Defending Raven (Mountain Mercenaries #7)(96)
“You stink.”
David just laughed. “Yup. That’s because it’s hard work corralling all the kids and crawling around in the dirt helping them look for clues in the scavenger hunt. Would you rather I be inside reading or doing math problems? You’re always telling me to go outside and find something to do.”
Dave chuckled. “True. I was just pointing it out because your mom told me I smelled, and I didn’t want to be alone in my smelliness.”
“Dork,” David said with a shake of his head.
Mags knew she was smiling huge. It was true, their son loved learning. He read anything and everything he could get his hands on, and adored logic puzzles and watching people solve math problems on YouTube. He wasn’t much of a TV watcher, which she was thankful for.
They walked into the house, and the noise level inside was off the charts. But looking around at their amazing friends, and hearing the happiness and comradery, she couldn’t help but feel content.
Ten Years after Returning Home
Dave lay on the blanket on the bluff between his wife and son as they all stared up into the star-filled sky. Every month or so they’d do this. Come outside after it got dark and simply soak in the goodness of the outdoors and enjoy being together.
David was getting older and busier. He was on the basketball team. Though he wasn’t a starter and didn’t get much court time, he swore he still enjoyed it. He wasn’t very tall, only around five-nine, but the coach loved having him on the team because he was currently twenty-seven and 0 when it came to free throws. He was an excellent shot and was their main man when it came to penalty shots.
He was also on the robotics team and in the debate club. He was one of those rare kids who was friends with the popular crowd as well as the nerds and geeks. David didn’t care how much money someone had or what their status was at school. He was nice to everyone and didn’t discriminate or talk behind anyone’s back. He was the first one to stand up for girls when they were picked on or treated like crap by others.
Dave was as proud as he could be of that. He didn’t care about his kid’s athletic ability, and didn’t really even care much about his grades, other than he wanted him to at least pass his classes. What he did care about was the fact that David was compassionate and had learned how to treat women by watching his dad and “uncles.”
David was also beginning to date, much to Raven’s dismay. He knew she wanted her baby boy to stay young forever, but it was inevitable that their son would be quite the catch. The girls in his school knew he was a good guy, and that if they went out with him, they’d be treated right. Dave couldn’t ask for anything more.
With how busy David was, and because he had only a couple years left in high school, Dave knew their time of hanging out, camping, and hiking, would soon be coming to an end. Lying around on their property staring up at the stars would become just another fond memory. It saddened him, but Dave knew it was all a part of his son growing up.
“I remember doing this with you back in Peru,” David said suddenly, startling Dave out of his thoughts.
“You do?” he asked in surprise. “You were only four and a half.”
“I know. But I do,” David insisted. “We were hiding on a roof from the bad guys who were looking for us. We lay next to each other, just like we’re doing now, and looked up at the stars. They weren’t nearly as bright in the city as they are out here, but I was still in awe at the sight of them. You told me that you didn’t know anything about what the stars were called, but you told me the stars had saved your life.”
Dave blinked in surprise. He’d forgotten what he’d talked about on that roof with David all those years ago. But as soon as his son mentioned it, it came back to him as if it were yesterday. “Yeah. I told you that when your mom was lost, I’d look up at the stars and imagine her doing the same thing wherever she was. And the thought that we were looking at the same stars comforted me.”
“And you saw a shooting star,” David continued. “You said that you thought it was a sign that Mamá was out there, looking at the same stars right that second.”
Dave heard Raven inhale sharply, and he reached for her hand, but didn’t take his eyes from the multitude of brilliant lights above him. “That’s right.”
“I remember you said that when we got home, the three of us would do this. What we’re doing now. Lie on the ground and look up at the stars. Together. I just . . . I just wanted to let you know that I remembered that conversation, and I’m happy to be here right this second. Lying here with you guys and looking up at the stars together.”
Dave could hear Raven sniffling, and he squeezed her hand. “Me too, champ. Me too. And remember, no matter where you go in your life, no matter where you might live or what you might be doing, when you look up at the stars, your mom and I are thinking about you, and are so very proud of you.”
He felt his fourteen-year-old son brush his hand against his own, and Dave took hold of it and held on tight.
They lay like that, all three hand in hand, and gazed up at the stars for a long time. Thankful for what they had and for each other.
Life wasn’t always easy. In fact, all three of them knew for a fact that life could be a son of a bitch. But it was the people you surrounded yourself with that made it better. And Dave knew they had the most amazing people in their lives, and that made all the difference.