He takes another sip as he contemplates something.
Feeling bold, I ask, “What are you thinking?”
“How much my grandparents miss me. I called them before we came down here and they were so happy to hear how much fun I’m having. Despite how excited my grandma was, I could see in her eyes how much they miss me. I guess I feel a little guilty for leaving them all alone.”
He shifts in his place and then says, “But at the same time, I know they want me to be here. They want me to have every opportunity. They want me to experience everything life has to offer. I know I might sound like a son instead of a grandson, but I wonder what will happen once I leave for college, and thenwhen I have my first job, and then if I get married. What will happen to them?” He moves his eyes to me and shakes his head with a laugh. “Sorry for unloading all that onto you. I feel like this is a conversation for an older person.”
I rest my hand on his arm. “You’re a great grandson, Kylen. There are so many kids out there who don’t care about their grandparents. They see them as the old people their parents force them to visit at a nursing home. But you care so much about yours. That’s very honorable.”
He lowers his eyes to his mug. “Thanks. It means a lot.”
“I know you’re constantly worrying about them, but they’ll be okay. I only met them once and I know that they are strong people. The love they have for you and for each other will get them through anything.”
He smiles. “I’ve always felt that, too. That as long as they hold onto the love they have for one another, they can get through the hardest obstacle.”
I return the smile.
“I don’t remember my other grandparents that much,” he says as he takes a long sip of his mug. “They died when I was little. They tried to tell me as much about my mom as they could so I could hold onto her memory, but unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shakes his head with a reassuring smile. “That’s okay. They gave me a lot of her things that she loved growing up, so I’ll always have some of her with me. And they loved taking pictures of her.”
“That’s wonderful.”
He nods. “Did I tell you that they spent a romantic getaway here?”
My eyes widen. “What? No, you didn’t tell me.”
He drains his mug and places it on the coffee table behind us. “My grandmother reminded me about it when I called her. I didn’t realize it was this exact location. They had just graduated high school and were set to go to different colleges. My grandfather wanted to quit college and follow my grandmother wherever she went, but of course his parents were very against it. So they decided to have a romantic trip before they separated for four years. They lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn, so they didn’t have to travel too far, and the lodge wasn’t as expensive as it is now. I remember they told me how they carved their names into one of the trees.”
“That’s so romantic. Do you think it’s still here?”
“Doubt it. I’m sure they cut it down years ago.”
“Too bad. It would have been awesome to see it.”
“Yeah.”
I place my mug on the coffee table and then scoot closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Thanks so much for sharing so much of yourself with me. I thought I knew you inside out at camp, but there’s still so much more to you that I didn’t know. That I still don’t know. I love learning every little detail and sharing in your memories.”
“Thanks. The same with you.”
“I don’t have as many things to share with you like you have with me. My life is pretty boring.”
“You’re not boring at all! I love that you’re more open with your music now. You were so closed off and private about it only a few days ago.”
“I guess you’re right.”
The fact that I felt comfortable writing a love song for the band shows how much I’ve grown in only a short while. I think that has a lot to do with Kylen. He’s helped me come out of my shell. He’s helped me realize that the world isn’t such a scary place, not if you have people in your life who care about you.
He rests his head on mine. “I know I’ve said this many times, but I’m so happy we’re friends again.” His lips gently sweep across my temple. “I hope we never lose what we have.”
“I hope so, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kylen
