“It’s not a burden. Knowing brings us closer.”
With that, I am able to drift asleep.
It must be hours later when I awake because it’s nearly pitch-black out. And I am alone on the dock.
In an instant, I am shaky and sick. Sam’s gone. My world is going to implode again. It’s happening. I’m sure.
“Sam!” I stand and stumble on the knotty wood. “Sam!”
“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m here.” His voice immediately brings me down.
But I can’t see him in the dark. My only vision comes from the moonlight reflecting in the lapping water.
“Where are you?”
“Here.”
A luminous ball appears about ten feet from me. It’s the size of a baseball, amber-colored and glowing. Sam’s face comes into view behind it. There’s enough light now that I can see his smile as he holds the swirling globe out in the palm of his hand.
Stunned, I take a few steps toward him. “You did that?”
“I guess so.” He tosses it into the air and then catches it.
“Fire?” I ask.
“No. It’s not hot.”
Entranced, I move closer. “That’s beautiful, Sam.”
“It kind of is, huh?”
I squint as I examine the colors. I stand next to him and take his hand in mine. “I think you’ve come back with a very cool power this time.”
“I don’t know what to do with it really, but I guess it’s sort of cool.”
“Can I touch it?” I ask.
“I don’t see why not.”
Slowly, I inch my hand to the globe. The shape breaks apart a bit at my touch, and when I move gently through the colors, what looks like pops of electricity fly off, like one of those glowing static balls.
I smile with delight. “Did you see that? Like sparklers! Try it.”
Sam takes a turn passing his fingers through, but he yanks me back hard when a strong burst of light erupts in his hand. “Shit. Are you okay?”
I laugh and lean back against him. “I’m fine. Just startled. You’re right. It’s not hot.”
Sam nuzzles my neck and kisses my chilly skin. His tongue moves against me, and I close my eyes.
God, I have him back.“Don’t die on me again, okay?”
“I don’t plan on it.” Suddenly, he lets out a noise and shakes his hand enough to send the glowing ball into the water. “Okay, maybe it can get a little fire-like after all. That burned pretty good.”
“C’mere.” I lie on my stomach at the end of the dock. “Give me your hand. We’ve got an entire cold ocean.”
He lies down next to me, and I dunk his hand in the salt water. The orb drifts in front of us, and we both watch as the current slowly takes it farther into the cove.
“Well, I guess it floats,” he says, still in disbelief about what he created.
