“I’m just getting started, but I have all these ideas, and where I live, there are these trails. Don’t you think people would love to see them?” He looked to Jack, hoping his uncle would back him up. Jack nodded, and I pictured them hiking together, one pointing out birds while the other took video.
Jack ruffled his hair. “Yeah, Jordy, they’ll love it.”
I could tell he was a really good uncle with how he cared about everything Jordy said. Apparently, they talked weekly, and Jack seemed to know all about his nephew’s life and what was going on with him at school. Seeing this side of Jack had me warming even more to him. Who knew?
We walked down the main path through the camp, and it was clear Jordy had been here many times before. He looked so comfortable chatting with Jack. And Jack was smiling with a child. It was so surprising and at complete odds with how Ithought of him. I was still wrapping my mind around it when I realized I’d missed part of the conversation.
“What’s that, Jordy?” I asked as I tried to catch up.
“Have you had a Sasquatch sighting yet?”
I shook my head, and the ten-year-old gave me an incredulous look. “Not yet, no,” I hedged.
Jordy shook his head but gave me a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, Nat, if I can see him with my family on the drive up here, I’m sure you will too, one day.”
I looked to Jack. A lock of hair obscured his face, but it didn’t hide the corner of his lips tilting up.
“Is that so? Guess we’ll have to keep a lookout.”
Jack and I exchanged an amused glance. We skipped through camp, dodging puddles and enjoying the drizzly day. We spent the morning filming and writing copy for a camp post.
Even after a storm, Camp Starlight shone beautifully.
On the way back, we passed through the meditation meadow, and a fuzzy caterpillar had crawled up the sign. I took the opportunity to show Jordy how to find light sources and angle the shots. When we captured the little bug perfectly as it crawled next to droplets of condensation, his excitement was palpable.
Jordy didn’t let up on his barrage of insightful questions until we got back to Jack’s cabin, where we worked on the copy and posted it.
“How about we give the lil’ critter a name?” I offered, thinking of cute post title ideas.
Jordy turned out to be a natural. He put his finger on his chin, like I’d seen Jack do while considering something. “Or maybe we title itCamp Starlight: fuzzy caterpillar approved.”
Jack went to make us all sandwiches while we continued sharing ideas, and by the time he came back, Jordy and I had the post up and were responding to our first comment.
“You’re really good at this, Jordy. Thanks so much for your help,” I said, meaning it. I’d been less inspired the past few days, and his spirit reinvigorated me more than he knew. He was also really good at making me laugh.
Jack sat next to Jordy, who played my compliment off as though it were no big deal. But it was a big deal. Jordy had no idea that because of him, I hadn’t thought about maiming his uncle even once today.
Jordy didn’t argue when I closed the app on my phone a few minutes later. He gently touched my hand and looked into my eyes the way only a kid could. “Thanks, Nat. That was so much fun.”
“Yeah.” Jack smiled at me, and there was no sarcasm detected when he offered his own “Thanks, Nat.”
Jordy told me about his new account, and I tagged him in the post. The request would have to be approved by his parents, but either way, it warmed my heart seeing his eyes light up. Witnessing Jordy’s love of photography as an artistic expression reminded me of one of the reasons why I chose to do what I did.
I did my activities and met back up with them to eat dinner in the mess hall, before going back to our cabin, where Jack insisted I sit down and rest because my feet were still healing. Foster came by and picked up Jordy after dinner. Jack and I sat on the lumpy couch, exhausted and… happy? Yeah. Happy together.
I was still feelingwarm when my sister called later that night.
“Hey, Mandy, it’s good to hear from you.” I looked at her beautiful face in our video chat. I could picture her feet kicked up, books stacked up in the space under her coffee table because there weren’t enough bookshelves anymore in her and Sho’s apartment.
My sister lived for learning. She’d always had an academic drive that I’d never had. I’d agreed to get my master’s in marketing and work for my mom’s company, but that was before my passion showed up when I started exploring different places and sharing them with the world.
My sister, however, had had a love of school since kindergarten. She’d known she wanted to thrive in business, so she did. Mandy worked hard, and if she made up her mind about something, it happened. I was just as determined, but all throughout school, I’d had to fight my way through assignments until I’d realized later in life that I had an undiagnosed learning disability.
Mandy was usually unstoppable, but now she also looked a little worn around the edges. That drive and excitement she’d once exuded had been pulled out of her.
I noticed the floral-painted picture on the wall in the background and realized she was calling me from her office and not her home. “Working late again?”
“Yeah, my current project has been kicking my ass a little,” she said, cheeks tinged with embarrassment.
