Edison arrived the next day, armed with a game plan, which included a chariot for Kit, in the form of a wheelchair. He offered her both his hands, his smile brimming with adventure.

"The day is young and time is wasting," he declared. "Kittery Maine, are you ready?"

A shock of excited energy sparked through her veins and she instantly forgot the hospital bed she was occupying. She was starting to feel good enough that she was beginning to feel antsy.

"Mr. Reigns, you know I was born ready."

She smiled and took his hands.

Before she could move an inch, a strong hand landed on her arm.

"That may be true, but you also just had heart surgery," her father said. He gave her a serious look.

"Barely," she countered. "It was microscopic."

"Still surgery in my book," he said.

"What book is that?"

The banter came naturally, and with a smile. It was how most of Kit's conversations went with her dad. There was no question, from the day she was born: her dad was the good cop, her mom stuck with the role of bad cop.

Her dad would lay down the law in a casual manner and if Kit didn't listen, her quiet and firm mom would step in. But since Kit's diagnosis, the good cop was as bad as it got. Now, if her parents didn't want her to do something, her father started in his usual manner and her mother just held her close.

So it was no surprise when after a little wheedling, and some help from Edison, her parents let her leave her hospital room. Jaxon had shown up and was forced by her mother to join the adventure as an extra helping hand.

Her parents never had any real reason to worry, as the adventure Edison had in mind consisted of activities around the hospital. They rode up and down the elevator, singing songs for anyone who joined them. Kit and Edison gave each musical performance their whole heart, no matter how out of tune they sounded.

Jaxon moved as close to the corner of the elevator as he could, and acted like he didn't know them.

After they went hoarse from belting Disney songs, Edison found a deserted hallway to play human bowling. They set up towers of toilet paper and used Kit in the wheelchair as the bowling ball.

Jaxon's competitive side finally convinced him to join in, and when a stern nurse discovered their game, he was the one leading the getaway with a shout of "retreat!"

On the next floor up, they commandeered two empty wheelchairs for a race. Kit quickly became a bystander as Edison and Jaxon raced up and down the hall, her energy no competition for theirs.

When they were discovered, their getaway wasn't swift enough and Jaxon and Edison lost their wheelchair privileges. But their adventure was not deterred as they started a game of hide and seek.

The game spread throughout a whole floor until they were caught for the third time. This time, no form of retreat was possible. The stories of their mischief had spread throughout the hospital and the nurse who found them had no intention of letting them get away. Jaxon grumbled about mutiny as they were escorted back to Kit's room.

After that, Edison and Jaxon were kicked out, because Kit had a checkup and she needed to rest. Kit hated to watch them go. She was jealous of their freedom, as she listened to their loud voices disappear down the hall. An afternoon of sun and fun awaited them, while all that awaited her was monotonous TV.

But she wasn't even able to stay awake long enough to watch TV. The busy morning had taken all her energy and she quickly fell asleep.

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

When she awoke, the light in her room had shifted. Late afternoon shadows fell across the floor and the air smelled unusally sweet. She rubbed the deep sleep from her eyes and found Edison in the chair by her bed, his lazy attention on the television.

He jumped into motion as she began to move. He wrapped an arm around her to support her as she sat up and fluffed her pillows.

She smiled. "I'm not as broken as I look."

"And you're not as tough as you try to seem," he said, returning to his seat.

The look he gave her said he wasn't fooled by the act she put on. She didn't mind that he saw through her. In fact, it seemed to make perfect sense that Edison could see through her, even though they hadn't known each other for that long. It was the same way she had seen through him.

She looked around and he spoke. "Your parents went to grab some food. I said I would stay with you."

"How noble of you," she said.

"Not at all," he smiled. "I just wanted you to myself."

"I support this selfish behavior."

His smile grew bigger, and she realized that out of all the sights she had seen since coming to Lighthouse Point, his smile was her favorite.

"I also sneaked in contraband," he said. "Roger sends his best."

He glanced mischievously towards the door before he pulled out a Styrofoam container. She instantly recognized Al's take out box and knew she had found the source of the sweet smell in the air.

There seemed to be an angelic glow coming off the container. The thought of real food made her mouth water.

"Peanut butter cups?" she questioned.

He scoffed. "Do you even have to ask?"

She beamed. "My work here is complete."

She reached for the container longingly, but he kept it out of her reach.

"Wait," he said. She started to argue, but he "shh'd" her.

"Come on," he said, moving the wheel chair next to the bed. "I'm busting you out of here."

She accepted his outstretched hands, but paused when she thought about her parents.

"But..."

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "Your parents just left. I told them not to rush. They won't be back for at least an hour and I'm not taking you that far."

'Not that far' turned out to be ten floors up on the hospital roof.

Edison turned the whole thing into an adventure. He made Kit wear a blanket on her lap to disguise the take-out box, and insisted on complete silence, as he acted like they were crossing enemy lines. It felt like a true victory when they finally made it to the roof.

The roof was no beautiful destination, but Kit didn't see the dirty walls or pipes as she sucked in the fresh air and the feeling of freedom. She tilted her face towards the afternoon sun and closed her eyes, a new energy beginning to fill her.

