Polymath

Chapter Fifteen

                  

Chapter Fifteen

          The party dwindled down later that night after all twelve children had passed out from exhaustion on my carpet. Jinny and Buck walked home, and Jules had accompanied them.

          "Okay," Yvette whispered to me, her youngest children draped across her arms. "After we're gone, you and Hancock will be alone. There better be a ring on your finger before y'all get in bed."

          I gasped, but laughed. "Yvette!"

          She swatted my arm with her free hand. "I'm just kidding, hun. Have a good night."

          "You too. Good night, Quinn!"

          Quinn waved and disappeared out the door. I didn't know where Hancock was until I heard a loud pop from my kitchen. "Han?"

          I walked in and Hancock was there, holding a champagne bottle in one hand and two plastic wine cups in the other. "I probably should have opened this after we went to the tree house."

          "Oh, no," I assured, picking the cork off the floor. "We'll drink it now and then go out there. I'll only let you off this one time because this is alcohol."

          Hancock smiled and gracefully poured the champagne into the glasses and handed me one. We drowned them and I pulled him outside towards the tree house. I stumbled up the four wooden slabs nailed to the tree, but Han held my waist and followed me up.

          There were pillows and a blanket lay out on the floor, and the tarp had been pulled back so the universe could spit on us. My head was positioned on Hancock's chest, and he was pulling at my curls.

          "How's Freddie been?" He asked, tickling my cheek with my hair.

          "I don't know," I sighed. "I haven't seen him in a while."

          "That's what they do, I guess."

          I turned my head. "That's what who does?"

          "You know. Everyone says that when you get a visit from the departed, they'll leave when their work is done."

          "So you're saying Freddie was like my guardian angel guy? Because he gave me leads on the case and stuff?"

          "Yeah."

          "He never said goodbye, though."

          Hancock brushed his thumb across my forehead and tapped my left collarbone. "But, you know he's still there. In your heart."

          He was right. I eased myself back down and stared up at the sky. God threw a dead meteorite across the vast landscape of black. It left an amazing trail of fire, lighting up the back end of the sky like a little fireworks show. The Earth was good at her job, in all reality.

          My eyes closed, and I saw myself sitting on the star, throwing all the wishes down to all the people who put their faith in this tiny wishing star. For the first time in my life, my own wishing dust was in my palms.

          I went to work the next day with ambition. Caster's office door was shut when I walked past, and I felt an urge to go inside. My knuckles were gently tapping on the door, and Caster's voice drifted through the thin wall, "Come in."

          His desk was swamped with papers and he had dark bags under his eyes. "Hi."

          He looked up at me and half smiled, but his eyes told a different story. I sat in the chair in front of his desk and I heard him heavy sigh. His hands were fumbling around with dog eared papers, but I could tell he was just making himself look busy.