Page 66 of Shadow and Skulls

“I’m sorry,” I say, focusing on him. “I’m just so excited.”

“I know, baby. I know.”

Jackson walks around the four-poster bed, pointing out all of the details he put into it.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Give it a try.”

I climb up on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. “It’s perfect,” I breathe out, unable to hold the tears back. My family is the best. I’m so grateful for them.

At the end of the day, mom drags her feet after everyone else has left. “Oh, I have one more thing.” She holds up her finger before rushing out the front door.

Dad shakes his head. “Give her a little grace. Her baby girl is moving out.”

“I know.” I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little sad, too.

She comes back in with a painting that has hung in our living room for as long as I’ve lived with them. My dad presses his finger and thumb into the corner of his eyes.

“I’ll get the drill,” he grumbles, choking back tears of his own.

“What do you think?” She holds up the old window painted with sunflowers against the wall. “Or maybe over there would be better.” She points across the room.

I smile, knowing this painting must be special to her. “I think it looks perfect right there.”

“It was the first thing I hung on my wall when I moved here. Well, it’s not the original one. Jackson broke that one. But this was the one I painted to replace it.”

I laugh. “I can’t imagine Jackson breaking anything.”

“He was such a stinker when he was little.”

“Was?”

She smiles at me. “You’re right. He’s still a little stinker.”

I curl my feet under me, watching my parents work together to hang it. My heart is happy for them, but it hurts for me. I miss Tank. I want to share this with him. It’s a big moment for me.

“Okay,” my dad says when they’re finished, dragging my mother out the front door. “We’re only a phone call away. We can be back here in two minutes if you need us.”

I place my hands on their backs, gently shoving them toward the pickup as I walk them out. “I’ll be fine. I promise. I’m going to get started on my first assignment,” I tell them.

This seems to make them happy. I’m not sure if it’s what I want, but they convinced me to give online college classes a try. I agreed to take one class. Who knows, maybe I will enjoy it.

When the dust settles after they drive away, I let my gaze roam over the trees. Maybe I’m crazy, but I feel him today. I walk to the tree line, pausing my steps to listen. Nothing. But I have faith he’s here.

“I thought they’d never leave,” I say out loud.

I know he’s not going to reveal himself. My father hasn’t given us his blessing … yet. Baby steps.

“You should see inside. It’s changed so much in just a few weeks. It’s turning out better than I could have imagined,” I say, wrapping my arms around my favorite cottonwood tree. “I guess I have you to thank for that.” My cheek rests against the bark. “I’ve finally started to speak up for the things I want.”

“I wish I was hugging you,” I say quietly, dropping to the ground.

My fingers wrap around a branch. “Do you remember how the cotton would blow from the cottonwood trees back home? God, there were so many along the river. Somedays when the wind would blow it would look like it was snowing.”

I snap the branch at its joint, smiling at the little star that’s revealed there. I haven’t thought about this in such a long time. I guess that’s the nice thing about letting my mind wander through the past. I’m finding some good memories there; I just have to look for them.

“One time when I was around, oh, I don’t know, maybe five or six, I walked down by the river alone. My mom was having one of her episodes, and she could barely get herself out of bed. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I guess I didn’t know the area as well as I thought I did because I got lost. I was so scared. I don’t know how far away I ended up going, but luckily I ran into a man. He sat down beside me and wiped my tears. I told him my name and where I lived.”

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