“No problem,” she says. “Better than watching Smith kick Tucker’s ass at chess again.”
Oliver chuckles. “When will Tucker realize he can’t Uno reverse himself into beating Smith? He’s the only one here that remains undefeated.”
“Who are you telling, Rookie? I’ve been here for eight years,” she says. “There’s always some dingleberry that can’t accept defeat. Anyway, y’all heading up?”
“Up?” I ask. “Up where?”
Helen motions toward the fire truck and then toward the sky.
I whip my head toward Oliver. “Um, I don’t know. Are we?”
“We sure are,” he says. “There’s something I want you to see, but you can only see it from up there.”
My muscles are already throbbing, and I’m so cold, it physically hurts. Why didn’t I tell him I needed to get home? That I have an early morning tomorrow.
Of course, I know why. What if he sees I’m not exactly the perfectly put-together version of myself he’s gotten to know? It was a problem for Daniel, so how can I know it won’t be one for Oliver too?
“You said you’re not scared of heights, right?” he asks.
“No,” I say quickly. “Definitely not.”
“I’ll be with you the whole time.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “I won’t let you fall.”
“Are you sure this is okay?” I ask, stalling, hoping someone will call with a barnyard animal stuck on a roof and need this very rig.
“Actually, it was Joe’s idea,” he admits.
The fire marshal has stamped his seal of approval on this activity, so I don’t think I’m getting out of it.
Unless I just tell him the truth.
“See those supports?” Oliver asks, pointing to the metal legs attached to the rig. “Those keep the truck stabilized, and Helen will be right here just in case we need anything. You’ll be secure at all times.”
I force a tight-lipped smile to cover my chattering teeth. “Let’s do this.”
We step onto the bucket, and he latches the door behind us.
“First, we’ve got to fasten you in.” He wraps a large belt around my waist and tightens it, drawing me closer. Even as crummy as I feel physically, I love being next to him.
After putting on his own belt, he pulls me into him with one hand and maneuvers the control panel with the other.
“Elevator going up,” he says, and with a small jolt, we’re on our way.
I nestle into his chest as the view around us starts to shift, and it feels like we’re closer to the stars than to the ground. In a matter of seconds, we’re above the buildings, high above the trees. That’s when I see it.
“What do you think?” he asks as we crawl to a stop.
I draw in a breath. “It’s beautiful.”
From up here, Loving is a cluster of colorful constellations. The Christmas lights scattered all throughout town resemble fireworks. Forever suspended in the night, never burning out.
“It’s magical, isn’t it?”
I nod. And it is. I only wish this magic could make the pain that’s seeped into my bones disappear.
He must feel me tremble because he moves his hands up and down my arms to warm me.
“I clearly didn’t think this through with the weather,” he says, holding me tighter. “I should have stopped to get us some hot chocolate.”
