“Most of them. That’s what makes the night sky so enchanting.”
“How do you know so much about constellations?”
The words spilled out. “It was my dad. During summers or school breaks, we’d spread blankets in our backyard, and he’d point out the constellations to me. He was a classics scholar, so he was familiar with all the stories. He was patient, too, always making sure I could spot the stars, even when it felt like it took forever.” I paused, the memories washing over me, the edges bittersweet. “Whenever I look at the night sky now, it takes me back to those moments with him. It’s my way of staying connected, I guess.”
A strange mix of relief and vulnerability washed over me as I told the story. When was the last time I talked about this with anyone? I wasn’t one to open up, especially not about something so personal. But with Anna, I always seemed to do precisely that. It had never happened with any other girlfriend. Certainly not with Sienna, even though I had thought that was love.
I glanced at Anna. Her eyes brimmed with understanding. “That sounds special.” She cleared her throat. “It’s strange. The ways we hold on to the people we love. I catch myself using my mom’s phrases sometimes, as if they keep her here with me in little pieces.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected, like she’d reached inside my chest and found the exact place that ached. For a moment, we stood in silence, as if we were both letting ourselves sit with memories we usually kept tucked away.
I shifted slightly, aware of how much I’d let my guard down. This wasn’t like me. I didn’t open up like this and lay myself bare. Yet, with her, it felt natural. Unforced.
We relocated to a couch, with me pointing out constellations and weaving their myths, and her listening with wide eyes and the occasional question. Now and then, she’d glance at me, and I could feel the space between us growing smaller, even as the universe seemed impossibly vast above us.
After a while, her head began to dip. She fought to stay awake, but I could see the day’s exhaustion winning. When she finally drifted off, I gently covered her with a blanket.
The peace of the moment didn’t last long. My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me back into reality. I checked the screen and groaned.
A series of texts from my manager, Bob, lit the screen:
Call me.NOW.
Your face is everywhere. In a tux. WITH A JESTER.
I thought New Orleans was a QUIET GETAWAY. Was I misinformed???
The girl is STUNNING by the way. Good job. Who is she?
They haven’t ID’d her yet, but it’s only a matter of time.
Fisher, what in the name of Hollywood are you doing? CALL ME.
I’m billing you for the stress ulcer I’m developing.
I staredat the messages for a moment, imagining the chaos brewing on the other end. Bob was probably pacing a hole through his office floor, possibly clutching a bottle of Tums.
I glanced at Anna, fast asleep under the stars, her face peaceful and calm.
Shaking my head, I murmured, “Worth it.”
The world I’d been trying to keep at bay was closing in, and I had no idea how I was going to face it. Or how my relationship with Anna would survive it.
Then, with a resigned sigh, I typed back:Give me an hour.
Because for now, this moment with her was mine, and I wasn’t ready to let it go.
35
ANNA
The first thingI noticed was the smell of crawfish.
The second was the unmistakable sound of my Aunt Delores hollering, “Where’s the hot sauce?”
Before I could fully register what was happening, the doors to the library burst open, and my cousin Lucy marched in, holding a tray of corn and sausage. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. So, they don’t have enough bedrooms in this place, and you have to sleep on the couch?”
I groaned, rubbing my eyes as I sat up on the library sofa, the blanket Luke had draped over me slipping to the floor. “I fell asleep down here, okay?”
