"Deep rooted connections
When I look into your eyes
I can see there's something blooming
Bubbling up inside..."

✧✧✧

"What are we doing here?"

Evelyn looked around the park Tristan had taken her to. It was autumn, so the breeze was slightly bitter, but it wasn't overly cold. It was also only 5 PM, but it was already dark outside, somehow.

Tristan let out a small sigh. "Well, you said there's a lot you don't know about me, and you're right, so I figured, instead of just telling you, I could... show you, as well."

"By taking me to a park?" Evelyn asked. Her tone wasn't rude or judgmental, it was just curious and slightly confused.

"This is the park my mom used to take me to as a kid. The funny thing was, she'd always take me after it was dark," Tristan said, recalling the memory fondly.

"Really?"

Tristan nodded. "She'd always make sure I stayed in her sight and kept a jacket on, of course, but it was her favorite thing to take me at night, because we'd look up at the stars while swinging."

Evelyn glanced at Tristan and sent him a small smile, before she began to walk the distance to the swings, her hair lifting with the breeze.

It wasn't very long before Tristan caught up with her, grabbing Evelyn's hand, gently, and looking up at her, as if to make sure it was okay, then interlacing their fingers when she gave a small nod of her head. He pulled her forward with him.

Tristan dropped Evelyn's hand, gesturing to the swings, both of them taking a seat on their respective swings.

"We used to count the stars, when she'd take me. It was absolutely impossible, you always got distracted or miscounted or lost track, but we always did it," he said, his lip quirking upward slightly, as he tilted his head up towards the sky, looking at the stars.

"She died when I was ten."

Evelyn's heart stopped at those words. Evelyn barely remembered ever seeing Tristan's mom, except for twice, both very briefly, and she'd never actually met her, nor had she truly known she passed away. She couldn't imagine the pain of something like that at such a young age. Evelyn wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't sure what to say, or if saying something was even the best choice, so she remained silent, waiting for Tristan to continue, which he did.

"It was hard, it is hard. I still miss her, but..." he sighed. "It's cheesy, but sometimes I still come here at night and look up at the stars, and, I'd like to think that, in the way I'm looking up at them, maybe, just maybe, she's looking down on me."

"Not maybe, Tristan. I'm sure she is," Evelyn said with a soft smile.

Tristan moved his gaze from the sky to Evelyn.

"You know, you kind of remind me of her in the sense that you're kind, but you don't take shit from people. Especially not me. I wish..." he paused. "I wish you could've met her."

"In a way, I have," Evelyn said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I've met you. And in every part of you, there's a part of her. She's the blood in your veins. As long as you're alive, so is she," Evelyn said simply.

"Thank you," he said, his voice sounding slightly rough as he looked into Evelyn's eyes.

"For what you said. You're the only person who's ever focused on the ways she's still here instead of the ways she's gone. Thank you."

Evelyn didn't reply, only shot him a small, shy smile, before looking up at the sky. She immediately found the brightest one, and from there, began counting.

Eighteen. That's how many stars she counted before a plane crossed the night sky, distracting her. Evelyn's eyes followed the aircraft as it glided, cutting through the few clouds that dotted the sky, like a knife through butter.

Once the plane was out of her line of sight, she resumed staring at the sky. There was a full moon out, but the beauty of that paled in comparison to that of the stars, in Evelyn's opinion.

The stars peppered upon the sable sky above her twinkled. They twinkled like the eyes of a young man in love. And they winked. They winked like a coquettish young woman expressing her interest. But, above all, they had this shine. This shine that could only be likened to the shine found within the eyes and smile of a person expressing their happiness. They were shining, not so brightly as the sun, but uniquely enough to be just as impressive.

Evelyn looked over at Tristan, who had his head tilted towards the sky, as well. A silly smile overtook her face.

"Push me," Evelyn said.

"What?" he asked, looking over at her.

"Push me," she repeated.

"You can swing yourself," he pointed out, furrowing his eyebrows.

Evelyn pouted. "Please?"

Tristan didn't reply with words, he simply stood from his swing and walked behind her, grabbing the chains of the swing on either side of Evelyn as he came close.

"How high?" he asked in a low tone, his lips brushing against her ear softly.

Evelyn turned her head slightly, so she could look into his dark eyes.

She smiled. "As high as possible."

He grinned and complied, pulling her as far back as the swing would let him and then running forward and releasing the swing. Evelyn pumped her legs, so she didn't begin to slow down.

Evelyn's carefree laughter reached her own ears. "I haven't done this since I was a kid!"

Tristan was just standing, looking at her with his arms crossed over his broad chest, grinning.

"Well, don't just stand there. Get on the damn swing!" Evelyn said, referring to the swing next to her.

Evelyn couldn't see him well enough to see whether or not he rolled his eyes, but she felt like he did. Regardless, he complied, sitting on the swing and quickly catching up to her pace.

"Let's have a swinging competition and see who can swing the highest!" Evelyn said.

"That's not fair, I pushed you!" he exclaimed.

"You're just afraid I'll beat you," she said playfully, sticking her tongue out.

He scoffed. "You wish."

They proceeded to have a swinging competition, but she wasn't really sure who won, since she was just enjoying the feeling that accompanied the night.

Evelyn was having fun. Pure, unadulterated fun, and she felt like a little kid again. Happy and carefree.

Just as they began to slow down, out of what seemed like absolutely nowhere, especially considering the clear sky, it began to pour. Evelyn let out a quiet squeal when the first raindrops hit her, but it was followed by a laugh.

"Come on, let's go back to the car, we're going to get soaked!" Tristan said, holding his hand out for her. She didn't take it, though. Instead, she stood, holding her arms out as she let herself become soaked. She loved the rain.

"You won't listen? Fine," Tristan muttered before she felt him scoop her up, carrying her bridal style, with ease, as she let out a small scream of shock, quickly latching her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" Evelyn felt her cheeks ache from smiling too much.

Tristan looked down at her, his brown eyes twinkling as they danced over her features.

He shrugged. "You didn't listen to me."

"I love the rain," she said by way of explanation.

"I love not getting hypothermia," he replied, causing a laugh to escape her.

As he carried her, a small smile made its way to her lips, feeling her clothes and hair become even more soaked in the silvery liquid falling from the clouds in torrents.

Physically, Evelyn became heavier with the extra weight of the rain drenching her clothes, but with Tristan's arms around her, the rain falling around them like a blanket, and the way he'd been so open with her fresh in her mind...

She'd never felt lighter.