The Willow Tree

Chapter 6

The summer days were long, as they should be, but over in the blink of an eye. 

It was the final day of summer and we sat down on the grass watching the sun set behind the house. I knew that my Father was working late today just as he had every other day for the past few weeks. But it was better that way. It meant I could enjoy every second I had with Jake, every second before he would go off to College and I would be home alone every day once more.

I had spent so much of my life alone that it had never felt strange, but somehow I knew that things would be different. Things had changed.  For the first time in what felt like years, I was happy and not just Grandmother visiting with cookies happy, I was genuinely and truly happy. There is only so much time a person can spend on their own.

I sat with Jake, as I had done so many times this summer, at the very end of my garden hidden by the overgrown bushes that had long since been trimmed.

I rested my head against Jake’s shoulder and closed my eyes, feeling the warm summer breeze against my face, wanting more than anything for this day to never end.          

'Do your really have to go to College tomorrow?' I asked, already knowing the answer. 'I just really don't want to be alone again, especially not after such a wonderful summer.'

'Yeah,' Jake replied. 'But I can come round to see you every weekend and after College if you want? It will be as if nothing has changed.'

I smiled and for a moment I believed him.

'I would like that,' I told him, 'just remember not to...'

'Yes I know,' he interrupted. 'Don't ever come round when your Dad's home.'

He sighed, as the silence around us echoed. 

'Willow?' He asked.

'Yeah.'

'Are you ever going to tell me why I'm not allowed round when your Dad's home?' He asked, and for a moment I felt like I should tell him everything. But then I stopped knowing that once I had told him then there would be no way of taking it back.

'One day,' I told him. And I really meant it.

-

A lot had happened from the day that I had met Jake. But then I guess spending every minute with one person for a month can make you see them in a certain way. 

Of course I liked him. There was nothing about him not to like. Every time I saw him I couldn't help but smile, I felt sparks whenever he touched me and my heart skipped a beat whenever he laughed, which was a lot.

Pushing all of these thoughts in my mind every day had been hard, but it was better this way. I didn't want to risk loosing my Best Friend and god only knows what my Father would think.

-

The sun had finally set in the sky and I knew I should've gone back inside a long time ago. I stood up, brushing the grass off my skirt as I turned to Jake.

'Well I guess this is goodbye then,' I said.

'I'm not dying Willow,' Jake replied and I couldn't help but laugh with him. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

'I know,' I replied. 'It just won't be the same.' I felt tears welling up in my eyes, then feeling stupid for wanting to cry I turned to walk away.

'Hey,' Jake said grabbing my arm so as not to let me go. 'I got you something.'

'You did?' I asked curiously, the tears disappearing from my eyes.

'I did,' he smiled at me, before reaching into his pocket and bringing out a little box. He handed it to me and I slowly opened it. Inside was a rose gold chain, with a tiny heart pendant on the end. Jake took it out of the box and carefully placed it around my neck, fastening it at the back.

'It's beautiful,' I told him, turning back to face him.

'Like you,' he replied, looking nervously at me.

I stood speechless, no idea how to reply.

He reached his hand up to my cheek and pushed back the fallen strands of hair from my face. 

'I really like you Willow,' he almost whispered leaning his face closer to mine so that our faces were only an inch away from each other.

'I really like you too Jake,' I whispered back. I closed my eyes as Jake closed the gap between us and kissed me. In that second nothing else mattered. Nothing about what had happened with my Mother or my Father, my horrible childhood. Nothing at all. This moment was perfect and was all I had ever dreamed that it would be. I could hear a car in the distance and new that I only had a minute or so, but I couldn't bring myself to leave Jake. 

A moment later, I knew that I couldn't risk it, not now. Not ever. I leaned my forehead against his and quietly whispered, 'Thank you.' Before kissing him on the cheek and running towards my house. I ran up the stairs to my room and was safely locked away before the front door opened and my Father staggered in, crashing noisily about downstairs.

I headed over to the window and opened it, looking down at the garden, where he still stood.

'Jake,' I whispered, just loudly enough so that he would hear, but not so loudly that anyone else could hear. 'Jake, you have to go now.'

'I'll see you tomorrow?' He asked and I couldn't help but smile at the stupid grin spread across his face as he beamed up at me.

'Yes, I'll see you tomorrow if you promise me that you'll leave now.' I could still hear my Father clattering about in the hallway and knew that Jake potentially only had seconds before being caught.

'Don't you feel like we're in Romeo and Juliet?' He asked, then seeing the confused expression on my face carried on. 'You know the balcony seen just after they've met? Where Romeo is confessing his undenying love for Juliet.'

'Are you saying that you're confessing your undenying love for me?' I asked.

'Well, you never know,' he laughed.

'Look, however much I would love to discuss Shakespeare with you, you have to go.' I told him. 'Please.'

Without a word, he smiled once more then ran off into the darkness.

The garden was once again empty, with only the eerie shadows of the branches.

I lay down onto my bed, turning the golden heart over and over in my fingers. It really was beautiful. I had never received such a nice present from anyone.

I picked up the box that the necklace had been in and opened it up, carefully taking the necklace off from around my neck and placing it back into the box. There was a little note in the bottom of the box. A small piece of paper that I hadn't noticed before. I picked it up and unfolded it, reading the neatly handwritten message below:

Everyone deserves presents for their Birthday

I smiled, folding the note back up again and placing it inside the box. I took the box and hid it under my pillow, hoping that my Father would never find it.

This really had been the perfect end to the perfect summer.