Watch the Stars with Me

Chapter 9

The next morning as they worked on the last two letters the air was cooler, the sky was grey with clouds, and the roll of thunder was slowly but surely approaching.

They finished his last letter just moments after the rain started and as she packed up her type writer she noticed how he bit his lip and tapped his finger on his thigh. "Is my work not satisfactory?" She asks, genuinely concerned.

"No. I mean yes. I mean— your did better than I could have asked on the letters. Thank you Violet." He laid his head back, embarrassed are his nervous reaction to her innocent question.

As the case clicked shut his heart sank. She didn't move from her spot. "What is it Leon? Something is bothering you."

He slowly lifted his head. "You haven't given me your answer."

A light blush rose to her cheeks. "Right. The party."

"Yes. Although with this weather I'm not sure the chauffeur will actually come... or how I'll get to the car..." He sneaks a glance at her, trying to not make her pity him too much.

She almost laughs. "I'll go, if only to confirm with Fern that she is indeed involved with someone else and that the two of you have never kissed." She paused, her eyebrows lowering. "I don't really have anything to wear other than what I have on..."

He sits up as he talks. "Fern said not to worry, you can borrow one of her dresses."

The rain picked up and soon the thunder and lightning has arrived. Leon makes his way to the porch and as he pusbes through the screen door he turns back. "Come watch the storm with me?" His smile makes her heart warm again and she follows.

They sit on the top step, careful to keep Leon's casts out of the rain. He sighs. "I wish I could be out there in it right now."

She turns to him, seeing the longing in his eyes as he stares out at the storm. "In the rain?"

"You've never stood in a storm?" He turns to her with a surprised look.

She shrugs. "Not because I wanted to be..." her mind flashes to moments of war where rain was simply unavoidable.

"When I got stuck in that cave, we would stand out in that monster storm and just let the wind and water hit us so hard. When thunder and lightning clap that close to you, it feels like every molecule of your body is alive, from the tips of your toes to the ends of you fingers."

She lifts up her gloved hands and begins to remove the gloves and tries to recall what it felt like to actually touch something, or someone.

"I'm sorry." Leon starts. "I didn't mean to..." he doesn't even know how to continue.

"It's fine. They're a part of me now. No way to avoid them really." She's still staring at her hands intently.

Leon shifts a little. "Do you mind if I ask a question about them?" She nods in response. "Do you ever think you can still feel them?"

She looks up from her ha da in thought and only a moment later responds. "Often. Sometimes my hands feel hot or cold and I have to remind myself that my hands aren't even there anymore... at least not the ones that could feel."

She suddenly stood up, and decided to walk out into the rain. Leon let out a surprised noise before asking what she is doing. "I'm want to feel alive from the tips of my toes to— the end of my nose." She smiles before spinning.  He watched, as if it was happening in slow motion. His heart skipped as her head fell back and her skirts moved with her spin and she smiled. A full smile, even reaching her eyes and out to his heart.

After her spin she stood still, facing the lake, which was hardly visible in all the rain. She squinted to see better and then turned back to Leon. "I think that the chauffeur is coming."

"Then let's get you inside and somewhat dried off before we head out!" He rose from his seat as she rushed passed him to open the door for him. 

"We can just use some blankets and wrap you up." He grabbed on off the couch and with his one useable hand tried to pull it around her shoulders.

She looked into his eyes as he did, and kept her eyes trained on his even while grabbing the blanket and pulling it tighter. "You were right. I'm going to do that more often."