The Collection

Swings

  The night was silent, enveloping the world in a deep, silky blackness that settles peacefully over everything. A soothing lethargy that prompts the earth to sit quietly for a while. Our legs dangle lazily from the bottom of the swings we are sitting on.  The park is motionless, the grass tinged with silver starlight, the shape of the slumbering world around us blanketed with silence . Neither of us speak. That pristine, fragile quiet is somehow precious. As if one word would cause the moment to shatter into a million pieces. Instead, we soak it all in, sitting side by side, enjoying the crisp night air, feeling each other's heartbeats through the air. Just being. I glance over at Kaitlin. Her presence is a reassuring lullaby in the back of my head, and I find my lips holding back a smile every time I glance over at her. It's one thing to know she's there, but to feel her presence in the air and see her brown locks glinting in the moonlight is another. And another entirely to share this silent moment with her. 

I look up, the stars shining in my eyes and face as I watch the dim majesty of the galaxy. I can smell the air, sweet as I breath it, tinted with the essence of fresh grass, moonlight, and whatever hangs silently in equilibrium between us. I catch her eye and grin. She smiles back, cheeks dimpling. My heart surges in response, and I turn back to watch the night around us, not wanting to break this perfect moment with words, but still wanting to express the warm glow burning deep in my chest.  

I reach for her hand. She reaches for mine. We make eye contact, understanding dawns. I squeeze our clasped hands, sending hope her way the best I can. And so we sit under the glittering canopy of the night sky, holding hands, cherishing every passing second we can sit like this: sharing the same air and the same memories.