Silent Boy

XL

Sam, struggled to pull out the telescope.

But she managed.

He was surprised.

"Ah, you can see the moon really well from here," she gestures towards the middle of the yard, with a wide beam.

He helped her take it to the middle.

Sam fixed the angle and leaned down to see if she aimed it well. "Hmm... almost–"she grew silent, ostensibly focused. "There.."she placed her hands on her sides, satisfied.

He leaned his face down, and gazed through the lens.

"You see it?" She also leans a bit to gaze at the moon, painting a picture of it. She scanned it, lost in thought, while he observed through the lens, bewildered also lost in thought.

It was beautiful. They were engulfed in solace.

He pulls away, as Sam was examining the moon. She smiles, "I could bring the other—"her words quickly fade, and she stilled.

He also stilled.

They were close, enough to hear each other's heartbeat. To hear every soft, and harmonious melody.

She gazed into his eyes, looked deep further. Just like the moon, she painted a picture of his eyes. The way they gleamed, the way the color gave her a sense of contentment, and serenity.

He wholeheartedly smiles, making her heartbeat increase. Her eyes briefly linger on on his lips after she had gazed at his smile.

Her shoulders shrink, once her gaze makes it back to his eyes.

He now stared at her intently.

She couldn't breathe for a bit.

"Aaahem."

Sam and the boy quickly straighten up, distancing themselves, while wiping off nonexistent dust.

She looked at her mom as she was leaning with her arms crossed, and with a slight grin.

"We, uh, were j-just looking at the sun—moon, I meant moon. Not sun, because it's night, not day time. Duh, Sam. The telescope is working, well. We haven't used it in years. The sky is b-beautiful today— no, I mean tonight-"

"Dessert is ready, hun."

Sam's scratches the nape of her neck, cheeks flushed red. "G-got it."

While the boy, still had his eyes on the roof.

"Let's eat dessert out here!" Her dad suddenly comes out from behind with the plates, while her little brother had a picnic blanket.

"Come on you two." Her mom laughingly smiles as she gestures towards the blanket.

They sat down together. Recalled memories, they animated stories. While the boy silently watched, laughing from time to time.

She had her eyes on him as he smiled, laughed, and as he watched her parents.

It was perfect.

But this perfection was momentary.

One call.

It took one call, to erase all the tranquility he was in, this night. Sam's chest became heavy, that it felt like blocks were stacking up inside.

His face turned ashen, as he gripped tightly onto the phone.

"What happened?" She asked with a shaky breath.