They came through the other side into another pocket, this one with an opening in the cliff face about four feet high. The sounds of the river and the festival came through clearly and echoed on the walls. They didn’t need their flashlights despite the opening being mostly blocked by more scrub growing on a narrow ledge just outside.
“Insane,” Brock said as he peered out the hole. Through the branches, she knew he could see over the trees lining the opposite bank, to the field covered in tarps and an angled view of the main stage.
“Careful. That ledge used to be wider, but it looks like part of it’s broken off and fallen.”
Brock turned, his expression alarmed. “Don’t tell me you and your brother used to go out on it.”
“I won’t tell you that we used to go out on it.” She smiled. “Only because it will upset you.”
He looked down at least fifty feet to the river. “Jesus, you must have been fearless.”
“Not really. It was fear that made Brian and me come here in the first place.”
Brock stepped back from the opening, his expression soft. “I can’t imagine.”
“We never knew how long our parents would be gone. They might come back later that night, or it might be days. We were so young, we were afraid the cops would take us, too, so we ran at the first sight of their cars. We got good enough to recognize the sound of the engines coming up the road, and off we’d go like a couple of scared rabbits running from a fox. Our parents’ friends from the commune would sometimes come by; they’d leave food in the fridge, maybe a little cash in the breadbox on the counter, but they never took us in. Until Uncle Sonny and Aunt Claire more or less took us in for good. They didn’t always know our folks had been arrested or else they would’ve been there to get us immediately. The times they didn’t know, well, we had some bags of potato chips and bottles of water stashed here, and we could always sneak back home at night and get more. We didn’t tell anyone about this place. It was ours and it was safe.”
“Baby.” Brock wrapped her in his arms and held her.
Brianna had never talked to anyone like this. Now that she was telling her story she couldn’t stop. “I think Brian kept coming here long after I’d stopped. I didn’t need it anymore. I was safe with my aunt and uncle. If I wanted privacy, I’d just go up into the attic, where I eventually found the fiddle. But my brother was always a freer spirit. He didn’t like all the rules Uncle Sonny made us follow, so he kept running away from them, disappearing for days, or just going back to Brian and Luna and taking his chances. Sometimes he stayed with friends who weren’t always good choices. He started getting arrested with them about as often and for the same reasons as my parents did.”
“That must have been hard for your aunt and uncle. And for you.”
Brianna felt her heart open wider at his understanding. “It was. Very hard. We all tried, but we couldn’t get him to stay.” She tilted her chin up. “I love you.”
He smiled softly down at her. “I love you, too, Lifesaver.”
A voice came over the speakers announcing the night’s lineup, starting with Rachael.
“Oh! We have to hurry.” Brianna grabbed Brock’s hand.
“Wait, I thought we were gonna watch here?”
“Nope. There’s an even better spot.Ifwe’re lucky. Come on. Though I’m afraid you’re gonna have to duck again and this is going to require some skill toward the end. But when we get there, I promise you’re going to love it.”
She took him through the last passageway, this one very dark. At the end of it, they had to maneuver around some boulders and Brianna hoped he could squeeze through. On the other side was the last pocket—this one ‘public’ at least as far as the local teenagers were concerned. Beer cans, bottles, and roach clips were scattered on the sandy floor under graffitied walls. One wall sloped up to a hole in the ground. Surprisingly, no one was there. If Brianna had heard any voices, she would’ve put her fingers to her lips and turned Brock around to keep the rest of the cave a secret.
“This?” Brock looked around, disgust on his face. “This is better?”
“Ha-ha, no. I was half-afraid someone would have explored behind the boulders by now and found the rest, but I guess it’s too dark and scary.” She pointed to the sloping wall. “We want to go up that way.” Brock followed her one last time up the slope and out onto the top of the cliff.
The sky had darkened and the first stars were just coming out. A thin fingernail moon hung overhead. Below them, the whole festival spread out and they had a view of the stage. The acoustics were phenomenal.
Brianna took a folded blanket out of her backpack and Brock helped her spread it on the ground over the long grass. They unpacked water and soda and sandwiches while the band started. And then Rachael came in with her first song, a remake of ‘California Dreamin’’ by the Mamas and the Papas. She’d told the group of contestants earlier in the week that it was the first song she’d ever sung publicly, and she’d done it to impress Jake. Hearing her sing it now brought tears to Brianna’s eyes. Rachael put her soul into that song—all the love and longing she’d felt at the time, even the fear. Rachael dedicated that song to her husband at every single performance. Knowing Rachael’s struggles and her story made the song that much more poignant to Brianna.
Brock pulled her close until she was sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest, his arms around her. They sang along to the songs they knew, and when Rachael started singing ‘Blue Sky’s the Limit’ they stood up to dance under the moon.
After Rachael’s set, they laid back on the blanket and watched the sky for shooting stars. The night was perfectly clear, the Milky Way in its full glory. When they saw a streak of light cross the sky, Brianna said, “Make a wish.”
Brock grabbed her hand and said, “I wish that when I take this ring out of my pocket and ask you to marry me, you’ll say yes.”
The world stopped. Brianna turned to look at Brock, to make sure she’d heard him correctly. His face had gone serious, as if there were some doubt about her answer. They both sat up at the same time and Brock pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.
“Brock—”
He touched her lips. “Before you give me your answer, hear me out. I’ve only known you a short time, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I’ve waited my whole life for a woman like you, and I don’t want to waste any more time. Brianna, you are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me and make my life complete?”
With the sudden lump in her throat, Brianna could only nod as tears in her eyes blurred Brock. He smiled and looked relieved until he turned his attention to the box and opened it. “I picked out the prettiest one there, but if you don’t like it, we can go back and you can pick out one you like.”
