My Forever by Jolene Perry

you think you’ll get baptized?”
     
    “I…um… I don’t know. I started to learn because something about the adoption process felt good , and I’ve just been trying to do things that keep that good feeling around.” I hope he understands because I don’t know how to explain it any better than that.
     
    “That’s great, Dani. Keep following that. I t will always lead you down the right path. But, you should also remember that there’s always more than one way to get what you want. You may head down an unexpected path and still make it to the end you set out for in the beginning.”
     
    “Okay.” I have no idea what he’s talking about.
     
    “Michael likes you a lot.”
     
    “He’s bee n a great friend,” I answer . I’m worried people will think there’s more going on , and I would guess that Michael would rather not have people think that.
     
    “Good.” He rests his hands together in his lap . “You’re in need of good friends right now. If you ever need somewhere to stay, my wife and I a re rattling around in our house. A ll the kids are gone , and you’d have a choice of rooms.”
     
    “Thank you.”
     
    And that’s it. No pressure, no hard questions. He really did just want to know me a little. I feel surprised and then relieved. Tracy sees me walking down the hallway and grabs me so I can spend the rest of church with our high school friends instead of with the adults. I realize it was Collette’s idea. She might be okay with me living there , but she still has her reservations about how much I’m socializing with other kids my age.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    When we get home from church, the house stays quiet . Such a change from home. I’m sitting in my bed, using an old laptop of Michaels. Tracy has another one of his old ones. It’s bizarre. What high school student has more laptops than they know what to do with? I’m looking through the pictures I’ve taken when I hear a knock on my door.
     
    “Come in.”
     
    “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t be in here. Mom and Tracy went out to run an errand , and I just wanted to say hi.” I love Michael’s voice. It moves through me and fills me and makes the world disappear.
     
    “Hi.” I wave. “Thanks again for the use of the computer.”
     
    He just shrugs it off and sits next to me. Close enough that our knees touch, sending my heart into a weird flutter.
     
    “ What’cha working on?” he asks.
     
    “Photos.”
     
    “Can I see?”
     
    “Of course.” I turn the computer so he can.
     
    “Wow.” He flips through a few. “I know this is our school but the shapes and colors…” He scrolls through a few of people. Shots I took on the morning after I got kicked out of my house.
     
    I know in a couple of shots will be the one of Michael, my favorite picture of him, looking relaxed and happy to see me. “You did a great job capturing all the people.” He stops at his picture. “I didn’t know you took that.” He looks at his picture carefully.
     
    I’ve spent some time looking at that one too. An embarrassing amount. He gaze shifts to mine.
     
    I shrug. “It’s what I do. You know for the yearbook and the paper.” If he knows how much I like him, it will feel like rejection when we continue to be friends because that’s what we’ll continue to be. Friends. I’m sure of it. No matter how he occasionally looks at me, he doesn’t feel it. Not like I do.
     
    “Right.” H is eyes rest on mine for a moment longer, and then back to my photos. He flips through a few more. “I’d love to see the world the way you do.”
     
    Michael’s small comment fills me with pride that I don’t think I’ve ever fully felt over my photos . I smile at him next to me and bump his shoulder with mine .
     
    His smile spreads as we touch, and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kiss someone as badly as I want to kiss him right now. I swear he leans in, just slightly. Just enough that I forget to breathe.
     
    “We’re home.