3,000 Miles

Chapter 5

A few days after the prom our family had our annual cookout. It was usually a BBQ extravaganza, everyone at dad's office was invited, and most of them usually came, but not this year. The only people that showed up were two of our parents friends and their children, one little boy and two little girls. But that was ok because big crowds are overwhelming anyways.

It was miserably hot and the kids were growing fussy so my dad decided to set up our sprinkler for them to hop around in. I stepped inside to help mom peel potatoes for the cookout.

"How was prom?" she stuttered, "I know we never got to talk about it."

"It was fun." I said with restraint. It was actually the best night of my life, but I knew If I told mom that she would start all that mushy gushy stuff in front of everyone.

"How's Wesley?" she asked. I knew she was trying to make small talk but I wasn't up for it so I settled for a simple "he's fine". mom opened her mouth to ask another question but I was happy that her thought had been cut off by the sound of children shrieking and laughing.

I went to the window to see what was going on and there was Wesley in nothing but his gym shorts, picking up each kid and running with them through the sprinkler, causing them to shriek with joy.

I stared admiringly, he was so good with kids and he didn't care what anyone thought of him. two of the things I admired most about him. why did he make it so easy to love him, especially when I was trying not to.

"Why don't you join them" mom said from behind me. I opened my mouth to protest but it was to late. Wesley had seen me watching from the window, and was now running towards me with a grin on his face that only meant he was up to no good. Next thing I knew Wesley grabs me by the waist and throws me over his shoulder. he ran outside towards the sprinkler, with me pounding his back yelling for him to put me down. we ran right into the sprinkler and with me still on his shoulder he starts spinning us in circles. I didn't want to play in the sprinkler but that darned laugh of his was so contagious that I couldn't help but laugh too

He finally carries me over to the edge of the yard, where the sprinkler barley reaches. He sets me down, but doesn't let go. The light mist of the sprinkler still falling on us. He's holding me close.

Have you ever looked into someone's eyes and just known? A certain kind of knowing that just fills you up inside and makes your heart swell, yet you can't explain it. Is it excitement? Fear? It doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense how that two silver lined drops could make you feel something that deep. They say eyes are the window to the soul and perhaps in that very moment you're peering through them, straight into their soul, and they may not even know it. They don't think anything of it, they're simply looking,But you see. I'm amazed at how eyes convey in a single flutter. The way that a single flutter can make a million erupt inside,Like in that moment everything is completely perfect. A certain kind of sanctuary can be found inside those eyes. That was this moment, and I saw it in his eyes. The yelling of kids breaks the serene moment and shakes me back into the universe.
Wesley offers to go inside and get me a towel, I nod and he runs off into the house. I watched him trod across the damp yard, admiring his glistening torso.
Then I heard it.

Most people who know Wesley know he's very loud and very dramatic, all ways causing a scene for the sake of a good laugh which is why they didn't think twice when they heard him scream from inside the house. But I know that he wasn't playing. This was an actual scream. a scream of pain, one I had only heard on rare occasions. It was yell for help.

And it was coming from my Wesley