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Zak’s POV

It was sunny in Michigan. Actually, it was damn hot. I’d never been so thankful that my cousin had a pool before.

Lily, Avaya and I had arrived at the airport around 7 pm and we went straight to our room at the bed & breakfast and passed out. Mom said she didn’t mind; she understood from all the times she’s come to visit me that it was an exhausting trip. So bright and early the next morning we got up and got ready and in our rented car I drove Avaya and Lily to my mom’s house. I hadn’t been home in awhile and it felt so incredibly good to be back.

The best part was seeing my mom’s face light up when she saw us. Immediately she pulled me into her arms and hugged me. Hey, a guy was allowed to miss his mommy from time to time. She loved Avaya and Lily right off the bat, too. She hugged them and ushered them inside, wasting no time getting Avaya set up with a dollhouse she’d bought for her. Lily kept saying she really didn’t have to do that, and all my mom said was that she thought Av would enjoy it. She’d always give me a wink when she answered though. She got it because she knew it’d be used more than once. I’d kind of slipped her the word that I could see myself spending the rest of my life with Lily. Maybe that was my first mistake, but Avaya loved the dollhouse so I’m calling it a great idea.

Lily helped my mom cook dinner for everyone and I caught up with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, who’d come down for the occasion. I didn’t really worry about how Lily was doing alone with my mom because I could hear her laughing every now and again. Honestly the only thing I worried about was the high possibility that my mom was sharing embarrassing stories of my childhood.

“You picked a good one, Zachary,” Adrienne, my sister had whispered to me while Lily was in the kitchen with mom. “I like her. Finally you’re out of the snobby blonde phase.”

“Thanks,” I rolled my eyes but I was honestly happy that my sister approved of her. I thought Adrienne might like Lily. Everyone liked Lily.

Anyway, dinner was amazing and the talking never ended. Lily had endless questions thrown at her and I couldn’t help but watch her with pride as she took them all with the utmost kindness and respect. Avaya was extremely well-behaved, too. My sister thought she was the cutest thing. She could’ve played with my niece and nephew until the wee hours of the morning, no doubt.

“Zak, come and help me with the dishes, will you?” Mom asked after everyone was finished eating. “Your date is doing all the work.”

I sighed but got up, leaving Lily in the hands of my sister. As soon as I entered the kitchen and snagged the tea towel off the oven handle, mom was talking.

“She’s beautiful, Zak,” she said. “Very polite, kind, and funny. I like her.”

“Thanks, mom,” I muttered. “I thought you might.”

“You look really happy with her,” She began scrubbing at the dishes in the soapy water. “I haven’t seen you smile this much in years.”

“Yeah, well…she’s just that kind of girl.”

“A special one,” she agreed. “And Avaya…oh, that girl is precious! For a five year old she’s incredibly polite and well-mannered.”

“She had a great teacher when it came to that stuff. Honestly when I first found out that Lily had a daughter, well, you’d think I’d be more terrified than I was. But, mom, I didn’t care. It didn’t scare me at all. It actually kind of excited me. When I’m with them it makes me feel at home. You’re right, they make me happy.”

“Oh, honey, I’m happy you’re happy,” she said. Her voice quivered a little and I chuckled.

“Don’t you start crying now,” I warned. “That’s embarrassing for everyone.”

She laughed and took a breath. “Have you showed Lily around yet?”

“No, I haven’t got the chance really,” I sighed. I had been wanting to show her where I grew up and take her to a few of my favourite places, but since we got in so late the night before and we were so busy with family stuff there’d been no time.

“Hm, well how about I make a proposal here,” mom said thoughtfully. “How about you take her out tonight, show her around, show her the stars, and I can watch Avaya for you until you get back. It’ll be fun and I really wouldn’t mind. I love that kid already.”

I bit my lip. “You’d really do that?”

“Of course, sweetie! I think this girl is the one you belong with. You should spend time with her as much as you can.” My mom, always the romantic.

“Thanks, mom,” I said, taking a moment to think. A plan formulated in my head fairly quickly. “Y’know, I think I have an idea about where to take Lily. But I’m going to need all the pillows and blankets in the linen closet and I’ll have to borrow the truck.”

Mom paused in her scrubbing and gave me a puzzled look. “Dare I ask why?”

“Just…because,” I smirked. “After we’re finished the dishes can you distract Lily for me? Maybe take her out back and show her your garden. I just have to get things set up; it won’t take long. We can be back by 9 at the latest to pick Av up.”

Mom chuckled. “I think I know where you’re going with this. Take whatever you need. There’s no rush, sweetie. She can sleep in the spare bedroom if she wants to.”

“Aw, no, Lily would probably feel bad,” I said. “Thanks, mom. I’ve missed you a lot.”

“I’ve missed you too, Zak. I’m glad you’re doing okay.”

“Yeah, me too.”



“Where are you taking me?”

