Luke and Ellie had an epic day. The best they’d had in weeks. Jimmy and John had come over and they had all abused the air hockey table in the basement, then watched a movie while his mother made them supper. Chili dogs and tater tots. Even his sisters and brother joined in the party. Ellie laughed more than he had seen her laugh in a long time. It was good.
He could tell there was a tension lying just beneath the surface of everything, but if he didn’t think about it, he found he could ignore it. His dad stayed busy doing dad things, but even he joined in on a game of air hockey for a few minutes. He and Ellie beat him and his mom.
After Jimmy and John left, Ellie’s mom came by with her things. She stayed for a few minutes and talked to Luke’s parents, though Luke couldn’t hear what was said. Her mom looked distraught, but thanked them for taking care of Ellie. When she left, Ellie hugged her tight and held on to her. Her mother asked her if she wanted to come home and she said no. She needed to stay here for a little while. Luke would protect her. Her mother didn’t look so confident of that fact.
After she left, Ellie leaned her head against Luke’s and said, “I don’t think she wanted me to stay.”
“She’s your mom. She’s just worried about you.”
Ellie nodded against his forehead. “I miss her already.”
He took her face in his hands. “You can go home any time you want. You know that right?”
“Yeah. I’m just being a baby.”
“I want you to stay, too, but I know what it’s like being homesick. I don’t like being away.”
“But you like me here, right?”
“Duh?”
She punched him in the arm.
“I remember when we were in third grade,” Luke said, “and you spent the night at Sheila Everby’s house.”
She laughed. “You remember that?”
“Of course. You two snuck out and threw rocks at my window until I woke up.”
“And then we giggled like the stupid girls we were and ran away.”
“I knew it was you and called you back. You guys were in your underwear.”
“We were not!” she said, shocked. “That was pajamas.”
“Looked like underwear to me. I saw your pink panties.”
She turned red.
“Anyway, you guys stayed under my window for a long time and Sheila kept saying she wanted to go home but you didn’t.”
She was smiling. “You came down and she got mad and left,” Ellie said.
“Then we got caught and put on restriction for two weeks. Your mother was so mad at you.”
She laughed. “So was Sheila’s mom.”
“I missed you those two weeks,” he said.
“You did? I thought girls were ‘ucky’ back then.”
“They still are,” and he pulled away from her making a face.
She pulled him back to her and kissed him. “Are you sure we’re ‘ucky’?”
“Totally.”
They stayed close and quiet for a minute and then he said, “I wanted you to stay with me back then. I even asked my mom.”
“I bet that went over well.”
“She actually considered it for a minute and I thought she was going to let me ask you and then she said no, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“Well, I’m here now.”
“Yeah, but you’re even ‘uckier’ than before.”
“But I’m better at air hockey.”
“Ok-I’ll give you that.”
He reached up and brushed the hair behind her ear and let his hand linger at her neck. She leaned into it and closed her eyes. “Why does that feel so good?”
“Because I’m not ‘ucky’?” he said.
She smiled, but kept her eyes closed. “Guess again.”
“Uh-because I’m good at air hockey?”
“Just say it,” she whispered and opened her eyes, looking deep into his.
His whole being felt open to her as if she could see everything within him, feel everything he could feel, share everything he could share, everything that mattered. She was all around him, in him, part of him and the world faded away, her blue eyes the only thing he could see, the only thing he could feel, the only thing that was real. He couldn’t look away.
He finally whispered, “Because I love you.”
“Yes.”