Soulmate

8

We all filed into the dining room and I sat down next to Isaac. Lottie climbed into the chair on my other side, and mom sat across from me, next to Mrs. Connoly.
"Where's your dad?" I asked Isaac.
"Oh, he should be home any minute now." He said. Just then, I heard the door open and a man walked in.
"Daddy!" Sadie cried, running to hug Mr. Connoly. He picked her up and spun her around before depositing her back in her chair. "Hey Bumblebee!" He said, rubbing her head adoringly. He took a seat next to his wife.
"Darling, welcome home." Mrs. Connoly said. "Isaac has a special guest tonight. Isaac, would you like to introduce her to everyone?"
"Sure,"he said, standing up. "Guys, this is Olivia, my soulmate."
"Gross" Noah said. "No gushiness at the table."
We all laughed and started to eat.
"So Olivia, what are your plans after high school?" Mr. Connoly asked.
"To be honest, I'm not sure, sir. I'm going to major in general studies for now, until I figure things out." I smiled. I'd never really known what I wanted to do. All I knew was that wherever I went, I wanted Isaac to be a part of it.
"What about you Isaac?" My mom asked. "Any big plans?"
"Well," he began, looking at me, "I think I want to major in elementary education, become a teacher some day. And of course, wherever I go I want your daughter with me."
I smiled, taking his hand. "I was just thinking the same thing."
We sat that way for the rest of the night, holding hands under the table as we ate. I imagine it was pretty hard for him to eat with just his left hand, but he never complained so I didn't pull away.
"Hey Dad, is it okay if Olivia and I take a walk in the park? We'll be back in time for dessert."
"Sure," Mr. Connoly replied. "As long as it's alright with Olivia's mom."
My mom nodded. "Of course."
We left the house and entered the park.
"So what's up?" I asked. I couldn't imagine what he wanted to say that couldn't be said inside.
"I just want to show you something," he said nonchalantly. "It's this way."
I laughed, "ok," I said, suspicious. "Whatever you say."
We continued down the path, chatting idly. I loved how easy it was with him. I'd never felt so relaxed with a guy before. We could make each other laugh without even trying, and it seemed like he always knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Here." He said, stopping suddenly.
I looked around. As far as I could see, there was nothing special about this spot. We stood under the streetlight, next to a bench.
"What?" I asked, curious as to what he was seeing that I had missed.
He turned to face me, taking my tiny hands in his. "This spot," he said, "is exactly halfway between my house and yours."
I smiled at him, "it's beautiful." And it was. The streetlight was like a spotlight designed specifically for us. It cast the bench and surrounding trees in a warm, mysterious glow. Beyond the trees I could see the stars, shining brightly.
"Do you... Do you think that this could be our spot?" He asked. "We could meet here, every night, and just talk. Or anytime we wanted to really, as long as we're together." A hopeful light shone in his eyes, and I could see how much we wanted this. Wanted this beautiful place to be ours, somewhere where we could always be together.
"Yes," I whispered. "I love it."
"Good" he said.
And with those words, he leaned down and kissed me. It was gentle and soft, and everything else seemed to melt away. It was just me, and this boy that I was beginning to love, our hands tangled between us. He pulled away, bringing his hands up to touch my face.
"You're beautiful." He whispered. "Did I ever tell you that?"
I giggled and put my hand on top of his, unable to reply.
He sighed regretfully, "we should head back."
I frowned. I knew he was right, I just didn't want to give up this moment so soon.
"Don't worry," he said. "I'm free all day tomorrow. Maybe we can go do something?"
I gulped, trying to find my words. "Yes, please."
We turned and started to walk back towards his house. Finally we reached the doorstep. He turned to face me. "I wish we didn't have to go in." He sighed.
"I know," I told him. "But your mom will start to wonder what's taking us so long."
"You're right." He replied. He leaned down and pressed his lips against my forehead, sighing. "We should really go inside."
Smiling, I leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. "Yeah, we probably should."
He opened the door and we walked inside to join his family for dessert.
"So what did you two talk about?" Mrs. Connoly asked.
"Nothing mom." Isaac said, both of us blushing.
Our parents laughed. I guess they knew exactly what had just happened. Mothers intuition I suppose.
We left not long after dessert. My mom stood talking to Mrs. Connoly, in the entryway, and Isaac and I stood in the open doorway. "Thanks for having us over." I said. "We had a great time."
"I'm glad" he said. Isaac leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. "I'll see you tomorrow."
My mom and I walked home, chatting all the way. She really liked Isaac's mom, I could tell. And hopefully, by extension, she liked Isaac.
"What did you think of Isaac, mom?" I asked, hopeful that she approved.
"He seems like a very nice boy." She said, "I can see how much he loves you."
Startled, I responded, "loves me? Do you really think so?"
"I know so." She smiled, "I can see it in the way he looks at you. Everyone could."
"Isaac loves me." I whispered, smiling to myself. It was clear to me that I was falling for him, but I'd never thought that he could reciprocate my feelings so soon. "He loves me."
Before long mom and I were home. She had, in fact, forgotten her keys, so I unlocked the door and walked inside.
Only to find Owen sitting at our table, sobbing.
"Owen!" I ran to him as fast as I could. "What's wrong."
He looked up at me, tears in his eyes.
"It's stopped." He gasped. "Olivia, my countdown has stopped."