I smirked and looked over at her in the passenger seat of my mom’s truck. She had her legs crossed on the seat and was tapping her fingers on her knee. She looked so casual and so suspicious at the same time it made me chuckle.

“If I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” I said, looking back at the road.

“I don’t like surprises,” she said. “Why are we leaving town?”

“Oh, Lily, stop,” I said. “I’m not taking you out here to kill you, y’know.”

“The thought crossed my mind,” she muttered. “You make me wonder, Zak Bagans.”

“Good. I like to keep you on your toes.” I took a curved road, leaving the pavement behind and trading it for a gravel road. The rocks roared and clunked beneath the tires.

“It’s pitch black out…what could we possibly be doing in the darkness?”

I reached over and put a hand on her knee. “Relax, sweetie. Please.”

She took a deep breath and was silent the rest of the drive. She’d been really iffy about leaving Avaya with my mom for the night. “I feel bad…I don’t want to make her a designated babysitter,” she’d said. It had made me laugh. As if my mom would give a shit anyway.

Thankfully Lily hadn’t noticed the huge black garbage bag in the backseat, either. It was full of pillows and blankets that I’d stolen from the linen closet. So far everything was going to plan. I finally found the cliff and I parked at the edge, where the metal barrier was. I took a moment, looking out over my hometown all lit up at night, and I smiled. I’d missed it more than I thought.

“Wow,” Lily whispered, leaning forwards in her seat to look out at the city.

“Yeah, you just keep looking straight, okay? Promise me you won’t look in the rear view or anything, please.” I made her look at me. I needed her word.

She nodded, completely confused. “Yeah, sure, okay.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise, okay?”

She looked sincere enough, so I got out of the driver’s seat and grabbed the garbage bag. She was still looking straight ahead, so I continued on with my plan. I went behind the truck and pulled down the end gate, and then I dove into the bag of pillows and blankets, throwing them all into the bed of the truck. I made it as comfortable as possible and it took me about five minutes. I was worried Lily had peeked. I ran around to the passenger side and opened her door. She was looking down in her lap but her head snapped up to look at me.

“Close your eyes,” I said.

“Oh, the intrigue!” she exclaimed. Her eyes fluttered shut.

I took her hand and lifted her out of the truck, leading her around to the back of the truck.

“Are they still closed?”

“Yes, Zak.”

“Okay. Open ‘em, then.”

I watched her face when she opened her eyes. It was one of my favourite expressions I’d ever seen her wear. Her eyes got all wide and her mouth fell open and then her hands covered it. She looked so happy with a few blankets and pillows in the bed of a truck. That’s what got me. She was happy about it because I did it for her, otherwise it was just a few blankets and pillows in a truck; nothing special. But it was special to her.

“Oh, Zak…” she murmured. “I never pegged you as such a romantic.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Miss Lady,” I said. I held my hand out to help her up. “May I?”

I lifted her into the bed of the truck and followed suit, shutting the end gate behind me. Then I got under the top blanket with her and put my arm around her so she could nuzzle close. I pointed up to the night sky, bedazzled with a thousand twinkling stars and a bright full moon.

“This is why I brought you up here,” I said. “You can’t see this in Vegas. I used to come up here all the time by myself, to clear my head. I thought you might like it, too.”

“I love it,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful. I can see the Milky Way.”

“Mhm. Five bucks to the first person who can spot the big dipper and the little dipper.” I said.

“Oh, you’re on! I was born for thi—”

“Found ‘em!” I pointed them out and chuckled.

“Damn it,” she sighed. “I guess I owe you five bucks now, huh?”

“Yeah, I’ll take it in kisses if you don’t mind.”

She smiled and pressed her lips to mine five times and then kissed my cheek right after.

“An extra cent for luck,” she clarified.

God, she was perfect. No woman ever did to me what she does. I can’t even explain it. I don’t think I even need to.

“It’s weird to look at the stars sometimes,” she whispered.

“Why’s that, baby?”

“Because it reminds you how small you are. I mean we’re just one tiny speck on a bigger speck in a whole universe of specks. There’s so much that’s bigger than us out there. It makes you wonder.”

“Mm. Crazy then, how just one tiny speck on a bigger speck in a whole universe of specks can mean so much to another speck.”

She smiled at me and a soft blush coloured her cheeks. Her hand reached out to lightly trace a bruise I still had under my collarbone. I could see the distraction come over her, like a storm cloud rolling in. The memory of Matt’s attack poisoned her. I quickly took her hand and pressed my lips to it.

“Hey,” I whispered. “He’s gone forever. It’s just you and me and the stars right now.”

“I know,” She nodded. “I love you, Zak.”

“I love you too, Miss Lady.”

Kissing under the stars sounds cheesy. So does making love under the stars. But we did it anyway. Call us cheesy, go right ahead. I’d be anything as long as she was with me.