Wildest Dreams

"It's cold," she says, a light shiver shaking her small frame.

"Well, of course you're cold. You're out here with just a piece of fabric." I take my jacket off, dark, thick leather and place it over her shoulders, knowing this is what she’ll remember of me. She looks up at me, a look of slight surprise and a small smile on her face.

"It's called a shawl," she laughs as she pulls the jacket closer and almost curls her upper body into it. "Won't you be cold now?" There’s genuine concern in her voice.

"I've got pants on, unlike you. I'll be fine," my voice is flat.

She doesn't respond, just turns away from me to look up at the sky from her spot on the stairs next to me. We're sat on the steps from the balcony to the backyard of her large house. It's late, nearing nine in the evening, and everyone that was once inside is gone. I should be going home.

The sky is starting to darken, the sun going down. The air is quiet.

"I like you," she says suddenly, turning to me. "I hope I see you again."

"I leave tomorrow, I probably won't see you before then," I sigh. I almost wish I could stay, almost, but my flight home is early in the morning.

"But you'll visit when you're back again, right?" She looks away from me, the pink-tinged sky reflecting in her eyes.

"I'll call when I come back," I promise, though I don't intend to keep it. I know I won't be back, not for a long time at least. I turn towards the sky, taking in the colors blending into the early night sky. The setting sun is just covered by the trees a few yards down.

"I'll give you my number before you leave," she says as she pushes against the concrete with her small hands. She stands and looks down at me. "The view is nice out here, but I'm still cold. I'm just going to grab a blanket, I'll be right back."

Before she can walk inside, I stand too. "I had better get going, I've got to get a few hours of sleep in and I'm not finished packing."

"Oh," she says simply, looking disappointed.

"I've had a lovely time, thank you for allowing me to join in. It's not often I'm invited to a party of strangers," I say, almost genuine. I didn't know anyone but enjoyed my time nonetheless, she included me as though I had been a part of her life all along.

"Of course!" she laughs, "The more, the merrier. You were so kind to me. There's something about you, something warm."

She has a warm smile on her face, her cheeks tinted a light rose. She looks almost embarrassed, almost bashful, which is strange. From the moment I'd met her, she was friendly and unafraid. Her small, red-lipped smile feels foreign and familiar at the same time.

I don't respond and she turns away from me, toward the yard, toward the sky. I follow suit and admire the sight for a moment. The purple-pink-orange along the horizon is beautiful. I turn back to her, and take her appearance in once more. Her black hair is curled and falls just on her slim shoulders. Her dress is short and white, dusted with flowers, it fits nicely on her thin frame. She looks even smaller in my jacket, the leather strange on her. She doesn't look like someone that strays from light dresses much.

There's a slight breeze, it pulls at her hair and dress gently and she shivers. Her eyes don't leave the sunset. This is what I’ll remember of her.

"You're not going to get any sleep if you stay much longer," she sighs, shaking her head as she turns back to me. The sun has set and the sky is dark.

"You're right," I say, looking down at my shoes. "I should go."

"I'll see you again," she says, as though a simple fact.

"You will," I agree. We step inside and she shrugs off my jacket. She holds it, hesitant, as we walk to the front door. She hands it back to me.

"Don't forget me."

"I won't." I lie as I open the door. She leans against it as she watches me walk away.

She forgets to give me her phone number. I don't ask for it.