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“And what’s that?”
“We’re going to go sit under the stars.”
“Oh.”
“Come on.” Millie pulled me to the entrance.
We drove twenty minutes out of town until we found a patch of land that was in pitch black darkness. Millie got a towel out of the trunk and laid it on the hood of the car. Using the wheel as a stepladder, we climbed onto the hood and laid back.
I gasped as I looked up at the sky. “I’ve never seen so many stars.”
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
We were silent for some time before Millie said, “My parents used to take us out like this. We’d just sit and stare at the stars until one of us got too cold.”
“Your parents sound wonderful.”
“Yeah, they are.” She sighed. “When they’re around.”
I turned to look at her, but it was so dark I could barely make out that she was next to me. “I’m sorry to hear.”
“It’s no big deal. Some people work less as they get older, but my parents are the opposite. It’s like they’ve realized that now they’re getting older, they have to work even more in order to fund everything they’ve ever wanted to do.”
“That sounds horrible.”And it also sounds like the direction I’m headed in.“But your Dad loves what he does, right?”
“Yeah, he does, but I’ve always wondered when they will stop and just lay back and watch the stars again. I’m not going to be like them. I’m going to save up now so I have enough for retirement.”
I didn’t say anything. Work was all I knew; putting criminals behind bars, reaching for my next promotion, and eventually getting partner. This was the life I knew and understood, but here was Millie showing me an alternate way to live with different goals to aim for.
As if reading my mind, she said, “You work too much if you’ve never been bowling or just goofed off for the sake of goofing off.”
“Yeah . . .”
“Hey, I’m glad we could come out tonight,” she said, giving my arm a squeeze. “We should do this again.”
“Me too. Thank you for taking me out. I needed tonight.”
She didn’t say anything more on the drive home, and I was thankful because I had a lot to think about.
Brandon
“I thinkyou’ve had enough, Brandon.”
I looked up to see the bartender about to take my empty glass away from me. I reached out to grab it, but everything was moving slowly.
That’s when a hand slapped me on the back, and I felt more than saw someone sit down next to me.
“I’ll take whatever he’s having,” said another voice.
It’s a girl,my muddled brain told me. With a heavy head, I made myself turn to see who it was. “Jill!” I almost toppled off my seat, but she caught me in time. Maybe the bartender was right and I’d had enough.
“You are a mess, Brandon.”
“Well, I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
“Ugh, and you stink. When’s the last time you took a bath?”
“None of your business.” I growled to let her know I didn’t want her here. Knowing Jill was comfortable with our family being shifters sent a twinge through me. Becca would never accept this.
