Like Romeo & Juliet

Chapter 17

*General*

Cake and ice cream were served for dessert. With all that sugar the parents should have known the children would all be hyped up. Spencer and Toby ran around the backyard together holding bubble wands while the adults set up chairs down by the lake for the firework show. Melissa helped her mother unfold a blanket to lay down over the grass. Mr. Hastings returned with a fresh bottle of scotch for the men to share and a bottle of wine for the women. Tensions were still high between Mr. Hastings and Mr. Cavanaugh, but all seemed fine after the two men made some joke about the bottle of scotch costing more than their car.

Boom! A green and red firework shot up in the sky alerting everyone that the show was about to begin. The adults took their seats in the chairs. Melissa sat by her mother on the blanket on the grass.

"Kids, come on!" Mrs. Cavanaugh called.

Spencer and Toby ran over holding hands. They sat together on the blanket watching the fireworks light up the sky with their magnificent colors. The adults watched the fireworks in calm silence. The children watched them in pure bliss and awe.

"Look at that!" Melissa pointed out a big purple and green circle.

"Wow!" Spencer grinned at a silver firework that came down like a willow tree.

Toby whispered something into Spencer's ear to make her laugh. The firework show was a blaze of multi-color fireworks and good fun. Everyone went silent as the booms followed the fantastic lights. Soon, the sky was dark and silent again. Nothing but the smooth sounds of crickets chirping in the weeds.

"I wish we could see that again," said Melissa.

Mrs. Hastings smiled and said, "me too, honey."

"That was a great show," said Mrs. Cavanaugh. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Well," Mrs. Hastings started to stand. "I guess it's time to get everything cleaned up."

Mrs. Cavanaugh stood with her, "I'll help you."

The two women walked back up towards the house together with Melissa trailing close behind.

"Well, we should make sure the Grill is out and take these chairs back inside," said Mr. Hastings.

The men collected the chairs by the lake and carried them up towards the house. Toby watched them leave wishing he had the muscles to help them carry the heavy chairs. Instead, he and Spencer remained sitting on the blanket together watching the silent world go by.

"Toby, how do you think fireworks are made?" Spencer asked, still looking up at the sky.

Toby shrugged and said, "I don't know. I bet my dad knows. He knows everything."

"I wonder how they get the fire to change color like that in the sky," said Spencer.

"Me too."

They stood up. Spencer bent down to pick up the heavy blanket. Toby helped her fold it the best two little kids would know how to do. They started walking slowly back towards the house.

"I like the spiral ones," said Toby, using his finger to demonstrate and his mouth to make sound effects of how they sound.

"I like the ones that look like sparkly rain," said Spencer, doing the same with her own fingers.

They shared a laugh. They made it back to the house. Their mothers were inside washing dishes with Melissa cleaning the table. The men were talking in the garage about something. Spencer left the blanket in the laundry room.