Edison took them to the food store, but kept their final goal a secret, only telling Kit the first step was to buy anything that could go in a sandwich. Kit thrived on mysteries and excitement and together, they ran around the store in a flurry, grabbing anything and everything.

Nothing was left unquestioned. Salami? Yes! Chips? Why not! Goldfish crackers? Kit-Kat bars? It could be good, and it all went into their basket. 

They rolled the truck windows down as they left downtown behind and headed out of Lighthouse Point. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was turning pink.

Kit rested her arms on the car door and her chin on her arms. With the wind in her hair and Edison at the wheel, she would be content to drive as far as the road would let them. 

But their drive came to an end, and it ended at the base of a water tower. Kit's excitement returned as she got out and looked up at the tall structure. It had spindly legs that rose eighty feet into the air with a doughnut shaped water tank on top. It was all white with a hint of pink from the setting sky. Edison grabbed her around the waist and led her towards it, a backpack with their groceries slung over his shoulder.

"It's a good thing you aren't scared of heights," he said, playfully.

She kept her gaze skyward, letting him lead her and she saw their intended destination. Running along the perimeter of water tank was a railing and she assumed a big enough ledge for them to sit.

Her eyes trailed down the legs and found a ladder running along one of them. She got a jolt of nerves as she took in the height and took an involuntary skip as she walked.

"Are you up for this?" he asked, when they reached the base of the ladder. She smirked at his pun and stepped onto the bottom rung. 

The height of the water tower from the ground view had been misleading, and Kit grew short of breath halfway up. What had started as eager steps, turned slow as she continued the vertical climb.

Halfway up, she looked down. Her stomach felt like it might drop the forty feet to the ground and every nerve in her body felt electrified. She took a deep, steadying breath and continued, finding comfort in the sound of Edison's heavy breathing behind her. 

When they reached the top, she pulled herself up onto the platform and sat a few minutes, catching her breath. Edison waited for her to make the first move. When she finally stood, she did so slowly. She flattened her back against the water tower, seeking security in the solid wall and looked out. 

The view was spectacular. The timing was perfect, and they caught the sunset at its brightest. The sun was just meeting the horizon and the sky was electric shades of orange and pink. The bright colors bled onto the tips of the trees and roofs of Lighthouse Point, turning the whole world bright colors. 

Kit was mesmerized by the sight, all her thoughts fading away as she took in the painted view before her. She'd seen sunsets over breathtaking views before, but there was something about the wonder of the sky mixing with the simplicity of the small town roofs she found enchanting. 

Edison took a few steps up to the railing running along the edge of the ledge and broke her out of her daydream. He reached his hand back to her and their current height came rushing back as her eyes focused on the few feet in front of her.

She took his hand and her stomach dropped as she took the first, tentative step towards him. Her nerves betrayed her in the tightness of her grip on his hand as he led her closer to the edge. 

"Are you nervous?" he asked, teasingly. 

"Of course," she responded. When she reached him, she wrapped both hands around his arm and leaned into him for security. "But it's what people do in the face of fear that define them." 

His face lit up surprise. "Wow! Listen to you, casually dropping wisdom."

She just shook her head. 

They remained at the railing, silently watching the sunset for a minute more until Edison moved.

"Are you ready to complete our last task?" he asked. 

She looked up at him. "I thought this was our last task."

He shook his head. "This was only half."

He pulled her away from the edge and led her around the side of the tank a few steps. He stopped in front of a wooden post that ran vertical along the tank. He pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket.

"This is our last task," he said. 

Kit looked closer at the post and noticed words had been carved into the wood. She ran her finger lightly over them, feeling the grooves and reading the names. Some of the names looked recent, the wood still light where the layers had been chipped away. Other names blended into the wood, almost hidden except to touch. 

She looked at Edison and smiled.

"Do you want to go first? Or should I?" he asked, holding out the knife.

She took it and began to chip a vertical line into the wood. The post was weathered and soft, making their job easy. In a few minutes, she had managed to carve out the three letters of her name. She stepped back and Edison began to carve his name next to hers. 

She watched in quiet marvel, wondering if he understood the gift he had given her. Here was something that had been here for years. It would continue to exist for years and now, a small piece of her would last with it.

She read more of the names, wondering where those people were. How old were they now? Were they the people they thought they would be when they had carved their names? Had they accomplished all they had wanted? Or were they already gone? 

Edison finished and stepped back to examine their work.

"Should I add a '4ever' after our names?" he joked, slinging an arm around her shoulders. 

"Only if you want to die by falling off a water tower," she threatened. 

"Maybe just a heart around them?" he suggested.

She laughed and gently pushed him away. He let her push him, but caught her hand and led her back around the tank. The sun was gone, leaving the sky a light indigo. 

They sat, their backs resting against the water tank and Edison pulled his backpack close. They unpacked all the ingredients and began to build their sandwiches. They had to smash everything tightly between the bread in order to make it small enough to take a bite. 

