The connection Nick was feeling with Kara at that moment was unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life. Powerful in its’ utter simplicity. He dragged a shaking hand through her hair their breath twisting in the air.
“Kara.” Her name caught in his throat as he stroked her cheek. Letting his hand frame her face before tracing his index finger down her neck to her shoulder.
She sighed, swallowing hard. Closing her eyes before leaning into him.
Nick had waited a lifetime for this kind of connection with a woman. What he was feeling with Kara was something so much more then two bodies rolling around together on a bed. It was a connection of souls that he would carry with him even after he crossed over to the other side.
“What’s happening Nick?” Kara asked wrapping her arms around him as the stars shifted overhead in the sky popping like hot white lights.
“I don’t know.” Nick answered in a whisper. “But it feels right.”
* * *
They fell asleep curled up on the hood of the red Mustang convertible. A tangle of arms and legs, their faces pressed together, holding hands with fingers intertwined.
Kara dreamt in bright bold colors of her parents showering their love down on her from up above. How she had longed to see their faces again without the cold grimaces of death. Her Mother was as beautiful as ever with her warm chestnut colored hair framing her face, her green eyes twinkling her bright white smiling glowing as she reached out her arms to Kara. And her Father, oh her wonderful father. So tall and strong with his sweep of tawny colored hair and his ruddy tanned complexion that seemed to glow as he threw back his head, his laughter booming out in the sky.
The wonderful dreams seemed to go on for an eternity; flashbacks of a life and a love shared between a family that, thanks to Nick, she would now keep in her heart for a lifetime. She didn’t ever want to wake up from the wonderful dreams, but she was suddenly very aware of the pull of a windshield wiper in her hair, as well as a hood ornament digging into her ankle as the morning sun warmed her skin.
Opening her eyes she smiled.
Nick was rolled on his side facing her, mouth parted, snoring lightly. She didn’t want to wake him so she just lay there staring at him while he slept, trying to make a memory of the beautiful young man that would last forever.
When his blue eyes finally blinked open he smiled a tired smile at her.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
Untangling his legs from hers Nick stretched, rubbing his hands over his wild hair. “What time is it?” He asked.
“Who cares.” Kara yawned.
“Good point.” He laughed groaning as he sat up. “Man, I’m getting too old to be sleeping on the hoods of a cars.”
Kara tried to unwind the windshield wiper from her hair. “Hey do you think I could get some help with this.” She said with a small laugh. Nick turned, sizing up the situation.
“Yet another benefit of having my having short hair.” He said working his hands through her hair. “No windshield wiper damage if you get one caught in it.” They both tried to laugh but a sudden reality hung heavy in the early morning air.
“You’re leaving aren’t you?” Kara looked up at him with eyes that begged him to stay.
“Yeah, I have to go.” Nick held out the windshield wiper for her to take. “Here, a souvenir from our time together.” He said placing a light kiss on her forehead before jumping down off the hood.
“C’mon let me help you.” He held out a hand to her and she paused wondering for a brief moment what would happen if she didn’t let him help her down.
Would he stay?
Finally she placed her hand in his letting him pull her to the ground.
“Do you want me to drop you off back at your Grandparents?” He walked her to the passenger side of the car opening the door for her.
Kara nodded and then shook her head. “No, I have to be at The Market early again this morning to help them unload the fruit. I guess you’d better just drop me off there.” Nick shut the door leaning on it for a brief moment looking down at her before pushing away and walking to the driver’s side.
* * *
The ride to The Market was filled with patches of sad silence; the music from the radio filling in the awkward lulls in conversation that only a few hours before had been jammed full of witty banter.
Nick could see the white tents being raised into the sky in the distance as the vendors got ready to start another long day. Pulling off to the side of the road he glanced up ahead smiling as he noticed Kara’s Grandparents old blue pickup truck rumbling across the field, boxes of fruit knocking and jostling in the back, her Grandmother’s wide brimmed straw hat peeking out the passenger side window.
Then he looked to Kara. A girl who had let him into her life with no strings attached to who he was or what he was. She accepted him for him and in his life that had been a rarity. It was everything he had always wanted in life and now he had it…..in his memories.
A place where nobody could ever take it away from him not in life and not in death.
“I guess we’re here.” Nick propped himself up in his seat, the car still running.
“Yeah.” Kara looked at him then down to the red sweatshirt she still wore. “Oh, I guess you’ll be needing this.” She said with a small laugh as she went to pull it over her head.
“No,” Nick stopped her. “Please, keep it to remember me by.” He felt stupid saying the words but her smile merely melted all his feelings of inadequacy away.
Kara placed a hand on the door latch, popping the door open before Nick could climb out and make his way around to help her out. Standing she heaved the door shut and turned to face him.
“So what happens now?” She asked.
“I don’t know.” Nick said taking her hands into his. “But from what I’m told it will be something wonderful.”
“Who told you that?” Kara’s bottom lip trembled ever so slightly.
Nick just smiled glancing up at the sky before pulling Kara to him both of them holding tightly to each other like their lives depended on it.
“I really have to go.” Nick pulled her back from him kissing her over and over on the top of her head. Kara stood back smiling reaching for his hand.
“Nick.” she pressed the palm of his hand to her cheek. “I won’t forget to open my heart so that you can come back to me.”
“If you don’t cry, then eventually a part of you will die.”
“Crying will let them go Kara so that your heart will open up and they can come back to you.”
“It’s okay to cry Kara, it just means you miss them.”
Nick’s own words echoed in his brain as he dipped his head with a smile. Dropping his hand from her soft warm face Nick backed up and walked to the car climbing behind the wheel with more feelings then he imagined a human being could ever have pushing and pulling inside of his chest.
Kara turned and started off across the field in the direction of The Market, the sleeves of his sweatshirt swinging below her fingertips, her pace picking up the closer she got to the tents. He didn’t know if he wanted her to look back or not?
When she finally reached her Grandparents tent he could see them pull her into warm embraces of welcoming love making him smile. He saw Allie climb from her car and walk towards Kara the two of them standing toe to toe for a full minute before Kara finally yanked her sister into an awkward hug that was hesitantly returned. Without hearing their words Nick could see the two sisters hatred for one another melting into a mutual understanding.
Pushing the car into drive Nick glanced down for a moment before looking up again wanting just one more glimpse into Kara’s world before he set off on his journey, but something seemed odd.
He blinked twice in confusion as the big white tents billowing in the breeze one by one began to disappear………..
Glancing up to Kara’s Grandparents beautiful farmhouse, perched so magnificently on the hillside in gleaming white and yellow it too seemed to be fading away………..
Beginning to protest the odd happenings around him Nick noticed a group of people walking beside the car laughing and talking as they headed off in the direction of The Market.
“Hey do you guys see what’s going on?” Nick called out to them. They turned to look at him the colors in their faces blurring like melting crayons.
Nick’s eyes frantically searched his surroundings…... the dissolving treetops and houses of the nearby town…..the cars flashing by him that seemed to bleed into white light…… reaching out his shaking hand he slowly traced the outline of Kara, her sister and her Grandparents standing by the blue pickup truck waving to him with smiles on their faces.
One by one they were fading from his vision.…………
“This is like a dream.” He said climbing from the car as Kara walked around to meet him.
“Isn’t life just one big dream anyway?” She said hooking an arm around his waist as they walked towards the porch.
Throwing the car into park Nick opened the door and climbed out, his mouth parted in protest as he spun around slowly in a circle, watching the world he had created crumbling around him like pastel dust.
And then he knew….knew that the last twenty-four hours had been nothing more then a beautiful dream.