My Short Short for the Day

 The star light shimmered in her eyes and Ned had to look away.

“What’s wrong?”  Sadness tinged her voice.

“It’s…it’s nothing.  Really.”  Ned rose quickly pulling out his phone and swiping to silence the ring tone.  “That’s my dad.  I should go.”

“Ok.”  She held out her hand to him.  Her smile was so sweet and trusting.

Ned couldn’t help smiling back.  He pulled her to her feet and she tumbled into his arms.  As she hugged him, he closed his eyes and relaxed for a moment.  His guard dropped and he hugged her back.  Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.  She stepped away, still smiling.

“I’d better go.”  Ned took her hand as they strolled back to town.

The meadows were quiet and on a clear night, you could see oceans of stars, sparkling in the inky blackness of night.  It felt so strange and beautiful.  There was hope and wonder in those twinkling lights.  A reassurance that disappeared with the rising of the sun.  If only the night would last longer, or at least long enough.  Then maybe, just maybe…

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”  She smiled up at him.

“Yes, first thing.”  Ned squeezed her hand gently before letting go.  “I promise.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then ran inside.  She didn’t look back, never looked back.  She knew he would be waiting until she was safely inside.  She trusted him that much.  What did he ever do to deserve such trust?

She opened her window and waved down at him.

He smiled and waved back, then turned to head home.  What would it be like tonight?  Maybe he could sneak in the back and no one would notice.  That’s the best he could hope for, no one noticing him.