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“What is this?” she asks in a quiet voice.
“It’s a gift. Normally, people receive gifts on special occasions,” I tease. She rolls her eyes, but a small smile almost reaches her eyes.
Almost.
Scar opens the box and looks confused at first.
“They’re rock-climbing shoes. The best of the best,” I tell her. She drops the rainbow-colored shoes with specks that look like paint and drops them back in the box. The boots were made by one of her favorite artists, Neil Kerman.
“Nope. Not happening.” She shakes her head several times.
“What?” I laugh.
“You know what. There’s no way I will climb a damn wall again.”
“Why not?” Callie, Dottie’s granddaughter, joins the conversation. “Oooh. Pretty shoes.” She pulls the shoes out of the box to inspect them.
“Not happening.” Scar continues to shake her head with her arms across her chest, pushing up her breasts.
“Why not?” Callie looks between Scar and me.
“On my twelfth birthday, Seth and Maverick decided to take me indoor rock climbing.”
There’s a slight pause while Scar stares me down.
I swallow a sip of my coffee to avoid the annoyance in her eyes.
Callie looks at her, waiting for Scar to elaborate.
“It took an hour for me to move up the freaking wall. The first time around, Maverick helped me make it to the top.Butthat wasn’t the case when I turned thirteen. Isn’t that right, Maverick?” She tilts her head to the side, challenging me.
I swallow the rest of my coffee. “Yes, that’s right.” I dab the corner of my mouth with a napkin.
“I don’t get it.” Callie eyes dart between us.
I sigh as shame flows through me. “I didn’t double-check her harness before she took off like I normally did. Someone distracted me, and then she screamed.” The sound haunts me to this day.
“Not justsomeone,” Scar says sarcastically, but there’s a hint of anger in her tone.
“Oh.” Callie chuckles uncomfortably, setting the shoes back in the box and giving me a ‘good luck’ look. “I’m just gonna…” She throws her thumb over her shoulder and backs away.
Skylar invited herself to Scar’s special day, which Seth and I spent weeks preparing. I hate that’s the first thing that comes to her mind from that day.
"Come on, Maverick. Kristie is having a party at the lake. Can we hurry up and leave?" Skye whined as she checked her phone.
I let out a sigh and turned to face Skye. "Seriously, Skye?" I snapped. "This is Scar's birthday, but you’re free to go whenever you want.”
Skye rolled her eyes and huffed.
I turned my attention back to Scar, and that's when she screamed. Later, we were told the clip wasn't inserted into the auto-belay device correctly, which caused Scar to fall nearly forty feet, but thankfully, Seth caught her.
"Do you remember how nervous you were that day? Your hands were shaking, and you were struggling to catch your breath. But you didn't let your anxiety hold you back. With every step you took, you pushed yourself harder. When you finally reach the top, I'll never forget the look on your face." Maverick looks at me with pride as he tucks a hair behind my ear.
"You didn't back down when you faced your biggest challenge. You conquered it with fierce determination and unwavering strength. I was so fucking proud of you. I wanted to give you these shoes to symbolize your incredible resilience. Every time you wear them, they'll remind you that you can climb over any barrier that stands in your way."
Intense and focused, her gaze appears to be searching for something. But as she gradually eases her shoulders and softens her expression, I know that she has found the truth in my words.
“Yeah, I remember.” She pulls the shoes back out of the box. The bright smile on her face makes this day so worth it. “But it doesn’t change anything.” She closes the lid on the box and slides it back to me. Without sparing me a glance, she walks away toward the kitchen.
