Smiling, I squeeze her back. "To be honest, there’s not much I wouldn’t do for you, Sade. This was nothing compared to the lengths I’d go to see that look on your face."
Music drifts into the space, a slow beat that I know is Sam and Olive’s first dance. It whispers through the trees, just loud enough to hear over the sound of my heart beating in my chest.
"You’re the best man I’ve ever met." Sadie peers up at me from under her lashes. "Thank you, Max. Not just for this, but for everything."
I’m overwhelmed with the need to stay in this bubble, to dance with the girl and pretend she’s mine forever. I’ve hinted to her that I’m falling for her, but I haven’t told her outright.And I know I can’t. That wouldn’t be fair—to either of us. But if circumstances were different, I’d hold on and hope she would never let go.
"May I have this dance before we go back?"
"Of course, Max." Sadie slides her hands around my neck and into the hair at the base of my head. "I’m not sure I ever want to dance with anyone else." A single tear streaks down her face, and my heart triples in size.
She’s not an overly emotional woman. I’d describe her as pragmatic most of the time. A tear of any kind is unusual. I’ve watched her talk about her dad abandoning them, her stitches being placed, and a lot of other things that would make me cry—but she always remains stoic. This display is confirmation that she’s just as torn by our predicament as I am.
"Me too, Sade. Me too."
We sway to the sound of the music, leaning into each other with each slow turn. It might be the most romantic moment of my life, a moment that could only exist in a movie. But that’s what she inspires in me—a need to move heaven and earth to make her happy.
As the song ends, another rolls through the trees just as beautiful as the last, but a little faster. I spin Sadie, making her giggle when I dip her back for a film-worthy kiss. She closes her eyes as she’s bent backward and smiles. It takes up her entire face, a look of pure, unadulterated bliss. But when I lift her back to standing—small pieces of paper in every color rain down on us.
Blue, green, pink, orange, yellow, white… They are everywhere, whipping in the light summer breeze. They weren’t part of the plan, and my mind races with questions.
Did Burt go rogue? Is this more magic?
"How did you—"
Shaking my head, I release her, bending to grab one from the ground. "I didn’t."
Sadie snatches it from my hand, unfolding the two-by-two parchment, and reading it aloud.
"The answer to most questions can be found in the silence that sits between laughter." She looks at me, then back at the paper. "Do you think this was Beth?"
"It has to be. What’s the next clue in your book?"
Sadie digs in her purse, and I don’t fail to notice how she shoves the tiny scrap of paper into her bag for safekeeping. She removes her phone and opens the photo app, turning it toward me.
6. Down
To grant indulgence
"What the hell does that mean?" I ask, looking at another one of the papers. I’ve unfolded a few, and they all say the same thing.
"Humor… I think." Sadie zooms in on the picture she took. "It has five letters. I’ll have to try it when I get home."
My heart leaps into my throat as the book and a pencil appear suddenly over her left shoulder. I know I’m not dreaming as I blink a few times and it remains.
"Or… you could try it now." I grasp Sadie’s shoulders, turning her around so she can see it—floating in front of the tree, suspended weightlessly in mid-air.
She sucks her teeth, releasing a hissing breath.
"I guess now’s as good a time as any." She smiles softly, grabbing it and opening the book.
Sadie scribbles in the letters. As the lead-colored letters melt into gold, Sadie slumps against me like she’s relieved or defeated—possibly both. But I can tell from her expression she doesn’t want to discuss the wild thing happening to her.
"Let’s go back to the party." I tuck the book under my arm and guide her toward the path.
Sadie stops, turning to press a kiss on my cheek before grabbing the book and placing it on the ground.
"Just leave it here. It’ll follow me home, anyway."
