Page 12 of Adventures in Spring

“We could spread it out in the middle of our square when we’re done.”

We get to work and position the desks exactly how Emiko wants them. Then I get the blanket and the picnic basket. We sit down and I start taking out the items in the basket. Felicity wasn’t joking, she made sure we had a feast.

“This is incredible. Thank you for doing this.”

“I can’t take the credit for this. Felicity got the basket together for us. I’m no good at things like this.” I chuckle.

“I’ll be sure to thank her when I see her. Your sister is adorable. I’ve always wanted a sister. I love my brothers, but sometimes I think having a sister would be nice.”

“I don’t know about that. Felicity is a handful.” I laugh. “You can borrow her anytime.”

Emiko laughs.

“Is there anything you’re allergic to? Or don’t like to eat?”

“Not really, I like most things and I’ll try anything once.”

“I like that outlook. ‘Try anything once.’”

“It’s what my parents used to tell us when we were little. How can you say you don’t like something if you’ve never tried it? So that was their thing. Try things once and you can say you don’t like it after.”

I put the sandwich halves, veggies and fruits on plates so we can pick and choose. I love listening to her talk. I can see a sadness in her, but also a spark that I love.

“What made you decide to become a pharmacist?”

“I like science and I thought about becoming a doctor. But I didn’t want to spend that much time in school.” I chuckle.

“What about you? What made you decide to teach?”

Emiko gets a sad look on her face and I’m worried that I touched a sore spot for her.

“I got pregnant with my twins when I was sixteen. There were times I wanted to quit school, but I had a teacher that pushed me to keep going. I mean, I had my family and their dad. But having Mrs. Kramer in my corner really helped me to keep going. She told me that I could do it even with my babies. That she would help me as much as she could. And that’s what she did.”

“Can I ask where your twins dad is?”

Emiko sighs softly. “We lost him last year. He was a state trooper and was shot on a call.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“That’s part of why I decided to move here. The memories were just too much. I felt like all of us needed a new start.”

“I’m glad you chose Wintervale,” I say as I take her hand.

“I am too. So, what do you do for fun here?”

“Honestly? I spend my free time snowboarding in the winter and in the summer we like to go camping. But since we lost our parents, we spend most of our time at the store.”

“I’m sorry about your parents. Losing people you love is the hardest thing to go through.”

I kiss the back of her hand.

“It is the hardest thing in life. If there’s anything I can do to help you, I’m here.”

I don’t know why I feel such a strong connection to Emiko. But I do, and I want to protect her and her babies. Emiko smiles at me.

“Thank you. I’m here for you too. I’m not sure why I feel so connected to you—but I do. Seth was the only one I’ve ever been with and I never thought I’d want to get to know anyone like that again. You make me feel alive, like I’m opening my eyes for the first time in a long time.”

Hearing Emiko say these things makes me feel really good, knowing she feels the same way that I do. That strong connection to her isn’t in my imagination. I lean forward and kiss her. That jolt of electricity between us is incredible.

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