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“Why did you change your last name?”
“Well… my dad… my dad just adopted me last year.”
“Oh…” started off my brilliant response. I was totally stunned. “Cool.”
Her smile beamed as she nodded in agreement. “Well, I should probably go,” she said, starting to step away, when I thought of something.
“Wait.” She stopped as I held my hand out, making her slow backward steps come to a halt and her eyes regard my hand curiously. “Give me your hand.”
“Okaaay…” she obliged, cocking a sassy eyebrow at me. Taking her hand in mine, I grabbed the pen and started drawing on her palm. I took my time with each line and detail, drawing out our last moments as long as I could. When I finished, I curled her fingers in, closing her hand.
“Don’t look until you’re in the car, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed again, this time on a lighthearted giggle. “Write me?” she asked, backing away again.
“Of course.”
She gave me one last wave, which I returned, before she took part of my heart and skipped away; out of my sight, but not my life.
4
KALEB
Dear Luna,
I’m back home, about to start 5th grade. I really had fun at camp with you and I hope you liked what I put on your hand. Our black and purple wolf is taped to my wall, and while I was gone, Pops hung a tire swing for me in the backyard. It’s awesome!
Dear Kaleb,
I begged my mom and dad to let me go back to camp again next year and they said yes! Will you be there too? I'll ask my dad if he can hang me a tire swing too, it sounds fun. I have a pet cat named Buster. Do you have any pets? I really don’t want to start school this fall. Yuck…
Hi Luna,
How is school? It’s going okay for me. I’ve made a couple of new friends this year. I don’t know if I can go back to camp, but I’m going to try. I hope you like this picture of a skunk I drew for you. Maybe you could make something and send it to me. I like your paintings…
Dear Kaleb,
It was so cool seeing you at camp again. I think I’m getting better at the ropes course. Guess what? My mom is pregnant, I’m getting a baby brother! But don’t worry, I’ll still be at camp again next year…
Dear Luna,
Your uncle is NOT in Turn it Up! There’s no way you’re related to a rockstar! Nice prank, though. I love their music. Pops usually has a rock station playing in the shop and they come on a lot. Oh, and one of the guys that works with him on the cars has a lot of tattoos and said he likes my drawings. It makes me want to get even better at it, so I’m signing up for art as an elective in middle school…
Dear Kaleb,
Oh yeah?? Check out this picture I sent you! That is ME on my uncle MATT’s shoulders! And did you forget that my last name used to be Conlin?? He also signed this t-shirt for you, so you’re welcome!
* * *
Kaleb, Age 18
Over the last eight years, one thing I could always depend on was letters from Luna. We’d make it a top priority to see each other each summer at camp for two weeks, three if we could manage it, and in all those letters in between, I got to know her better than anyone else.
And the funny thing is, after that first summer meeting her, making friends at school came a little easier to me. I was still perfectly happy to spend time on my own, but getting to know other kids came a little more naturally after her.
I’ve still never felt the need to get a cell phone, even after I started to make some money. I could see all the drama that came with having one from my friends that all had them, and I felt no need. My town was small enough that people knew where to find me, and I sure as hell didn’t need any of that social media garbage. I guess I’m just a simple guy when it comes to that kind of thing, and I’m seriously glad to not have one right now with all of Cheyenne’s antics. Besides, there’s something to be said about snail mail. Getting a letter from Luna was always something to look forward to, yet a welcome surprise whenever one came.
Now here we are in the flesh, a week into counseling together, and some new, irritating feeling is coming over me that I don’t like one bit. It’s hard to describe except that I feel partially sick to my stomach and grumpy as fuck. I’ve been feeling it since I noticed that one of my fellow counselors, Michael, started sniffing around Luna earlier this week.
