Infinity and Beyond (Magcon/Cameron Dallas)

Chapter 56

Flashback to Age 4

"Mooommyyy!" I remember sobbing this to myself as my tiny, helpless body stared up at the helium balloon caught in a branch, which at the time, seemed to be a hundred feet in the air.

Though it was probably only about 5.

My face was wet with tears and I remember glancing back at the library to see if my mom was returning, but the steps were still void of people. It had only been about 10 seconds since my mom had disappeared in search of someone to bring my balloon down, but being 4 at the time meant that a second without your mother was practically 10 years.

She had insisted that I come with her back into the library, but I'd been relentless. No way was I going to let that balloon out of my sight and risk it disappearing while I was away. After 2 minutes of straight up bawling and screaming my mom had finally told me to just make sure I stay where I was and that she'll be back in a few seconds.

Well time's up and she was still not back with a ladder or a really tall person.

"Hey are you okay? What's wrong?" My attention had averted from the balloon above me to a person approaching me. She was wearing a thin, pink tank top along with a pair of basketball shorts that hung past her knees and her hair was a long, messy tangle that hung past her shoulders. She was fiddling with a piece of grass between her fingers and her eyes held genuine curiosity behind them.

I remember being so struck by the color of her eyes that I had stopped crying. It was the first time I'd seen someone with eyes as blue and bright as hers were. I was both completely mesmerized and intimidated by them, like a kid watching Shamu perform.

I looked at her before simply pointing up, her gaze followed my finger and to the balloon caught in the tree, threatening to be blown away by the wind.

"Is that yours?" She asked and I nodded, feeling the tears coming on again. A wide grin had spread across her face and it was probably the friendliest thing I'd ever seen; brighter than even her eyes. She skipped past me and I had turned to watch her, thinking that she was leaving me like my mom had. But before I had known it, her scrawny limbs were grabbing onto branches and she was no longer on the ground.

I had watched in awe as she swung onto the branch as if she was on a playground's monkey bars. The branch wiggled under her weight and my eyes had quickly flashed to my balloon at the end of it. Her arm stretched out and her tiny fingers wrapped around the string. I felt my heart leap.

In a way that seemed completely effortless, the girl had climbed down and my balloon bobbed in the air next to her. She skipped over to me and took ahold of my wrist gently. I remember being so excited about having my balloon back that I wasn't even paying attention when she was talking out how to tie it around my wrist.

She tightened the knot before she stood back and smiled, fists on her hips.

I moved my arm a bit and the balloon followed. I smiled even wider. I then remembered what my mom had taught me and I turned to the girl, "Thank you."

"Anytime! My name's Skylar, by the way. What's yours?"

"I'm Cameron." I had replied.

Skylar stuck her hand out towards me and shook my hand with a very firm grip, "It's nice to meet you Cameron!"

"Would you look at that, sweetie!" I heard my mom say and I turned around to see her approaching. I sprinted the remaining distance between us to hug her, "Mommy, look! Skylar got my balloon back!" It never occurred to me to question where my mom had been the whole time (I was 4, c'mon), but a few years down the road she told me that she'd just asked the librarian for help when she'd seen Skylar climb the tree through the library window.

My mom had ruffled my hair before turning to Skylar, who was still grinning at the two of us. "I'm Cameron's mom. Thank you for retrieving his balloon for him, that was very nice of you."

Skylar had stuck out her hand towards my mom as well and shook it with the same enthusiasm she had with me, "Hi Cameron's mom! I'm Skylar! And of course! I'm here all day!"

I remember my mom looking at Skylar with surprise and adoration before glancing about the park at the other kids and parents, "Are your parents here, Skylar?"

Skylar had looked around for a moment before looking back at my mom with a smile again, "My mom's at the bathroom. Though it might take a while." She leaned in toward my mom, cupping her mouth and whispering, "She had a burrito for breakfast."

My mom laughed, "All right, well we have to get going. Thank you once again. Do you and your mom come to the park a lot?"

Skylar nodded and my mom smiled, "That's great! Maybe you and Cameron could get together and play sometime!"

Skylar grinned, "Okay!"

"Okay, well we'll see you soon!" My mom waved at her and we turned around to start walking the opposite direction. After a moment I looked back at Skylar and she looked back at me. She waved and my little 4 year old self smiled. I remember thinking one thing as I turned back around:

I hope I get to see her again.