Daren felt like he could fall
asleep right there on that picnic table. He tried to hide his exhaustion from
Sadie, but he could see in her eyes that she noticed. He didn't want her to
worry about him. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, but she seemed to
have plenty on her own plate to take care of.
Something
about Sadie made Daren want to, need to, take care of her and make sure she was
going to be all right. It might have been that she reminded him of Abby. It
might have been her soft blue eyes and honey blonde hair. She had an innocent,
but determined look about her.
Daren
looked at her as she stared out across the valley. Her brow was furrowed and
her eyes seemed to be looking past the valley into another world. Into another life.
Her hands were in tense fists, but it didn't look like she noticed.
“What
are you thinking about?” Daren asked, an intense need to know about this girl
pulled the question from his lips.
“Nothing,”
she said, her cheeks flushed red as she turned her gaze to her hands in her
lap.
“No
really?” Daren pushed further. “What are you thinking?”
After
a few seconds of silence, Sadie’s blue eyes met Daren’s.
“I’m
thinking…” She said, “That I don’t know… I don’t know how why I’m here. I don’t
know my life anymore. I just have so many questions that I can’t answer. I...”
She paused and looked hesitant, “Daren?”
“Yeah?”
“Do
you believe in Heaven? Do you believe in angels?”
Daren
didn't expect her question. He thought about his answer for a while, all the
time he could feel her blue eyes on him.
“I
believe in heaven.” He said. “And I do believe in angels, but I don’t know how
they work. All I know is that I believe in God, and I think He wants us to be
happy, even when life isn’t perfect. I think He gives us the lives we have,
because He knows we’re strong enough to live them.”
“I
don’t think He knows me then,” Sadie said, looking away. “I haven’t been happy
or strong since… never mind.”
Daren
wanted to say something else, but he didn’t know what to tell her. He didn’t
have answers to the questions she needed answered. He needed to say something
though. He couldn’t leave her wondering like she was.
“Sadie,”
he said, “God never said we had to do it on our own.”
She
looked back at him, worry lines between her eyes softening.
“Thanks,”
she said with a smile.
As
if her smile had been the cue, the sun broke over the valley. Orange and pink
hues lit the town and farmland that stretched out in front of them. Little flashes
of rainbows shown from the pivot sprinklers as they watered the fields. The rooftops
were gold, matching the fall colors in the leaves.
Sadie
and Daren watched as the sun made its way higher and higher into the sky,
neither of them saying a word. The sun chased away the chill of the October
night. Daren closed his eyes and focused on the sun warming his face. He opened
one eye and looked at Sadie. Her eyes were closed and her brow was no longer
creased with worry. The corners of her mouth pulled up into a slight smile. Daren
smiled and turned back to the sun again. The world around them was quite as the
day was waking up. Everything was silent.
Then
Daren’s stomach growled.
Sadie
and Daren laughed. Sadie’s laugh was beautiful. Her eyes lit up with humor.
“Well,”
Daren said after he stopped laughing, “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
Sadie’s
brow creased again as worry returned to her face.
“Where?”
She said.
Daren
glanced at his watch. 6:32.
“Oh
I know a place,” he said. “it should be open now.”
Daren
stood and reached his hand down to help Sadie up. She looked hesitant, so Daren
smile. She reached her hand out and took his. He pulled her up and grabbed her
backpack from the ground near her feet.
“Oh
you don’t have to carry that for me,” she said, trying to take the bag back
from him.”
“Don’t
worry about it,” He said. He could tell from the look on her face that she
would worry about it. “Really Sadie, don’t worry about it.”
She
didn’t looked convinced, but she didn’t try to take it back.
© Samantha Farr 2013
