Three Weeks [COMPLETED]

Chapter 29 - "But you didn't answer my question."

"Another bean bag in the basket and I do believe that makes me the winner," Edison said.

He turned in a victorious circle, proudly holding his arms outs. His only audience was Kit and the small boy he had been competing against. Kit applauded as the little boy began to argue. Edison rumpled the boy's hair.

"Better luck next time kid," he said.

He swaggered over to the game operator and accepted the star in his booklet with a smug smile.

"That's how it's done," he boasted. 

Kit smirked as they left the bean bag toss. "It would have been more impressive if you weren't competing against a seven year old."

"Hey! A win, is a win," he argued.

He put his arm around her shoulders and their steps quickly synced up. 

They had moved through the tents around the fountain, dominating the ring-toss, bowling and water gun games. By the time they left the town circle, they had filled half of their booklets. They moved up and down along the side of the town hall, hunting for the games among the craft tents. They ran into people from the group everywhere they turned, but Edison was on a mission and never stopped long enough to talk. 

They were walking through the back tents of woven bracelets and handmade dolls when Kit spotted Amanda. She was with a small group of cheerleaders. Every tent they passed people called out to her, greeting her with excitement. 

"I thought Jaxon was joking when he said Amanda was the town sweetheart," Kit said to Edison. 

He glanced around until he found Amanda a few tents away. He watched her interactions for a moment.

"Everyone loves Amanda," he said. "She is on almost all the town committees. Her dad owns the local car dealership, and has donated a lot to the town. Her family is dedicated to helping keep Lighthouse Point thriving." 

"I didn't realize she was so noble," Kit said.

They both continued to watch Amanda. She looked more in her element than on the football field waving her pom poms. Kit knew this was what Edison was talking about when he said no one ever leaves. It wasn't hard to imagine Amanda's dreams consisted of finding a husband, buying a house with the picket fence, and raising her brood of kids. 

They would go to Pete's in the summer and Al's during the football season. Her kids would attend the same high school, and every time she attended the football games she would be reminded of her own glory days on the cheer squad. She would follow in her parents footsteps, and her children, in hers. 

And then it all clicked into place for Kit. All Edison had said on the water tower suddenly made perfect sense as she played out Amanda's ideal future. Just imagining it, she could feel the noose of a mundane life tightening around her neck. She turned away, unable to imagine the dull existence a moment longer. She grabbed Edison's hand and gave it a squeeze as she pulled him to the next game. 

A few tents away they found a dart toss. The game was manned by two older women with curly, white hair. They both smiled brightly as Kit and Edison walked up.

"Edison dear, how are you?" one of the women asked. She wore thin glasses and laughing wrinkles. 

He smiled warmly. "I'm doing good. How are you, Joyce?"

"Wonderful. Isn't it a beautiful day?" Joyce said. Her voice was sweet, and she seemed to sing her words. 

"Isn't it just grand when the whole towns comes together?" the other woman said. She had a flag pin on her white shirt, and a blue and white striped headband.