Candice's POV
"I waited for you, Aaron. I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would grow up with me. That you would grow up for me, so we could be together. But you didn't, and I had to accept that. You refused to grow up, and I knew I had to. What happened Aaron?" I was screaming. The 7 year old boy on my window ledge's bright smile faded. I shook my head, he couldn't possibly understand what I meant. He was still so young, he was just a kid. I blinked back tears and he grabbed my hand.
"Candice." He said, teasingly, a smile flickering back on his lips, "You can't tell me you don't know what happened to us.", he laughed. "You couldn't have forgotten Neverland, How could you? Is that what happens when you grow up? You forget all of the important things and become boring?" he scrunched up his nose, "You can't be Candice, she wouldn't. She wouldn't get old." He was so excited, it was something he would have said before, when we were just two kids that didn't want to deal with the outside world. Who didn't want to grow up.
"You haven't changed Aaron." I said. pushing him away. His brownish-red hair knocked down into his eyes and he stared back at me, confused, " You're just a kid, and you'll never grow up." I spit the words at him, anger surging through me. I knew I shouldn't be mad, but I couldn't help it, it had been 23 years since he had left me on my window sill and flown off.
"Yeah. Of course I'll never grow up. It's Neverland, don't'cha remember?" he laughed, his eyes sparkling.
"You didn't grow up, and you never will. Hell, you're not even grown up enough to let go and say goodbye" I drew a shaky breath. "But I am. Goodbye Aaron." I couldn't take it anymore, just seeing him reminded me that he stood me up, he never came back for me. So why was he here now?
I grabbed the window and slammed it down hard, knocking Aaron off the ledge, sending him spiraling downward. He flew back up and knocked on the window, eyebrows scrunched up and pouting. I grabbed the curtains, intending to snap them closed, when a small gasp made me jump. I turned around and saw Lisa staring at the window. She rubbed her eyes, and dropped her worn teddy on the floor.
"Mo-mommy?" she yawned, and shook herself awake. Her mouth dropped and she pointed to Aaron, "He's flying!" She exclaimed. I picked her up quickly and shut the curtains.
"Now whatever are you talking about?" I smiled, and put her down on my bed. "You must be very tired. How's a young lady supposed to grow if she doesn't get her beauty sleep?"
"I'm not a young lady. I'm four. I'm a big girl now." I pushed her hair away from her forehead and kissed her.
"Of course. However could I forget. But even big girls need to sleep or they will never get any bigger."
"But I don't want to grow up mommy, I want to stay just like this."
"No dear, you-"
"Candice! You don't have to grow up, come to Neverland with me again." I spun around to see Aaron leaning over the window ledge, a goofy grin on his face.
"I'm not Candice. That's mommy's name. Mommy, does Neverland really exist like Uncle John says?"
"Lisa, you-"
"What do you mean is Neverland real? Of course it is." He looked at me his eyes piercing my skin. "Why didn't you ever tell her? I thought you loved Neverland. All the fun must have been sucked right out of ya when you grew up. I mean look at this place! You call this home? If I had a home like this I'd run away. I'd-"
"Aaron, stop. Just because you're a lost boy with no home doesn't mean you can insult mine." He stared back at me arms folded, a smug look on his face.
Lisa ran up to the windowsill. I reached out to stop her, but she pushed past me. She threw herself in Peters arms, causing him to fall back. He picked her up and turned her around. His faced morphed from confusion to fear. He flipped her upside down and her night gown fell, he jabbed her stomach with a shaky finger and she squealed, causing him to drop her on her head against the carpeted floor.
"She's yours?" he asked wide-eyed, his jaw nearly touching the floor. His smile fell away completely and betrayal sat in his eyes. "You really have grown up haven't you?"
"No one can stay a child forever." I said my mouth set in a straight firm line. He turned to jump, but then looked back at Lisa and smiled.
"How would you like to see Neverland?" I almost lost it. For a brief second I grabbed Aaron's stupid forest green dress, and held him over the window. The fear in Lisa's eyes brought me back, and I pulled him into the room.
"Bring her back." I whispered. "She can go, but all kids need to grow up Aaron. Everyone needs to have a home."
He cocked his head and squinted his eyes, then he flashed me a smile and turned back to Lisa, "Do you want to fly? All you have to do is believe," he reached towards his waist and pulled out a small drawstring bag, from it he took a pinch and sprinkled it over Lisa. He turned back to me and winked, "Think happy thoughts."
And so Lisa went with Aaron. She experienced all that I did and more, and after every adventure they went on, he brought her back. I heard all of the tales about the lost boys and the silly games they played, the grand adventure that left Tinkerbell in PixieHollow, the young pirates that helped defeat Hook, the exotic nights with the Indian tribe, the long nights during storms when they played the flute to the frightened animals. Their adventures seemed endless.
I was with her through all of his flings, every time she cried because he left her, every night she laid awake thinking about him, every time he brought her home buzzing with anticipation for the next adventure, every moment they fell deeper into each other, every time he made a stupid mistake that broke her heart. I was with her through all of it, hearts melting, breaking, shattering, and tearing only to be put back together by the one who did so.
They grew up little by little with every visit. The visits that started out short, with just a night's stay, and grew longer and longer with every visit; until one day, they never left. Aaron and Lisa became inseparable, and spent every moment together. He finally had grown up for someone, but it wasn't me. I was so happy for her, and I lived through every experience she shared with me. She had the life that I had wanted for so long. So as I stand here today my feelings are mixed. On one hand I'm excited for them, on the other I regret that it isn't me in the walking down the aisle in the blinding white dress, walking towards the man with eyes that were as light and pure as a child's.
Aaron's POV:
It was such a great moment, and it happened so quickly. I stood next to my new wife, and raised a glass. Smiling, I found her face in the crowd. The only face I wanted to see. Candice. I smiled at her and began, "Someone once told me that no one could stay a child forever. At the time, I didn't understand it. But now, I think I do. While I'm still the cocky, self-assured, selfish kid I always was, I have grown. Experiences age you. I still have the nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude, as I always have had, I'm both older and wiser. It took awhile but I finally grew up, even if it's a bit too late." I paused, and looked her atraight in the ye "I changed for you, to make you happy, and I brought her back;I came back this time." I looked at her, a single tear running down her face, she was smiling. Relief surged through me and I smiled. "Who wants cake?" I yelled slicing up the cake and passing it around.
When the all the cake had been distributed I picked up a plate, excused myself, and found Candice in the crowd. She smiled at me, and shook her head "Well lost boy, welcome home."
