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“I can imagine,” I say. I can’t relate to what Nila went through, but I can empathize with her. “And how is your mom now?”
Nila lets out a heavy sigh. “She’s clean now, but … our relationship is strained. We talk occasionally, but it’s never more than surface-level conversation. I try not to take it personally. I don’t harbor resentment toward her or anything. I just don’t think she knows how to be a mom.”
The frown on her face tugs at my heartstrings.
“I’m sorry,” I say, tracing my fingertips along the inside of her palm. Her breath catches as I do so. “I really am. You deserve the best, Nila.”
“Thank you. I really appreciate you saying that. Gran really did everything she could to give me the best life possible. I just wish she was still here. But I know you understand that better than anyone…”
“I can definitely relate. Losing my mom was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s like a piece of your past, present, and future is suddenly missing. And no matter how much time passes, that ache never truly goes away.”
Nila nods in understanding, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I miss my gran every day,” she confesses softly. “There are moments when I just want to pick up the phone and hear her voice, but then reality hits me all over again.”
“I get it,” I reply, my heart aching for her pain.
“Does it ever get easier?” she asks, gripping her necklace.
I take a deep breath, wrestling with my own pain that still lingers like a ghost in my heart. “It never truly goes away,” I say honestly. “But with time, you’ll find yourself cherishing the memories more than feeling the loss.”
“Hearing you say that gives me hope.” She squeezes my hand, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Thank you for listening, Cameron. I don’t think I’ve ever opened up this much to anyone before.”
I give her a reassuring smile. “I’m just honored you felt comfortable enough to share.”
“You make it easy,” she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. “Something about you makes me feel like I can just be myself, even the messy parts I keep hidden from everyone else.”
A warmth spreads through my chest at her words. I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips. “I feel the same way, Nila. You’re pretty amazing, you know that?”
She blushes and then scoots closer to me. “It’s getting cold out here.”
I grin. “Oh? Is that what it is?”
Her cheeks flush with crimson, a hue that I can make out even under just the light of the moon.
I soak in the moment of her leaning against me, much like I did last night. By the time I woke up this morning, Nila had moved away from me, but I didn’t forget what happened.
“I brought a blanket,” I say, reaching for the lousy picnic basket they gave me to use and retrieving the heavy flannel blanket. I unfold it and flip it over us. Nila snuggles up under it and then lies back, resting her hands under her head.
“Do you like to stargaze?” I ask, still sitting up beside her.
“I don’t know.” She smiles up at me. “I’ve never done it.”
“What?” I raise my brow at her. “You’re missing out. I’m not super into astrology or anything, but I must admit that there’s something electric about getting lost in the night sky.”
“That’s incredibly romantic.” Nila giggles, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
I lie down beside her and lift my gaze to the stars, taking in the way they shine and shimmer across the black canvas of the night sky. As we lie under the blanket, the cool night air enveloping us, I point out the few constellations I know, tracing the lines connecting the stars with my finger and creating imaginary shapes and stories for her. She listens intently, her eyes never straying from the sky above.
“You really do love the stars, don’t you?” she asks.
“My mom used to love to stargaze, and before she passed away, when she knew she’d be leaving me, she always told me I could find her there. So … that’s why I love the stars so much.”
Nila reaches over and gently grabs my hand, entwining her fingers with mine under the blanket. “That’s beautiful,” she whispers, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves in the gentle night breeze.
I turn my head to look at her, the moon casting a soft glow on her face. There’s a vulnerability in her eyes that I haven’t seen before, and it tugs at something deep within me.
Without saying a word, I bring her hand to my lips and place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
Nila’s breath hitches at the gesture, and for a moment, time seems to stand still.