Edison managed to finish off his whole sandwich, Kit Kat bars and all, while Kit only ate half of hers. But she continued to pick at it while they began to talk. She wanted to know more about Edison, and he was in the mood to share. 

"I can still remember making my first tackle," he said. "I took the kid down so fast, he didn't have time to fight back." A humorous smile slipped onto his face. "It was probably because we were playing flag football, but I had only ever seen tackle football. I got a flag and a very strong warning from my coach, but I remember standing up and knowing that was something I wanted to do again.

"Then I ran my first touchdown and I knew that was what I really wanted to do. I didn't want to be the one tackling people to the ground. I wanted to be the one scoring and having the crowd cheer."

"You? Wanting attention and praise?" Kit asked, sarcastically. 

He playfully pushed her sideways. The sky was now an inky black, but there was a light on top of the water tower providing enough light for them to see each other.

"I know it's surprising," he said. "Then I met Drew and learned he could throw the ball further than any other kid. He learned I could catch the ball better than anyone else and we became inseparable. Everywhere we went, we had a football. We would practice before school, in the school hallways, during practice and after practice."

Kit watched him talk, recognizing the peaceful look he seemed to only get when he talked about football. 

"It use to piss off our teachers and our parents. But there wasn't anything else we wanted to do," he said. "By the time we reached high school, we were better than most of the senior team. The senior quarterback was good so Drew didn't make the varsity team, but I did. I can still remember how mad the team was about playing with a freshman." He laughed. "Then we played our first game and I made two touchdowns, and it only made them more furious." 

Kit laughed. "The teenage male ego doesn't breed commonsense," she said. 

He shook his head. "I had to live through hell that fall, but I didn't care. I was doing what I loved. When I helped the team make it to the regional championship, they stopped messing with me." She smiled at the pride in his voice. "The quarterback graduated that year and Drew moved up to varsity, and the dream team was back in action." 

"Until you tore your ACL," she said. 

His face dropped slightly and he nodded. "Until I tore my ACL," he repeated. 

Silence landed around them. It seemed Edison had hit his limit of sharing and Kit silently tried to work something out, until she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"How did you give it all up?" She asked the question quietly, knowing it was his least favorite topic. 

He let out a frustrated sight. "It's not like I just woke up one day and decided I was done with football," he said harshly. "It was taken from me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Fight for it!"

"Fight for it?" The words came out loud in frustration. It startled Kit and she shrank away. "What do you think I was doing my first two years of high school?!" he asked. "Why do you think I spent hours in the hot sun, every day, running up and down the field?! Why do you think I spent every waking hour pushing myself to be better?!"

He looked at her, until the angry look on his face cracked for a moment, letting his desperation peek through. He shook his head and dropped his gaze.

"You don't get it," he said quietly. His shoulders were hunched and he rested his arms on his knees, as if to create a barrier between them. 

Kit reached out and gripped his arm.

"Then help me understand," she said softly. Apologetically. She knew she had pushed him. 

He took a deep breath and peeked over his arm at her. She gave a small, reassuring smile. She could see him debating whether to keep talking or pack up and call it a night.

"I'm sorry," she breathed out.

She could feel his arm relax at the quiet words and he dropped his arms. He was ponderously quiet for a few minutes. He took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

"In eighth grade, for the first time, my football coach explained scouts and how high school football could lead to college and then the NFL," he started. "It was the first time I realized football could be more then just a game that I really liked. It could be my job when I grew up. For the first time, I could see a way out."

He looked over at her and she held his gaze. He gave a sardonic smile.

"I know you find Lighthouse Point novel and enchanting, but not everyone sees it that way. For me, it's a noose around my neck."

He tried to judge the effect his words had on her. She kept her expression neutral and waited for him to explain. 

"Do you know the percentage of people who move away from Lighthouse Point?" he asked. She shook her head. "Zero." He let the number sink in. "Even if people go away for college, they always end up back here, married with four kids, a dog and a white-picket fence. That's my parent's story, my grandparents story, and my great-grandparent's story. I'm fourth generation Lighthouse Point Resident. And I'm not the extreme. I'm the norm."

He paused. Kit could see the argument running through his head, like the thoughts had run ruts into his brain. She wondered if he had ever voiced them to anyone else.

"Everyone seems happy to stay right where they are and live out the lives their parents have. But not me. I saw what my parents had back then and I didn't want it." He gave a short, sardonic laugh. "I didn't even know what I wanted. I just knew I wanted to get out. 

"So, when my coach told me I could earn a scholarship to colleges all over the country if I played well enough, I knew I had to be the best." He looked over at her. She looked right back, hoping he found comfort and reassurance in her gaze. "I was determined. This must sound strange since you didn't know me when I played football."

She gave a small shrug. "I've seen enough to know you were good."

