June 13, 2001

There was something about her... Something that made me fall in love. I know this is a corny line, but I fell in love with her the moment that I saw her.

It wasn't that kind of love that would mysteriously vanish when she left. No, it always seemed to linger. In some odd way, she was kind of like my light at the end of the tunnel.

Her smile faded from time to time, but she was still my sunshine. The sunshine that died and became a star.

~~

June 13, 2001

The leaves were falling, one by one. I sat on the porch, watching them as I patiently waited for my mom to come home. As I reached out my hand, a leaf fell into my palm. I found myself staring at it closely, admiring it, even though that sounds strange. I tore my eyes from the leaf and glanced towards the driveway. My mom had pulled up to our house, and I abandoned the leaf in the grass, standing up excitedly.

"Mommy! Mommy!" I shouted as I ran to her, jumping down the last two stairs of the front porch. She smiled at me before swinging her car door open and stepping out. "I want to go to the park. Can you take me to the park? Let's go to the park!" the words raced off my tongue as I bounced up and down on my heels. I was so adamant about it, like I needed to be there or I was going to miss something unforgettable. Oddly enough,I knew there was something there waiting for me, which was why I needed to get there as fast as I could.

"Okay, Dominic. Find Daddy, and then we can go." She hadn't stopped grinning adoringly at me since she got out of the car. After her approval, I ran inside to find my dad. I found him upstairs, in my parents' bedroom, where dad was making the bed.

"Mommy said we can go to the park!" I said happily, my voice squeaking on certain words. I resisted the urge to jump on the bed, knowing that if I did, he would either have to start over or he would take away the option of going to the park at all.

"All right, little man, let's go." Dad walked over to me. I was a like mushroom compared to him, so to me, him picking me up was like getting a chance to reach the stars. He scooped me up and carried me downstairs where Mom stood, waiting patiently. "Hey, Honey." Dad went to kiss her and I covered my eyes.

"Ewww." I groaned. Mom giggled as Dad put me down, taking my hand in his. "Are we leaving now?" I asked, elated energy coursing through my veins.

"Yeah. Sweetheart, you have the keys?" Mom nodded, so we left through the door. We waited for Mom to check if it was locked, and then we started towards the town's park. During the walk, Dad would pick me up whenever we had to cross a busy street. It didn't take long for us to get to the park. One other family was there, playing with their daughter, who seemed to favor the slide. They took turns, like their daughter wanted to see them have fun too.

"Can I ask if I can play with her?" I softly asked, looking up at my parents. Mom nodded, and they both let go of my hands. I ran over to the family. They looked at me and smiled warmly. "Hi, I'm Dominic!" Their daughter had slid down the slide and was now standing in front of me. She smiled back, then stepped closer to her Dad's side.

"Hello, Dominic. I'm Miles Archer. This is Emily, and our daughter, Evelyn." Mr. Archer replied. His tone was very welcoming and kind. I couldn't help but stare at the girl named Evelyn with this goofy smile on my face. She was cute. For a girl. "How old are you, Dominic?"

"I'm seven" I held up my hands, three fingers on each side up and gave a toothy smile.

"I'm six, Dominic," Evelyn announced, saying my name completely wrong. I laughed anyway. Even though it was wrong, I couldn't be mad, because it sounded adorable coming from her.

"That's not how you say my name." She frowned and pouted a little. "Call me Dommie, okay? Can we play together?" I held my hand out, waiting to see if she would take it. She set her hand in mine and we ran off to the playset together. The first thing we went to was the sandbox.

"Do you know how to build a sandcastle?" Evelyn asked, digging her fingers in the sand. Her eyes were closed, and it looked to me like she was really enjoying the coolness of the sandbox. She stayed like that for a few seconds before she suddenly popped up, causing sand to fly everywhere, and ran.

~~

Something about running made her feel free. Ever since I met her, her legs carried her to the freedom she wanted. The freedom she craved.

Her path was bright and she was brighter, making everything in our lives more eventful.

~~

Our laughter was the only thing I could hear for the longest time. I felt like I was only with her for a few minutes, but it was more like two hours. Evelyn's parents and mine were chatting the entire time.

"Dominic! Evelyn! Come here!" One of our parents called. We ran over, holding hands. "Aw, isn't that cute!" They had these bright smiles on their faces, and they looked down at us in happy silence before anybody said anything.

"It's getting late. We have to get home so I can make dinner, Dominic." My mom explained, holding her hand out for me to take. I simply stared at it. I felt Evelyn's hand tighten its grip, causing me to shake my head.

"I don't want to go. Can't we play a little longer?" My mom let out a nervous laugh before calmly bending down to my level.

"I'm sure you will see Evelyn and her family again, honey. We have to go." I shook my head again, running back to the playground, pulling Evelyn along with me. I glanced back at her, and I swear that she wore a smile brighter than a thousand suns. There was nothing I wanted more than spend more time with her.

~~

Honestly, I never really wanted that day to end.