Wide Awake

November

Lindy sat in the coffee shop, enjoying the feel of Elijah's knees resting against hers. They were sitting at her...their booth.

They had been sitting together for a little over a month, now. Some nights, they talked so much that by the time the sun began to rise, their voices were hoarse and their throats sore. Other nights, they were quiet, just enjoying each other's company. Though Lindy loved the nights where they talked about everything (she felt like she knew more about him than herself, now), she liked the silent nights more. These nights, she would sneak glances at Elijah, and the way he looked at her said more than words ever could.

Lindy looked out the window and admired the starry sky. "Did you know," she found herself saying, "that the stars we are looking at right now are hundreds of years old? Technically, they are anywhere from 4 to 3000 light years away. Isn't that strange? Because we can see them, it feels like they're right here in this very exact moment. But they're not, really. A light year is 5.88 trillion miles away from us..." She trailed off, realizing she had been rambling. Her cheeks flushed. When she looked up at Elijah, though, he was beaming.

"You are quite possibly the most beautiful girl I have ever met," he said.

----

A few nights later, Lindy sat watching Elijah as he read. His brow was furrowed, and his lips moved slightly with each word he read. He held his book in one hand and Lindy's with the other.

Suddenly, he set his book down and looked up at her.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Elijah asked her. He gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Nothing," Lindy admitted. His thumb gently rubbed the back of her hand. She closed her eyes.

"No family you're going to visit?"

Lindy swallowed. She didn't like to talk about her family. "No family," she confirmed.

"Would you like to spend it with me?" Elijah asked, picking up his coffee cup. It was white with a detailed red design. Lindy had the same one. She knew Anya had done this on purpose.

"I would like that a lot," Lindy smiled.

----

Lindy stood in front of her bathroom mirror, studying her appearance. She was about to go over to Elijah's, and she was just finishing getting ready. Normally, she didn't put much time into her hair or apply any makeup, but this was different. Very different.

She adjusted her black dress one last time before turning and heading down the hall of her small apartment. There was really nothing to it; Lindy didn't spend much time in it. Most days were spent out around the city and nights were spent at the coffee shop with Elijah.

She glanced at the clock on her way out. She was due to Elijah's in one hour. Lindy was walking instead of taking a taxi, despite the cold weather. She didn't want to risk being late because of the difficultly catching a taxi.

Once out of the building, Lindy walked down the sidewalk, enjoying the signs of life going on around her. With each person she passed, she wondered about their story; what they were doing for Thanksgiving, where they were headed. As she walked, she entertained herself by making up stories for some of them, and she itched for her journal and pencil.

When she finally reached the apartment building that Elijah lived in, the nervousness started to kick in. This was the first time they would be together outside of the coffee shop. This was the first time they would be together in the day. For some reason, though she was nervous, the thought excited her. It had some form of solidness to it; it felt definite.