I pulled a penny from my pocket. It was shiny and caught the morning sunlight. I held it in my hand, squeezing my fingers around the coin.
"I wish I had Tony again. I wish I could've stopped him from going. I wish I had the chance to be with him again," I whispered.
I tossed the coin into the fountain. It hit the water with a small plop; the coin sank slowly to the bottom and settled on the other coins. Nothing else happened. There was no magic. Nothing. I was still alone.
I wiped a tear from my cheek and turned from the fountain. I headed back home to try and work on my painting and forget the morning.
Chapter 7
June 7th, 1990
Jenny and I made a pasta salad for dinner. Penne pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, avocados, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a handful of arugula came together with fresh basil and olive oil in a bowl to make a little piece of heaven.
"We might even get them to eat something green," Jenny joked as she stirred the mixture together. I wasn't sure if her ploy was going to work, but the salad looked amazing. Jenny was one of the best cooks I had ever met. I was going to miss living with her.
The boys lay sprawled out in Adirondack chairs on the back porch, each drinking a beer. Jenny opened the screen door and put her hand on the back of Matt's chair.
"Hey, honey, dinner's ready," Jenny said in a sickly sweet voice. I couldn't help but laugh at her impression of a housewife. Despite her amazing cooking abilities, I couldn't see Jenny being a housewife. Ever. She had too much energy bottled inside of her, too much excitement for going out and partying to ever be stuck at home. I pitied the man who thought he could make her a homemaker.
"Did I hear that dinner's ready?" Dean asked, coming up the steps. Rachel grinned at us. There were tear marks on her cheeks, but she was all smiles now. I knew her cousin had been in a pretty bad motorcycle accident the year before, and I wondered if that was where her anxiety around the motorcycles originated. Thinking about it, I was surprised she had gotten on one at all. She must have really trusted Dean.
"Yeah, but only because Rachel didn't make it," I teased through the open door, and she stuck her tongue out at me.
"If I had made it, we would be eating pizza." She threw herself into a chair, and Dean went inside to get them drinks. "I have the unique ability to burn water."
I pulled out plates and started spooning the salad onto them. Dean managed to balance two plates with forks and two opened beers and navigate the screen door to bring it out to Rachel. Tony came inside to help me carry the food out. He sat in one of the chairs, and I sat at his feet, enjoying being near him. If I sat on a chair, I wouldn't get to touch him.
"What about me?" Matt asked, as everyone settled on the porch with their food. Jenny hadn't brought his out, and he hadn't gotten up to get it. Jenny raised her eyebrow at him and took a big bite of pasta. He made an over dramatic pout and got up. He rustled around in the kitchen before returning to his seat with a heaping plate of food.
The six of us sat and ate quietly. It was a testament to the food that we wanted to eat more than we wanted to talk. I could tell the boys were fairly worn out from their day. I wondered what they had done all day. I probably didn't want to know, but looking over at Tony, I knew he would tell me if I asked. The thought made me smile. I wasn't going to ask, but I hoped they had the time of their lives riding around on those bikes.
"I think I'm going to hit the hay a little early tonight, guys," Jenny said once we had all finished our meals. The sun was just starting to tip into the ocean, turning the world red and gold. The sun reflected off the waves like a glowing jewel being set in a piece of jewelry. It was mesmerizing.
"What?" Matt frowned at her. "I thought we were..."
Jenny glared at him and raised her eyebrows as if she were trying to speak to him using only her mind. He grinned.
"Early night for me too," he said lamely. Rachel giggled, and Dean rolled his eyes as Jenny and Matt stood up and went inside. We could hear them both stomp up the stairs and start the water in the master bath. There was a bathtub in there that could fit seven.
I leaned back, Tony's legs on either side of me as we both stared out at the setting sun. He put his hands on my shoulders, brushing the hair away from them. His gentle touch sent shivers down my spine. I could have him touch me like that all day. This was how I wanted things to be forever. Only one more day before they have to leave... the little voice in my head whispered. I ignored it. I wanted to enjoy the time I had.
I watched the flight of a small ladybug as she flew across the deck and landed directly on my shirt. I smiled, putting my hand onto the fabric and coaxing the small creature onto my finger.
"Look, a ladybug," I said, holding her up for Tony to see. "She landed on me."
"She's a bug..." Tony replied, raising his eyebrows.
"Ladybugs are good luck." The little insect spread her wings and flew away, my eyes on her until she disappeared into the sunset. "They're especially lucky if they land on you."
"Lucky, huh?" Tony leaned forward and kissed the top of my head. "Then, I guess you must be a ladybug, because I feel pretty lucky with you around."
I turned and rose to my knees, making our eyes almost level. "I'm the lucky one," I whispered.
"Nope," he said, shaking his head and smiling. "You're my ladybug. Besides, if I landed on you I might crush you."
I giggled and leaned forward to kiss him, feeling his hands tangle in my hair. The kiss proved it. I was lucky. I was kissing Tony.
The sun finally surrendered to the ocean's embrace. Dark blues and purples filled the sky, reflecting the depth of the sea back to the clouds. Stars began to emerge and twinkle as they watched millions of lovers from their heavenly perches.
"You want to go for a walk with me?" Tony asked quietly. I turned around to nod, smiling at the idea of walking anywhere with him. Rachel and Dean were off in their own little world on the other side of the porch, and they didn't even look up as we left.
"I want to show you something," Tony said, taking my hand in his. I loved how warm he was. It was like he was my own personal oven. I wanted to go somewhere cold with him just so that I would have an excuse to cuddle closer.
We walked in comfortable silence through the deepening twilight. Even though I wanted to know everything I could about him, I loved that we didn't need to talk. There was no need to fill the silences with games or chatter.. We were comfortable with one another, even in the silences. I knew some married couples who didn't have that ability. It only made me further realize how perfect we were for one another.