Home is a Four Letter Word

chapter forty-five

The Fourth of July

The city was exuberant in a way that Jake had never seen.

There was something in the air—in the faint sound of the music playing on speakers near the venue flooding through the streets. It was as if the entire city was in sync, and yet, as each car passed them on their way in and out of the main traffic, Jake could see the individual faces of people that he had never met, who had lived lives that he never had, who he would likely never see again. The sidewalks were packed with people donning patriotic colors—some of them wearing Fourth of July glasses too big for their faces that lit up in the sunset that was falling over the city all at once.

There were people everywhere, but with the people, brought life. So much life. There was a little girl walking in front of him and Connor that clapped her hands together excitedly as she hopped over the sidewalk cracks, filing in perfectly between her parents as they walked together in stride. The scene reminded him a lot of when McKenna was a child—always full of an energy that no one else in the family had. She wore a glittery tutu that Jake swore shed sparkles as she jumped, but no one else seemed to notice the dusting of blue she left behind on the sidewalk.

"Seventeen." Connor's voice beside him shook him out of his trance.

"What?"

Jake leaned towards him to hear over the sound of the girl's excited cries that they were 'almost there'.

"We've passed seventeen pride flags since we left the parking garage."

"Holy shit." Jake said in disbelief.

No way. He looked up from the sidewalk, and sure enough the moment he lifted his eyes to look at the row of business on this strip, the signature rainbow flag was flying high and proud on the front of what appeared to be a tiny bookstore three doors down from where they were.

"Eighteen." Jake muttered, watching it carefully billowing in the gentle breeze, free from any tears, or burn marks, or profanities drawn in black paint.

How is this possible?

There were many things about this place that left Jake either amused or in awe. It was so big, yet they had covered so little, and Jake already felt like a tourist in his own state. There was nothing here that resembled living life in the middle of nowhere. This was everywhere. This was everything, all in one. It was culture shock.

"I know that face." Connor purposely bumped his shoulder into Jake. "What's going on in that head of yours, sunshine?"

Jake shook his head, marveled as another tinier pride flag was a sticker in a coffee shop window. They're everywhere.

"Wow." He whispered.

"You're not in Kansas anymore, are you Toto?" Connor joked with a smile so euphoric Jake could've called it home.

If this is what it takes to see you this content, I'll bring you to the city every weekend.

"How is this still Ohio?"

"Hate to break it to you Jake, but there is a world that exists outside of our teeny tiny little hometown."

"I'd never seen it before."

Connor held back a laugh. "I can see that."

"Everything is so loud." Jake leaned towards him again while he was speaking, hoping his words didn't get lost in the crowd.

"If you think this is loud, wait until the fireworks."

"I know what fireworks sound like, dumbass."