Page 78 of Game Changer

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“Yes.”

“That’s the Northern Lights.”

“That’s kind of disappointing.”

“Just wait.Hopefully it will get better.”

The pale gray haze just above the far shoreline of the lake shimmers and shifts.

“I saw a falling star!”Molly points.“I have to make a wish.”

My heart squeezes and I smile.“What did you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you that!It has to be a secret.”

“Ah.”Then a faint green line appears along one edge of the gray haze.“Look now.”

“Ohhhh.”Molly’s wide-eyed.

The green intensifies, moving and changing shape, so slowly and faintly.

“This is amazing!”Molly whispers to the dark sky.

We lie on the dock and watch as the lights grow bigger and deeper green against the indigo sky.

“It’s like magic,” Molly murmurs.

“Like snow.”

She turns her head and our eyes meet, her face shadowy in the dark.“Yes.”

My hand finds hers and I curl my fingers around it.

We watch the lights change and glow, then Molly shivers.“I’m getting cold.”

“That’s why I brought a sleeping bag.Move off for a sec.”

I pull back the top layer.

She looks from the sleeping bag up to my face, then back down.Then she crawls inside.I join her, tugging up the zipper on my side.

It’s a double sleeping bag but it’s not roomy, so her body is right next to mine.She’s still shivering.I move closer and slide an arm under her cushion.“You need to warm up.”

“Yes,” she whispers, turning into me.

That morning in California, we woke up like this.But now we both know exactly what we’re doing.

We gaze up at the sky, the entire circumference of the lake ringed with shimmering blues, greens and white.

“Don’t you wish you were taking pictures of this?”she asks softly.

“Sort of.But it would take a lot of work.I’d need a tripod.And then…I wouldn’t be holding you.”

I feel the change in her, the vibration, her body very still.Then she moves her head to look at me.“Jax?”

“Yeah?”I tuck a strand of hair under her goofy-looking hood.

“I like you holding me.”

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