Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

WILDER

My head was whirling. It wasn’t that this was bad news. Quite the contrary, but this was crazy. I remembered that the one reason I didn’t want to leave Guam was because of my friend. Couldn’t remember his name or what he looked like, but I could remember that. When I thought about him, I pictured some kid with red hair, much like the kids in the movie Brave , and a blank face. His hair was darker now. Less of a bright red and more of a medium auburn. Some of his freckles had faded, but they were still there. And I only knew that part because I was looking at the picture in my hand and peeking at him to see if I could see the kid in the man sitting next to me. I did and didn’t.

“Sorry,” I said as I finally snapped out of my stupor. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” My laughter sounded forced and fake.

“Neither was I.”

Up to this point, Micah’s father hadn’t said anything. “I thought you looked familiar. How are your parents?”

Shaking my head, I smiled. “They’re good. They live up in Lexington, Kentucky now.”

“Really? Your dad always said he would retire somewhere with a beach so he could have a boat and drink beer with his feet firmly planted in the sand.”

“Yeah. My grandmother got sick, and my parents had to help take care of her. He didn’t get his beach, but he does have a boat. He takes it out on the lake sometimes.” I was a little surprised my parents hadn’t kept up with him or he with them. “Y’all are the adults, and I would have figured you were supposed to be better at communication than a couple of kids.” I laughed.

“Or not,” Mr. Holliman said as he chuckled. “Adults have the best intentions for their children, but we don’t always follow through. We move on to new places, meet new people, and life takes over. But don’t let this one fool you.” He pointed to Micah. “He was pissed off at the world when you moved away. We moved a few months after you. Long distance from Guam to the mainland was a bitch back then. It’s not like now when you can call anyone in the world by jumping on an app or send a quick text to check in. It would be easier now.” No lie detected on that one.

It was weird. I distinctly remember missing Micah and being upset that we had to say goodbye, but after all this time, my memory was fuzzy at best. I remembered his hair but not his name or his face. Hell, I couldn’t think of why he reminded me of someone until I saw the picture of us together on Guam. Then the memories came flooding back. When we were children, there had been no one else I’d rather spend time with. No one else I really wanted to bother with. And sometimes, that included my own parents.

Time made everything fade.

But now that he was here with me, something inside me said not to let him go so easily this time.