Levi
I’d been aware of Katie’s every move. While she often wandered away from me when I was under siege by another well-wisher or another member of the welcome-home committee, I kept her in my peripheral view, following her so as not to lose her in the sea of people. The crowd suffocated me. Some I recognized, while others…I had no clue, but I shook hands and allowed hugs as best I could. At some point, I noticed Katie heading for the back door of the bar, and I decided it was time to leave. The great part of our location included her aunt’s house being on the other side of the alley. Katie’s younger sister, Daisy, had arrived at some point and had taken AJ there, so our walk wasn’t more than one hundred feet.
To my surprise, Katie simply stood outside the back door, staring up at the winter stars. Her arms wrapped around her in the cold, Midwestern night.
“Hey,” I whispered, coming up behind her and enveloping her in my arms. She leaned back against me, and I had to admit, I liked the feeling. When she simply slipped back into me, like she relied on me, I took pride in the sensation. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just looking at the stars, I guess.” She shrugged noncommittally. “Gavin used to tell me that if you looked at the moon and made a wish, chances are the person you wished for was looking at the same moon.” The night was moonless as far as I could see, but I scanned the brightly speckled heavens. Stars were something rarely seen under the bright lights of a big city like Chicago.
“Who did you wish to see?” I asked, holding her tighter, holding my breath as well at her answer.
“You. Always you, Levi.” Her voice was quiet as if she were embarrassed by this admission. I spun her slowly to face me and we stared at one another.
“You shouldn’t smoke those things,” I finally said, waiting for Katie to respond.
“What?” Her brow pinched while she giggled nervously.
“That’s not your line.” My head tilted, teasing her to remember. Her forehead wrinkled under her hat.
“Are you home for long?” she asked, her voice trembling. The question was close enough. At this point, I should have told her to go inside. That was my original response, but I didn’t want her to leave my arms.
“Nope,” I paused. “But for as long as you’ll have me.”
Katie’s eyes opened wide. Her expression softened from her surprise.
“Ask me,” I whispered, prodding her to remember her question.
“Are you a hero yet?” Her voice was so low, I may have imagined it.
“I want to be. For you. I want to be.” My cold fingers cupped her face, no longer willing to wait to repeat what happened next, my mouth sought hers, soft and sweet like I remembered. A lingering sip of innocence covered my lips and reminded me of all I could have had if I had only returned to her.
“Am I too late?” I asked against her mouth. Her lips curved against mine and that smile rushed down to my toes.
“Nope.” She smiled deeper, pulling back a little. “I’m still waiting.”
* * *
Shortly after we arrived at Tricia and Leon’s, they returned to their home. Katie went with Tricia to prepare rooms while Leon motioned for me to follow him to the kitchen. Their house had changed from the one I remembered. There was quite a story behind their owning this property so close to town, but every corner spoke of Tricia and Leon’s connection despite his diverse upbringing.
“It’s been a long time.” Leon’s nearly black eyes peered at me over the rim of his beer bottle. Taking a drink, he let silence fall between us. I shrugged in response, feeling all of fifteen again, wanting to please my basketball coach and mentor. Leon came into my life when I needed better role models. He didn’t smack me around, or talk down to me, but treated me like the growing adult I was becoming. He told me things, like talk sweet to the ladies, and be kind to the older ones. He showed me how to perfect my shot and encouraged me to work hard. He’d had a rough upbringing and he knew about choices—it’s up to us to dictate the path our life leads. That was one reason the military became a decision for me. I couldn’t stay in this small town and turn into what everyone expected of me—a Walker.
“Lots of history here,” I said, scanning the bright kitchen, but knowing my words had nothing to do with this room. Leon nodded in thought, taking a long moment before he spoke.
“We all have history in us. It’s like an important ingredient to a cake. Don’t let the ingredient alone spoil the savory richness when combined with other essentials.” His hands motioned over each other, twisting and turning like he formed some type of patty.
“Are you saying cake is life or life is cake?” I laughed, trying to deflect the seriousness of his metaphor. Leon punched me in the shoulder.
“Ouch, old man,” I chuckled.
“Listen to me, oh young one. Life is cake and cake is life, and you need to gobble the ingredients collectively to enjoy the whole thing.”
I rolled my eyes. “Have another, oh wise one. And by the way, when did you get so wise?”
“I fell in love with a Carter. That’s all it took.” I turned to find Katie seated within my sight in the dining room. Tricia and Katie were huddled at one end of the table, jabbering away with excitement. Katie smiled in response to something her aunt said and then twisted to find me staring at her.
“What kind of cake do you want, Levi?” Leon whispered beside me, and my first thought: wedding, which isn’t a flavor, but a type. Ignoring his question, I shifted gears.
“I applied for my dream job with Geographic Digest.” Leon had been a strong source of encouragement when I was young, telling me I could be anything, even if it took time. As a former gang member himself, Leon knew about waiting before dreams could come true. He was presently a physics teacher at the high school as well as the head basketball coach.
“Wow, that’s huge. Travel the world. See exotic things.” He paused taking another swig from his beer. “Where does your son fit into that scenario?”
I hadn’t solidified the final logistics of AJ, but I had a plan. However, I wasn’t ready to share the details, and Leon jumped ahead to another question.
“Where does Katie fit into that?”
She didn’t, until Leon asked. But that was actually a lie. Where would Katie fall into my plan? Each time I thought of her, I used equal force to take her out of the equation. I needed this job. I wanted this job, and I didn’t have room for anything that prevented it, but the lies I told myself tugged at my heart. Katie was becoming a bigger roadblock than AJ. I didn’t want to lose her again.
“We’re just friends,” I said, my lip curling haphazardly. Leon stared at me, his eyes narrowing in a menacing way, and for a moment, I forgot I was speaking of his family. His gang affiliation still lingered in that glare. My crass response was unwarranted, and uncalled for, as Katie Carter was definitely more than a friend to me. Having her in my life was a benefit, and one I was taking too much for granted.