in response.

"But–

"–nope, shhh." Kate kept trying to stifle my words and I kept trying to protest.

"Good morning girls."

Kate looked past me and removed her hand from my face, suddenly smiling. I turned around to see who had spoken.

"Hi Daddy," Kate said. "This is Shaye."