Page 23 of Cloudless

MAILBOX CONVERSATIONS

KAM

Her red car sits alone in the driveway of a two story gray house in a cul-de-sac at the end of the street.

Empty flowerpots frame the fire engine red door.

The mailbox lid is open, and the trash can sits at the top of the driveway.

My car door slamming behind me echoes through the quiet street.

A horrible squeaking sound fills the air as I close the empty mailbox.

I take two steps up the driveway before the squeaking sound fills the air once again. The rusty hinges protest as I slam the lid back into place. I cross my arms as I have a stare-down with a mailbox in the front yard of the girl I’ve got a crush on.

Like an opponent on the ice taunting me, the lid slowly falls back open. I level it with a glare. “You just declared war.”

Great, now I’m talking to mailboxes.

A crease forms between my brows as the envelope in the mailbox catches my attention. The red words Passed Due might as well be a glowing neon sign in the dimly lit hole.

I can hardly feel my feet moving along the pavement as I walk up the driveway.

Before I get the chance to knock, the door flies open to reveal a smiling Jasper clad in bright red swim trunks and a white t-shirt. His tight grip on my hand forces the frown from my face as he yanks me inside. “Hey, Tank. Are you guys ready to head to the beach?”

“Lulu and Posey are still getting ready. They should be done soon. Do you want to see my room?”

I shut the door and twist the lock as my laugh grows. His grip on my hand tightens as he pulls me through the house. “Sure, Tank. I’d love to see your room.”

My eyes are on a constant swivel as he drags me through the living room and down a slender hallway. Family photos lining the hall show a history of the Sullivan family. A young Lila sits between a man and a woman in the first photo. I would assume the image was of Posey if I didn’t know better.

The family grows as I continue down the hall. Two babies lay cuddled together in the middle of a blanket.

Lila smiles as she holds two crying toddlers in her arms, her blue teeth proudly on display. A birthday cake with blue and white icing sits partially eaten in the background.

Lila’s voice travels to us from a room at the end of the hall. “Jasper! I told you not to answer the door unless I told you it was okay.”

Her hair billows around her shoulders as she steps into the hall. The strap of her white dress falls down her shoulder as I trace the outline of a pink bathing suit underneath. Her pink tipped toes sink into the light green rugs as she walks.

Jasper groans as he comes to a stop in front of his sister. “I knew it would be Kam. You told me he was on his way.”

As she crosses her arms, her dress rides up to reveal a few extra inches of her thigh. I force my eyes away from her to examine more of her family photos as she argues with Jasper.

A slightly younger Jasper and Posey stare back at me. They each hold signs in front of them displaying stats for their first day of kindergarten.

My name is Posey Anne Sullivan!

First Day of Kindergarten at Monroe Elementary

I am 42 inches tall.

I am 5 years old.

My favorite color is pink.

My favorite food is chicken nuggets.

I want to be a Princess when I grow up.

My name is Jasper James Sullivan!

First Day of Kindergarten at Monroe Elementary

I am 45 inches tall.

I am 5 years old.

My favorite color is red.

My favorite food is popcorn.

I want to be a Hockey Player when I grow up.

The rising panic in Lila’s voice has me snapping my head in her direction. She’s squatted down in front of Jasper. Her fingers dig tightly into his shoulders. “Promise me you won’t answer the door like that again, Jasper.”

His eyes turn glassy as he nods his head. His voice is barely a whisper. “I promise, Lulu. I’m sorry.”

She pulls him into a tight hug as her voice softens.

“It’s okay, Jellybean.” Her eyes lift to mine as she draws slow circles on his back.

“It’s okay.” She forces the worry from her eyes and a fake smile onto her face as she pulls back from her brother.

“Why don’t you go see if Posey is ready to go? ”

His smile returns as he nods. His bare feet thump against the ground as he runs to the room Lila appeared from earlier.

Lila’s smile falls as he disappears around the corner.

She closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath before she stands.

“Sorry about that. I’m just so afraid it’s going to be a stranger or the social worker that’s at the door.

I don’t think she would be happy about him answering the door unsupervised. ”

My instincts are screaming for me to pull her in for a hug. I stick my hands in the pockets of my swim trunks instead. “It’s okay. I’m glad it was me this time.”

“You and me both.” Her hair sways around her shoulders as she turns away from me. “Just let me grab our bags and we’ll be ready to go. We just need to grab the twins’ booster seats out of my car before we go.”

I scratch the back of my neck. “Oh, about that.”

She stops in the doorway of what I assume is her bedroom as she turns to me. “Yeah?”

“I, uh, went ahead and got them some booster seats and installed them this morning.” Her eyebrows raise as I hurry to continue. “I hope you don’t mind. I looked up their ages and guessed at their weights so I could get the best ones.”

A smile takes over her face. She moves so fast she’s almost a blur as she wraps her arms around my neck for a tight hug. My shoulder muffles her voice. “Thank you, Kam.”

She fits so perfectly in my arms, it nearly takes my breath away. I tighten my arms around her as I take in her mango scent. “You’re welcome.”

She pulls free from my arms and gives me a beaming smile as she turns to go back toward her room. I feel the loss of her in my arms immediately. “I’m just gonna grab my stuff.”

I nod as her warmth from our hug slowly seeps away from me. “Sure. Do you need any help?”

Her voice fades as she rounds the corner to what I assume is her bedroom. “No, thanks. I’ve got it.”

My legs strain with the force it takes for me to not follow her into her room. My curiosity is overwhelming me to the point I don’t see Jasper and Posey come out of the room at the end of the hall until they’re right in front of me.

Posey’s voice pulls my focus from Lila’s door as she throws herself at me for a hug. “Hey, Kam!”

I laugh as I pick her up off the ground and spin her around. “Hey, Rosie Posey. Are you ready to have a good time at the beach?”

Her giggles float through the air like clouds. “Yes! I’m bringing my sandcastle supplies and everything!”

I stabilize her on her feet before I let her go. “I guess we’ll be building an epic sandcastle today, then! Should it be medieval or fantasy inspired?”

She scoffs. “Fantasy, obviously.”

I hold my fist out for a fist bump she gladly gives. “Right on, Rosie Posey.”

A thunk at the end of the hall has all our eyes turning to find Lila struggling to get through the door with a huge tote on her shoulder and a cooler wedged under her arm.

My feet carry me to her before I have time to blink. “Are you going to let me help before you hurt yourself?”

She shakes out her fingers as I take the cooler and the tote bag from her possession. “I can carry it on my own.”

“I know you can, but you don’t have to.” I adjust the pink tote on my shoulder as I grab the cooler by the handle.

A vibration courses through the ground as the cooler falls to the floor.

I look from the handle still in my hand to the cooler on the ground as a chorus of laughs erupts from the siblings behind me.

Lila’s voice is unburdened by her previous worry. “I forgot to mention the broken handle, didn’t I?”

A smile takes over as I look over my shoulder. “Oh, you are so getting dunked in the water for that, Sunshine.”

Her laughter turns into a wicked smile. “You’ll have to catch me first, Trouble.”