Page 41 of Seeking Stars
"I don't know…" Flashes of different happy moments flooded his mind, too quick to grasp at a single one. "I don't think I could choose one single memory."
"Then tell me a random one."
It took him a minute to choose. He smiled. "I must have been ten or eleven. Alex and I— that's my brother— we decided we wanted to build a treehouse. We begged my dad all winter, hoping that in the spring time he would help us build one. My dad kept telling us it was impossible because A, we didn't have a tree in the backyard," Liam laughed, pleased that Ana did too. "B, he was used to our antics and knew we would get bored with it. We were the kind of kids that would rather wrestle in the basement or play basketball in the garage pad than be out in the backyard."
"Did you and Alex get what you wanted?"
"No," Liam replied, still smiling. "My dad made us a deal. He said that if we built a lean-to— you know, the kind you would see castaways building on a deserted island— if we built one and we used it, we could talk about making a more definitive structure."
"Okay, you got me. I want to know how this ends."
"Alex and I did our best with a tarp, cardboard boxes, plastic bags… anything we could find. It took us half an hour to be so frustrated that we started a fight. Dad came out to separate us and said we needed something to take our minds off the project. That evening, we had a small bonfire in the backyard, where we ceremoniously burnt the cardboard we had wanted to use for the lean-to. We cooked marshmallows on it."
She laughed as he finished his story, the sound full of delight. "That is an amazing story."
"Thank you." Though there was mirth in him, the memory also made him nostalgic.
"Based on that alone, your childhood sounds fun."
Through the water, he saw her lifting her legs to her chest. He imitated her.
"It was a good childhood, I think. Nothing extraordinary; my family was nice, I always felt cared for. We had enough money to cover our needs and to help a bit with our education. The extended family was good too, never too much drama during Thanksgiving or Christmas."
"It really sounds lovely."
"Yeah. I know I'm one of the lucky ones."
"What do your parents do?" she asked.
"Dad's a veterinarian, mom's an admin at the university. "
They treaded water for a short while, before she spoke again.
"What about a sad memory?" she asked, this time with a soft voice.
An event came to mind loud and clear, unrepentant. Heart-wrenching. His throat constricted and, to buy himself some time, he took slow steps to the edge of the pool. Resting his arms on the side of it, he stared at the trees across the yard. She came to his side and mirrored him.
"When my dog died," he finally replied. He could imagine himself back in that moment, when he knew his dog was gone. Almost feel again the tears stuck in his throat, the sob that escaped him. "I was sixteen and took it poorly."
She put a hand on his arm. "You don't have to tell me the details."
He put a hand on top of hers. "I don't want to tell you the details, to be honest."
They stayed there, only the sounds of the water and the smell of chlorine around them.
"Sounds like you had a lovely youth, Liam."
Her voice had been wistful. He smiled, not knowing how nostalgic he looked in turn.
Chapter 12 - Closer
They went on an extended trek the next day, and retired to their rooms after a long dinner. A couple of hours later, Ana sat on her bed talking on the phone with Ely. A knock on the door interrupted their conversation; Ana smiled at something her friend said and opened the door for Liam.
"Come in," she whispered, going back to sit at her bed. Liam didn't do as told, instead choosing to lean on the door jamb, arms crossed, a sideways grin on his face. He wore a sleeveless, white undershirt, which highlighted his shoulders and made them look wide and solid. Gray, thin lounge pants hung low from his waist.
"Give me a sec, Ely." Ana gulped and took her phone away from her ear. She asked Liam, "Everything okay?"
"I was going to ask the same," he replied. "I got up to get something to drink and saw the light coming from under the door. I thought maybe you couldn't sleep, but then I heard giggling—"
