With
sand between my toes and elbows, the overcast sky looks down upon us. One
bright star breaks through the clouds, though, and I can't help but look for it as we lay there.
"Now you look contemplative," I say, glancing for a moment in his direction as he stares out into the darkness.
He kind of smiles then, that
almost shy, almost hesitant smile that I still wonder what it means.
"I'm just thinking," he replies. "About everything."
I laugh a little at that. "
Everything all at once, huh? That's a lot to think about."
His smile broadens and his face turns to me and I can't quite tell if its
his own brightness lighting up his features or the star overhead.
"Just another one of those easy words. Like 'interesting' or 'cool'."
"Yeah," I reply, peering off into the distance where the waves can be heard but not seen.
"
What are some hard words?" he asks me, his tone slightly changing and he shifts his position.
I'm silent for a moment, trying to pull the words out but knowing I'm unable to.
"I know some hard words," he says, and I silently thank him for the interruption, returning his gaze out into the darkness.
"Like what?"
He's contemplative again, his eyes squinting ever so slightly until he looks at me again, holding an all too brief gaze.
"Believe.
Love. Truth. Those words are hard." His voice is somehow softer now and I realize I've been holding my breath.
"Yeah, you're right," I finally say. Breaking the moment with words that are far too easy.
And as I look up into
the overcast sky that one lone star can no longer be seen, lost in the night clouds.