“She’s not a nurse anymore?”
“Nursing assistant, and no. She gave up the late hours once her daughter was born. She’s happy, though. She and Ben are celebrating their ninth anniversary in a few weeks.”
Riley’s eyes widened. They were lighter today, almost silver in the mid-morning sun. “Natasha has a daughter?”
“Yeah, can you believe it?”
“How old?”
“Seven.” I pulled my phone out to show him some recent pictures of my niece, unable to hide the joy she brought to my life.
“I bet you’re the best uncle. Teaching her some of our old tricks,” he said, nudging me.
“You kidding? My sister would murder me if Harper turned into a little Beckett. Besides, that child needs no help. She’s as fun and independent as they come.”
For the first time since our reunion, I heard Riley laugh. It was just as beautiful as I remembered, a soothing, refreshing sound that still had a warm effect on me.
“Harper?” he asked. “That’s a pretty name.”
I nodded. “Harper Grace. She’s a great kid.”
He seemed nervous when he asked his next question. “Is Tosh still sober?”
“Yeah. She knows I won’t put up with that shit, especially with Harper in the picture.”
“What about her husband?”
“Ben’s a good guy, we get along great. He works for a construction company, building houses and stuff.”
As we turned another corner, Riley suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me across the street. He led me through a beautiful metal gate and down a long alley that opened up to a small, empty courtyard between two warehouses. There was a tall brick wall at the end, blocking the courtyard off from what I assumed were the delivery docks for the businesses surrounding the area. A few picnic tables were scattered about and I could see a basketball net hanging on the far end with a couple of basketballs on the ground below it.
My steps slowed as I began looking around in awe. Nearly every square inch of the place was covered in graffiti, murals, and random tic-tac-toe boards. Hundreds of images in various types of paint and chalk covered the walls. Three-dimensional paintings covered the ground, making it appear as if I would fall into a pit of lava if I stepped two feet to my right.
“What is this?” I asked, following a long blue tentacle on the wall as it held a key away from a one-eyed pirate. The octopus was smirking as it peered down at the pirate from a ship sailing through the clouds.
“It’s called The Escape,” Riley replied. He was standing about twenty feet away, watching me carefully. He appeared both nervous and proud to be sharing this with me.
“The Escape?”I asked.
“It’s for the local kids who just need a place to vent their stress and worries. There used to be weekly concerts here in the summers, but that hasn’t happened in a while.”
“Wow.” I could already tell this wasn’t the typical teenager’s creative rebelling ways. This was purposeful and clearly done with pride. It made the courtyard feel different somehow, almost like it was a sanctuary.
Riley gave me a tentative smile. “I like to think Tosh would have had a better life if something like this was available when she was younger.”
His words made warmth bloom in my chest. “Maybe,” I said. “This is pretty amazing.” I saw a trail of gold coins and followed them along one wall, where a leprechaun was diving into a burrow that was formed from a crack in the wall.
“Yeah. It’s been fun to see the kids get involved.”
“Did you come here?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No, it wasn’t around then. I think it’s only been here… um, six years? Maybe seven? I help out where I can though, donating supplies and things.”
Riley closed the distance between us and I felt a sudden urge to reach out to him, to touch him somehow, if only for a moment, but I wasn’t sure I had that right to. There was an uneasiness between us now that I didn’t know how to navigate. I could still feel our connection every time our eyes met, but the loss of time hung heavy between us, like a canyon forged by the elements.
“So,” he said, reading my thoughts.
“Yeah, so...” I mimicked, pulling a smile from him.
