Chapter 9
In the days that followed, I found myself wandering through the familiar woods around my house.
The towering trees seemed to whisper secrets in the wind, their rustling leaves echoing memories of innocent laughter and carefree days.
Every hidden hollow and mossy stone seemed to hold some remnant of our shared past. Jack and I had been inseparable once, two halves of a whole, each other's constant in a world that was ever-changing.
Now, an invisible barrier divided us, as impenetrable as the densest forest.
One afternoon, while I sat on our old tree swing, Jack appeared.
His figure emerged from between the trees like a ghost from the past, causing my heart to jump into my throat.
His face was a mask of surprise, his eyes widening as he spotted me.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the only sounds were the gentle creaking of the swing and the distant murmur of the stream.
“Hey,” he said, his voice shattering the stillness.
“Hey.”
“I was wondering when I might run into you. Connie told me you were back.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my eyes locked on his. “I got back a few days ago. I’ve just been busy, that’s all.”
He took a step closer, his boots crunching on the carpet of fallen leaves. “So, how was school?”
“It was wonderful. I met so many great people and learned so many amazing things.”
He let out a small laugh, a sound that I had missed more than I cared to admit.
“That’s good.” He sat down beside me on the swing, his body just a whisper away from mine.
The proximity was both familiar and foreign, bringing back a rush of memories that I had tried to bury deep within me.
”Listen, I wanted to apologize…for the things I said when we last saw each other. I hurt you, and…”
I interrupted him, not ready for his apology, not yet. “It's okay, Jack. It was a long time ago.” But as I spoke the words, I knew they weren't entirely true. The pain had dulled over time but was far from forgotten.
His eyes were a mix of regret and something else I couldn’t quite decipher. “It’s not okay, though. I should have handled things better. I just…was caught off guard, that’s all. But I’ve had plenty of time to think about it since then, and I thought that maybe we could try again.”
My heart gave a painful lurch. “What do you mean, try again?”
“I mean I’d like us to be friends again.”
“Friends, huh?” Could we really go back to being friends after everything that had happened? Jack was not just a friend. He had been my first love, my first heartbreak, a chapter of my life that I had closed off and tucked away into a corner of my heart.
“Yeah. And who knows, maybe we can even be more than friends in the future.”
More? Had I heard him correctly? My mind raced, trying to process his words. “Jack, I … I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything right now. Just think about it, okay?”
I studied him closely, noticing the slight lines around his eyes, the way the sun had weathered his skin. He was still the Jack I remembered, but also a man I barely knew.
“Okay, Jack. I will.”
He squeezed my shoulder gently and stood up to leave. “Hey,” he said, backing away. “It’s good to have you back, Sara.”
“Yeah.” I took a deep breath, bracing myself for the emotional rollercoaster that I was about to embark on. “It’s good to be back.”
After that, we started to reconnect slowly, like two pieces of a fractured puzzle trying to find their match.
We began by taking walks through the woods, or down to the lake, Jack telling me about the crowds of people he’d ferried to the islands, or the fish he’d caught the day before.
I listened, nodding and laughing at his stories, while sharing some of my own.
I told him about the books I had read, and the places I wanted to visit.
The more time we spent together, the more I realized that even though we’d spent months apart, there was still a connection between us. A bond that was not easily severed.
As time went on, my old feelings for him resurfaced, but they were different now, matured in the way we had matured. Being in his presence was like coming home after a long journey—familiar, but new all the same.
There were moments, though, when the weight of our past descended upon us.
When an innocent comment would stir up memories best forgotten, or a look would remind us of what I had done.
We navigated those times with caution, like stepping over shards of glass scattered across a floor.
But with each passing day, they became less frequent, more bearable.
And for a while, things were like they had been, even better.
But all that changed one spring afternoon. It was a day that would stay with me for a long time to come.
As soon as I stepped through the front door, the phone rang. Startled, I set the grocery bags on the kitchen counter and rushed across the room, snagging the phone off its cradle just as it began its fifth ring.
“Hello?” I gasped into the receiver.
Static crackled in my ear before a voice cut through. “Sara, it’s Clara Sutton. How are you, hon?”
“Fine, just fine, Clara,” I replied. “Thanks for asking. And yourself?”
“Right as rain. Listen, I have a favor to ask. It’s my niece, Ellie, the one from Ohio. She’s spending the summer with me, and her mother insists on her having an algebra tutor. Naturally, I thought of you. I know it’s last minute, but do you think you could spare some time?”
I hesitated, thinking about my plans with Jack. “Clara, I’d love to. It’s just…”
“It would only be for a few hours in the mornings, and I’ll pay you for your time.”
I thought it over, considering how the extra income would come in handy. “How old is Ellie?”
“She’s your age. She just finished her first year of college at Indiana University.”
Something akin to curiosity, or perhaps it was intuition, stirred within me. “I see,” I said, mulling over Clara’s request. “All right, Clara. I think I can make it work.”
“Wonderful. I knew I could count on you. And who knows, you and Ellie might even become good friends.”
As soon as I hung up with Clara, I called Jack at the dock. “Hey,” I said as soon as he picked up. “I’ve got some news.”
“Good or bad?”
“I’m not sure yet.” I hesitated, my fingers absentmindedly twirling around the phone cord.
“Remember how I said I might help you and George out this summer? Well, it turns out Clara’s niece is staying with her for a few months, and she needs someone to help her with algebra, so I told her I’d do it. ”
“You mean Ellie?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
Jack chuckled lightly. “Small town. News spreads fast.”
“Oh. But it’s only for a few hours in the mornings, so we can still fish in the evenings.”
“That's fine by me,” said Jack. “Plus, I'm sure Ellie could use a friend. It can’t be easy being that far from home.”
My anxiety dissolved with Jack's understanding. “Thanks, Jack. You’re the best.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The next morning, I arrived at Clara's doorstep just as the sun topped the mountains. Clara welcomed me with her usual warmth and led me to the living room where Ellie was already seated by the window with a pile of books spread out before her.
“Morning, Ellie,” I said, offering her a friendly smile. “I’m Sara.”
She looked up from her books, her striking brown eyes wide with curiosity, and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Sara.”
Her accent, coupled with her contemporary fashion—a light blue shirtwaist dress with three-quarter sleeves, paired with cream-colored lace ankle socks and while buckled shoes—gave away her Northern roots.
Not to mention she was undeniably beautiful.
Still, I had hopes that beneath her polished exterior that she was just another girl in need of guidance and companionship.
“Clara mentioned that you're a math major at the University of Tennessee,” Ellie began. “That's impressive. I happen to be studying astronomy myself.”
“Really? That's so interesting! I’m curious by nature, so I’ve always found the stars fascinating—the mystery, the vastness, the beauty. I guess it’s the mathematician in me, but my focus has been on the numbers behind it all. How they come together to create this cohesive universe.”
Ellie chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “The cosmos is a magnificent combination of numbers and light, an eternal performance of physics and wonder. I suppose that makes us both seekers in our own way, doesn't it?”
I nodded in agreement. “Clara says you’re needing some help with algebra. Is that right?”
Her smile faltered slightly. “Maybe just a refresher. I got an A-minus this semester, which isn’t bad, but apparently not good enough for my mother.”
“I know what you mean. My mother is always on me about one thing or another.”
Ellie laughed at that.
“But don't worry. We'll get you up to an 'A' in no time. And who knows, maybe you'll end up teaching me a thing or two about the stars.”