He nodded. "It use to annoy my friends. I would ditch parties and events to practice. I would come home from a three hour practice and work out, or get Drew to come over to practice. Girls have always liked me." He said it matter-of-factly, to explain, not to brag. "But I never had time for them, so nothing ever happened." 

He paused and a small frown formed between his eyes. "Then I started my junior year and it felt like everything was falling into place. I had never played better. Scouts were coming to games. They wanted to talk. Colleges I had never heard of knew my name and suddenly, my future had a lot more options. And then..."

Kit didn't need him to continue to know what happened. It had been during the sixth game of the season. Edison had already scored a touchdown in the first half. He was heading for his second when he got tackled from the side. He had been carried off the field and hadn't returned. 

She had heard the story several times since coming to Lighthouse Point. It seemed Edison's injury had found a spot among the classic town stories people liked to tell. But now, knowing what she knew, it was like hearing it for the first time. People always told it like gossip. No one ever seemed concerned about what it must have been like for Edison. 

A single tackle and two years of work, two years of ditching friends and parties to become the best, disappeared. The doctors had delivered the bad news at the hospital later that night. They told him he was done for the season. He was looking at surgery and six months of physical therapy. And they couldn't promise anything about his ability to play football once he was through it all. 

Kit's chest tightened, her heart aching with sympathy for him.

"You didn't fight because you already had," she said quietly. 

He nodded slowly. "The doctors told me, best case scenario, I would be able to get back to normal exercise and practice by April. I knew I wouldn't have enough time to be ready for my senior year. I knew I wouldn't be at the level I had been at..."

He stopped mid-thought and Kit waited quietly, watching him as he stared out at nothing. When he didn't continue, she let it be.

She moved closer, wrapped her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder. It took him a minute to respond, but then he rested his head against hers. 

There was one more question on her mind. She opened her mouth to ask it but shut it again. It was peaceful resting again Edison, and she didn't want to disturb that. Her curious nature burned for an answer, but she accepted the discomfort for his sake and let the silence remain. 

They didn't say anything more. Not while they watched the stars come out. Not when they packed up their things, and not on the ride home. But the silence wasn't haunting or uncomfortable. Kit found it serene. When they arrived at her house, she finally broke the silence.

"Thanks for today," she said, as he walked to her front door. He seemed somber, but he still smiled at her. 

"I wasn't sure the hunt was going to work," he admitted. "I'm glad you liked it."

They stopped at the door and came face to face. Kit's thought jumped ahead a few steps, into the quiet house. Even though she wasn't anything like she had been that morning, the idea of ending the night alone didn't sound appealing, especially since Edison was right in front of her.

She didn't give herself a chance to second guess her offer before she said, "Wanna watch a movie?" 

She kept her tone casual and added a small shrug, trying to convey the offer meant what she said and only that. But it turned out she didn't have to worry about Edison reading too much into the offer, because he shook his head and took a small step back. She would have been offended if it wasn't for the quiet smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks, but I'm going to head home," he said. 

She frowned at him and his smile grew.

"Edison Reigns is turning down an offer to watch a movie with a girl?" she said. 

He smiled and shrugged. "There's a first time for everything."

She continued to give him a ponderous look and he chuckled lightly. 

"I guess so," she finally said. 

"Goodnight, Kittery Maine," he said.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. 

"Goodnight, Edison Reigns," she said, as he took a few, slow steps backwards towards his truck.

She couldn't keep the curious look from her face as she watched him go. She didn't know how to describe the way he was acting.

He had been upset talking about his injury, but it didn't seem like he was still upset. But he wasn't flirting or teasing or joking. And it wasn't like the few times he had been quieter. He was acting different, but she couldn't put a name to it.

When he reached his truck, he gave a final wave and climbed in. She stayed outside, watching, until his taillights disappeared down the street.

**********************************************************************

Marvelous maple candy!

More back story! What do you think?

I have to say I've never climbed to the top of a water tower before but now I have a very strong desire to do so. Also to eat a sandwich that has a Kit Kat in it!

If Kit is nicknamed Kit Kat and she eats a kit kat does that mean she was involved in cannibalism??? Things to ponder people, things to ponder.

TheLionsRage asked me this question: Has there ever been a time when you've been annoyed with us readers? (Instead of the other way around. )

First off, I find it delightfully hilarious to have you annoyed with me! 😁

Second, never! You're honestly too wonderful! And I truly mean this, I have never found myself annoyed with you! 😘❤️

There is one thing that is not annoying but...I don't even have the right word for it. It's when readers make dirty jokes in the comments. I'm not annoyed with them, I just find it unnecessary, also I don't usually get the joke so it's hard to find the right sort of reply. 🤷‍♀️

But really you have been the most amazing, loving, entertaining, encouraging readers ever and I don't deserve you! So, no! I could never ever never ever ever ever never ever ever find you annoying!

Go to comfort clothing item?

I have a forest green hoodie that is still amazing soft!

Lapè, Lanmou, Krèm (Haitian Creole)

Too cute! ❤️