The Cabin by the Oceanside

Bones

"And I know it's quite soon
But you've got a lovely heart
And I hope that you feel it, too
And a flame follows these sparks
Please, don't tell me lies
Because I've been let down too many times."
-Bones, Lewis Watson

Harrison had never been to church before; not even once in his life that he could recall. When the final 'amen' had been said and they were dismissed, he let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he minded being there, but he wasn't quite used to how family oriented Kathleen was. Going to church to her was a family affair, with her two sisters and both parents crowding in the back pew to listen to the singing and sermon. The whole ordeal made him very uncomfortable and the hair along his neck line was a sweaty mess by the time they were done.

"Kathleen?" he gulped, rubbing at the collar on his white shirt, "Do you think that uh, we could go so something this evening when you get off work at the hardware store?"

She flashed him a toothy, beautiful grin, "I thought you'd never ask," she replied, kissing the side of his cheek by his sideburns lightly.

***
That night, Harrison was about as nervous as someone who was getting ready to get married; this date was the closest to commitment he'd ever been to. He put on his best pair of blue jeans, a white v-neck shirt that was tucked in under a brown leather belt, and brushed his hair on each side and behind his ears the way he knew Kathleen liked it.
When he arrived to pick her up, she was quite the sight: she wore a light mustard yellow dress that hit right above her knees. It was short sleeved to match the warm, Portland weather that night, with white buttons that ran from the top to the hem line. On each side of the buttons was one-inch ruffling, and to complete the look, there was a matching yellow band that wrapped around the waist and tied in the front.

She had her hair down in loose, beachy waves and mascara set on her wide eyes. She was the type of person who wore her heart on her sleeve, and it just so happened that her heart was made of pure golden sunshine.

She smiled with her eyes as she opened the door and hopped into the passenger side of his car.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," Harrison said in an almost awkward way. He was so nervous he could feel his insides moving around inside of him. He swallowed hard, and charged forward, "Want to grab something to eat and head to the Eastern Promenade?" He asked. Remembering that this was a popular spot that teens went to "make out", his face turned red and he hurriedly added, "I brought my telescope-I mean. I love the stars; I wanted us to look at the stars."

Kathleen laughed in delight at the thoughts she knew were running through his mind. Ever since they had prayed that day on the beach, she could tell he was trying his hardest to be a gentleman in the sense of the word that he knew; going to church with her family today had been a very courageous thing to do. Her mother had been none too happy when she found out he was coming, and had needed convincing from Frank.

"I'd love to go do that with you," Kathleen tried to ease his mind, "It's one of my favorite things to do, too."

After they stopped for food, Harrison drove them along the trail to reach the top of the Eastern Promenade.

Since much of the land was uninhibited at this time, light pollution was nearly non-existent. On a clear night, God's royal handwork could be seen for miles around. Those who resided there often took this majesty for granted, but not Harrison. For as long as he could remember, his true love had been the galaxy and everything within it. On a crystal night, the sky faded into the ocean and one couldn't see where one started and the other one began.

He parked the car and went around to the trunk to get the telescope as he waited for Kathleen to emerge from the passenger seat. Inside, Kathleen was being stubborn and wasn't going to budge until he opened the door for her. This may have been the beginning of the feminist revolution, but Kathleen expected to be treated like a proper lady. When Harrison still hadn't noticed in the next thirty seconds or so, she popped the door open a crack and cleared her throat.
Harrison peaked around from the trunk and nearly fell over; it hadn't even crossed his mind that he should open the door for her. Quickly putting his telescope on the ground, he skipped to the door and clicked the latch.

"Thank you, sir," she said, not unkindly, but with some purposeful annoyance in her voice. He took her hand and led her to the back of the car where the telescope was half set up.

"I'll be done in a minute," he said, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand before releasing it.

The view from the promenade really was something to behold at night, or during the day for that matter. From the peak, Kathleen could make out the beacons whirling around inside their homes atop the lighthouses, and see the lights that belonged to the liners making their way against the waves. The sky was perfectly clear with what seemed like a hundred million stars dancing in the far off distance. The intake of her view was interrupted when Harrison snuck up behind her and kissed the hair by her ear. He hoped this didn't seem too intimate, but looking at her looking at the heavens made it hard for him to resist.

He aligned the scope so that she could get a clear picture of the North Star first; seeing it with the naked eye versus with the magnification was an impeccable difference.

"She's connected to the Little Dipper, see?" he pointed. "If you look below and a little the left, you'll see the Big Dipper."

She smiled at the wonder in his eyes as he looked upon the things he cared so much about. The only other time she saw the little light breaking through in them like that was well—when he was looking at her; and that made her stomach do a cartwheel with a ten point landing. He didn't know it, but she knew a thing or two about the galaxy, as well.

"May I?" She asked and took the lead on guiding the telescope. "The North Star is my favorite, but the Northern Cross is a close second."

"The backbone of the galaxy," Harrison informed with a smile. It was referred to as such because the four star points were located within the Milky Way.

She turned to him with a broad grin, "Yes, I love that you know that," she said. Because, although star gazing was a popular past time in Portland and the surrounding areas, it was unusual for someone to know so much about it. Her dad had been the one to teach her and her two sisters everything he knew about the hardware business and his passion-the stars. It was unusual for the two to have a love for stars in common, but she was glad for it.

After a while, they sat down on the ground and stared at the boats in the harbor. It was a beautifully clear night and the breeze went through Kathleen's hair and tickled her neck. It wasn't long before Harrison's hand had snuck over to hers and they sat there, with their hands between them, clasped. He looked at her and really saw her for maybe the first time since he had known her—her soul shined from the inside out and he knew at that moment, that he was undoubtedly in love with her.

Harrison reached over with his free hand and brushed her dark hair behind her ears. They both knew what was getting ready to happen, and Kathleen's heart seemed to jump over the crescent moon that was above them. Ever so gently, Harrison extended his face and met her soft lips with his. Her tongue slipped into his mouth, uninvited, but accepted. He instinctively reached out and softly grabbed the side of her face and pulled her closer. He was so near to her that he could smell the amber perfume wafting off her olive skin and he felt a dizzying whirl as though he was intoxicated.

Kathleen opened her eyes as they pulled away. She searched deep within Harrison's pupils and found the answer she had been looking for—he was changing, and for the better, and her heart couldn't be more pleased.