Jacob & Emma

They are sitting in the grass together. Positioned closer than two teenaged friends, yet not quite in a lover's embrace. The sun shines above them in the world of 1940. In the distance, close to the house as always, are the rest of the children. Silence fills the space between them but it is not the painful type. He breaks his gaze from the beautiful summer day, ever peaceful, and looks at her.

The expression on her face is aged beyond her years, exposing her soul that is decades older than her young face. Something about her is mesmerizing to him. Intoxicating, even. Perhaps, he reasons with himself, that is the reason that he chooses to lean in and kiss her.

He has done this before, and though alarms silently warn him in the back of his mind that he should not be doing it, he deepens the kiss. She reciprocates, though there's a weariness in her kiss that makes him think maybe she's given up the fight against herself, too. Her arms wrap around his neck and his hand gently caresses her jaw.

There is something off about the way he feels with her, and at the same time, her presence makes him whole. Though neither of them have much time left in their section of summer paradise, feelings grow roots between them.

Her hands return to her lap as she slowly breaks the kiss and his peace. A small smile plays on her lips as she looks up at him. He takes a deep breath to regain his concentration and plants a little kiss on her forehead. She climbs into his lap and his arms circle around her.

"Emma?" he asks.
"Jacob?"
"You're beautiful."
She says nothing but crinkles her nose and sticks her tongue out at him.
He rolls his eyes at her and smiles.
"I don't want this moment to go away. I don't think it will ever be like this again."
"Maybe it won't be... But all we can do is enjoy it while it happens, right?" she offered, dropping her gaze to the ground.
He sighs.
"I don't want you to leave", she added.
Then I won't, he replied in his head, but his lips pulled a half smile at her and stayed silent.

The sun blazed on for a while longer, and the heat he felt for her in his heart never ended, even long after the moon rose high above their heads.