Indigo Skies | A Short Story [COMPLETE]

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I slept in late the next morning, and by the time I woke up, Jonah and his mother were already off to church. As I stretched my neck, I wondered if Caleb had gone with them due to the silence that permeated the house. It wouldn't surprise me since he seemed to believe in that type of stuff, too.

Sitting up, I ran a hand through my messy hair, the events from the night before coming rushing back at me. But I knew how to block it out and stood from my bed to get ready for the day.

I opened my door steadily, listening to see if anyone else was in the house and when I didn't hear anything, I slowly stepped out into the hall. When I came into the living room, midmorning light streamed in through the wide windows, accenting the flowery blue couch and grey carpeting. But there was no sign of Caleb, making me relax a bit. I had the whole house to myself for a few hours.

After showering and changing into a pair of black leggings and a loose fitting T-shirt, I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen for breakfast. As I munched, my eyes found their way toward the living room window. Morning doves rustled through the trees and squirrels ran around the yard, chasing one another. The sky was a beautiful bright blue and fluffy white clouds meandered their way across it, going nowhere fast.

I felt my legs twitch and gave in. Today was too good of a day to stay inside.

Locking the front door behind me with the key Mrs. Kingsley had loaned me while I stayed with them, I turned and lifted my face to the sun. It warmed my skin and made a smile stretch across my face. It was days like these that filled my spirit with warmth and hope.

I let my legs take me where they wanted to go, down the cozy neighborhood's sidewalks and across streets. I didn't care where I was going, except that it felt good doing it.

About fifteen minutes into the walk, I came upon Jerusalem Park, a large patch of bright green grass with intricate walking trails and large, hundred-year-old trees. A pond sat at the far end, a trickling fountain spurting water up into the air.

It made my smile grow.

As I merged onto a trail, I scanned the area around me, watching all the people walk about, some retrieving their frisbees that had gone awry, others trying to contain their dog's excitement. It was a busy place, but everyone seemed happy and I found myself feeling happy, too.

It was strange, even after being separated from my dad for nearly four months now. I had never felt this bright, overwhelming happiness whenever I was around him. Always dread or fear or anger. The only time I ever got close to feeling somewhat content was when I was at school with Jonah. He always made me smile even when it hurt to move from the bruises that plagued my shoulders. He sensed that I was going through something and tried to make it better even before I told him exactly what was going on. That was just who he was.

Every day he was proving to me how much he loved everyone, including people like Caleb who had to dig through dumpsters for his next meal, and people like me who had been hurt so much that it was hard to know what feeling whole was like. Every day he convinced me a little more that I would never meet someone quite as selfless as him.

Sighing contently, I turned a slight curve in the trail, my mind transferring me to a whole other world as I enjoyed the peace of the one around me. But as I passed a little wooden park bench, someone interrupted my thoughts. "Hey, Braylin!"

I blinked and swiveled upon hearing my name, looking for its source. When my eyes turned toward the bench, I realized that the figure that sat there that I hadn't really given any thought to was actually Caleb.

"Oh," I said, slightly surprised upon seeing him again. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"What a coincidence." He smiled brightly, his expression so inviting and personal, like we hadn't just met the night before. "Want to join me?"