FIVE

Julie opened the door and three men came in.

“Were you planning to eat dessert without us?” the tallest man boomed. He was a head higher than Julie and had the same brown hair. He had angular features and a wide smile. His blue eyes sparkled with mischievousness and his big grin showed off his pearly whites.

“Tim,” Julie said. “We’re just eating the brownies as a snack.”

“Kate’s special brownies.” Adam said.

“Kate’s special brownies? Kate?” the lanky one said. He was the shortest of all three, but he was still an inch taller then Julie. He had dark blonde hair, with black at the roots. He also had a wide grin and the same mischievous glint. It was obvious they him and his tall brother were the jokers of the family.

“You’re exaggerating, Chad.” Kate said pompously, tilting her head up. “I can bake from scratch.”

“She used a brownie mix.” Julie said in a flat voice.

“‘Li!” Kate said. “Don’t tell them!”

“So much for special brownies.” Chad teased.

“Cedric!” Julie said, throwing her arms around the third brother. He was still standing beside the door, running his hand through his dark brown hair, watching the scene before him with a shy quiet smile. “You haven’t hugged your little sister yet!”

Jason had taken shots of their arrival.

“You hired a professional photographer in honor of our arrival?” Tim said.

Julie smacked him on the arm. “Jason, meet my eldest, and annoying, I might add, brother, Tim.”

“Heyah.” Tim said, smiling and giving a half-salute.

“This is Cedric, the smart and not annoying one who’s the second eldest. I’m the third, and Chad is the youngest.” Julie said, pointing to each of them. “Everyone, this is Jason, Kate’s childhood BF.”

“Boyfriend?” Tim asked.

“Oooh.” Chad said, putting his hands on Jason’s shoulders. “A blast from the past, huh?”

“Best friend, people, best friend.” Kate said.

Jason stood quietly in the middle of the scene.

“Unca Tea! Unca Tea!” Jamie shouted. It sounded like he had said “hunk of tea”, which didn’t make any sense at all. He ran to his uncle and Tim picked him up and spun him around.

“Jamie! How are you, sport?” Tim said.

“I’m great!” Jamie beamed.

“I don’t know about you, but if you guys are just gonna stand there, I’m gonna sit down and sample these brownies.” Chad said, nearing the coffee table.

“Whoa.” Julie said, blocking his way. “Now that you’ve arrived, dinner has officially started. We will eat these brownies later.”

“Awww…” Tim, Jamie, and Chad cried.

“Please?” Chad said, sticking his lower lip out.

“Uh-uh.” Julie shook her head. “Dinner first.”

“Okay, okay.” Chad said. “Let’s get dinner over and done with so we can get those brownies.”

“Hey! You will eat that dinner slowly and appreciatively. Kate and I cooked the whole day to prepare for this, so you will eat. No wolfing it down.”

“Kate helped you?” Chad said.

“What is so bizarre about me cooking?” Kate said in false offense.

“Sorry, Kate.” Chad said. “The only thing I know you cooking is instant noodles.”

“I’m not an expert, but I know how to cook.”

“Some.” Julie continued.

“Come on. To the kitchen.” Cedric said.

Jason sat between Kate and Cedric at the dinner table. The room was filled with chatter and the clinking if dinner utensils. He had kept quiet since they had settled in the dining room. Kate was quiet too. It seemed they both felt out of place. They joined in the chatter now and then, but concentrating on eating the dinner Julie and Kate had prepared.

“Kate!” Chad said, his mouth full. “I love your potato salad!”

A wide smile formed on her lips. “Thanks.”

 

“Goodnight everyone!” Kate said as they exited Julie’s front door.

“I had a great time.” Jason said, shaking Tim’s hand.

“See you soon.” Chad smiled.

“Bye, Cedric! Bye, Jamie! Julie, Adam!” Kate called to everyone as she neared the car.

They both entered the car.

“Do you mind if we have another detour?” Kate asked Jason.

Jason shrugged. “Sure.”

Jason recognized where they were going. He didn’t say a word. Kate was leading him back to where it all had ended, back to where everything began.

 

Jason was eight and Kate was six when they first met. Jason was walking with his parents, kicking his soccer ball as he walked along. He had accidentally hit the ball wrong and it hit a small girl who was reading on the shore. She was seated on the sand, leaning on the stacked boats. He had run to her, said his sorries, and didn’t see each other again till the next day. She was reading again, this time under a tree near the soccer field. He had run over to her, invited her to a game. They introduced each other, and went to play. When the game was done, she went home straight away, and left her book under the tree. Jason found it. He wanted to give it back, but they didn’t bump into each other for the rest of the summer. They met again in the cafeteria, at the start of the school year. Jason wanted to give the book back, but, instead, he kept it in his room, planning to give it to her when the time was ripe.

 

Kate parked in the lot and they both stepped out of the car. Kate walked first, and Jason followed her step. They walked for a few minutes, and then Kate stopped.

“Do you remember which one?” Kate asked.

“One what?”

She turned towards the row of trees. “Which one was ours?”

Jason looked at the display of trees and picked one out. “That one. The one with two branches twisted once near the trunk.”

Kate smiled. “Right.” She whispered.

Now’s the time, Jason. Give it. Give it! “Kate?” Jason said.

“Hmmm?” she said.

“Do you remember that book you lost the first few days we met?”

“Yeah.”

He fished in his backpack and pulled it out. “I found it.”

Her eyes perked up. “Really?” She took it from him.

“It’s weird, now that I think of it. Why would a six-year-old be reading about green eggs and ham?”

Kate laughed.

You can do it, Jason. Tell her. Tell her everything. He opened his mouth. Don’t rush things. Give her time. He closed his mouth and debated with himself.

Kate interrupted his thoughts. “Come on. Let’s take a walk. Just walk. Let’s spend it that way. We still have time.”

Jason looked at the ground, not bothering to look at the stars that were twinkling up in the sky. He couldn’t look at them. Not like the way Kate was looking at them right now.

Do we? He thought. Is the time we have all but enough?

 

Jason waved goodbye as he watched Kate’s car drive away. The night was chilly but he decided to take a walk before heading inside. He walked a few blocks, thinking, deciding, wondering if he would ever tell Kate what he felt. He knew that it would take her a long time to accept his feelings. Why? Why did he come here? All the questions that were in his head started with the same thing. Why? He headed back to the motel, the cold starting to get to him. The minutes he had spent thinking was wasted for he wasn’t able to answer anything. He just knew one thing, one thing that was related to all his questions. He still loved her. But again that question. Why?

 

Kate arrived at her house, and her thoughts vanished the moment she entered the door. She dropped her keys on the table and ran up the stairs.

“Jack?” she whispered. “Jack? I’m home, Jack.”

She felt a spasm of pain whenever she said the name. You’re in denial, Kate. He’s not here. She bit her tongue, feeling another wave of despair coursing through her, holding back her tears. No, she told herself, no. He’s not gone. He’s here. I can feel it.

She went to the window and pulled it open and leaned out. The air was cold, touching her cheeks. The street was dark, except for the orange glow of the street lights. She saw the small vegetable patch Jackson had planted. She hired a gardener to come once a week to tend to it. She wanted it to stay alive, like the way she wanted the same thing for Jack. She saw the patch of lilies Jack had planted especially for her.

She leaned back and closed the window. She went to the bed and lay down. The surface of her skin was cold and she felt something warm envelope her, like there was a pair of arms wrapped around her.

Jack.