It was indescribable how she instantly felt like a completely different person. The wheel chair came to a stop and she finally opened her eyes, taking in the view Edison had chosen for them.

The hospital was on the far reaches of Lighthouse Point and none of the picturesque landscape reached it, but he managed to find a part of the surrounding area with a few trees and a patch of grass. Compared to the metal and tile Kit had been surrounded by for the last few days, any sight of green felt hopeful.

She started in on the waffles like she hadn't eaten in years, but quickly hit her limit. After days of living off of only fluids and jello, her stomach could barely handle a few bites. She stared at the leftovers regretfully for a long time, before finally handing it over to Edison for him to finish.

She closed her eyes and rested her head back. Partially, to soak in as much sunshine as possible, and partially because she didn't want to see her delicious food being eaten by someone else.

There was a busy hum rising from the hospital entrance below, but they were high enough up that it was soothing. Sometimes car horns broke through, or sirens, but even those harsher sounds didn't seem able to break through the peace on the rooftop.

Kit wasn't sure how long they had been sitting in silence when Edison cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, there is this Lighthouse Point survey," he started. "We hand them out to people visiting the town in order to gain feedback about their time here."

Kit was slow in her response, regretful to turn away from the warm sun. When she looked at him and could see his playful smile.

"Is there now?"

He gave a casual shrug. "You know, in order to maintain the high standard of Lighthouse Point."

She nodded pensively. "I'm visiting Lighthouse Point."

His eyes went up in surprise. "Are you now?"

"I am. Does that mean I am qualified to take this survey?"

"It does."

"Good. I have some very useful feedback for the town."

"Great. Let's start right away. What is your favorite thing about Lighthouse Point?"

A smile slipped across her lips without any effort. "Well, the people do make the town."

He looked at her in surprise. "Really? The people are your favorite thing. What about Amanda? The cheerleaders?"

She gave a conceding nod. "Not everyone who lives in Lighthouse Point."

He didn't look like he was buying her answer.

"You've only met about thirty people and the cheerleaders make up half of that."

"The number of people might be smaller."

"In the single digits?"

She nodded.

"Less than two?"

She smiled and nodded again.

"So, your favorite thing about Lighthouse Point is really only one person."

"It is."

"This must be some person," he said.

Her smile grew. "The best! Kind, funny, smart, not bad on the eyes." He sat up straighter as she continued to list off qualities. "Witty, accomplished."

"Wow! This really is quite the person. I think Lighthouse Point should honor him for making such a strong impression on your visit. It sounds like he should be the ambassador for all of Lighthouse Point."

"He really should. Everything about him exudes what Lighthouse Point is all about."

Her smile grew as Edison seemed to shine brighter under all the praise. She bit back a small chuckle as the punchline to her answer sat on the tip of her tongue.

"You are right." He flashed her a devilish grin. "Roger truly does represent everything that Lighthouse Point stands for."

A surprised laugh escaped her as Edison took the words right out of her mouth.

"But...how...?" she stuttered.

His deep laugh broke over the rooftop like a wave and crashed over the edges. Kit was sure people below could hear it as he rolled with laughter. He shook his head as he continued to chuckle.

"Do you think I haven't learned anything, Kittery Maine?"

His face beamed with laughter and his eyes sparkled. Kit was rendered speechless for a different reason.

She snapped her mouth shut and just looked at him. She wanted to sit in the moment for as long as time would let her; taking in his smile, the secret that seemed to hide in the corner of his mouth, his eyelashes that kept the spark in his eyes just out of her reach.

She wanted this very moment to be the only one she ever thought of when she thought of him.

But time does not bend to man's wishes and the moment passed.

Edison's chuckle blossomed into a heartier laugh and he slapped his knee in delight.

"You really thought you had me fooled, didn't you?" he asked. "How egotistical do you think I am?"

She laughed and shrugged.

"You can be really gullible sometimes," she said. He scoffed. "Especially, when I mention your looks."

He scoffed again. "Well, you've become predictable."

She bowed at the insult.

"Thank you," she said. She reached for the fork and grasped it between both her hands like a trophy. "I'd like to thank my parents, the countless hours of jokes I have repeated over and over again, every waffle I've ever eaten, and Edison Reigns, for giving me the title I have worked so hard for."

"Don't try to steal my thunder, I just surprised you. That deserves an award," he said. He snatched the fork from her hands and held it to his chest. "I think my accomplishment is much better than yours. I'd like to thank my mom, my truck, my smart brain, and especially, Kittery Maine. Without her, I would not have had to endure hours of her abuse and insults, and without those, I would not be holding this award today. Out of all the awards I have received, I think this one means the most."

"A plastic fork?" she asked in disbelief. "I saw your wall of awards. Some of them were pretty impressive."

He shrugged. "Football is easy. Understanding and predicting your crazy, strange mind is almost impossible."

She smiled proudly. "Why, thank you."

"This award was well worth the fight," he said, smiling at her.

Kit could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and she looked away. She angled her face back towards the sun, hoping the heat would cover up the reason for her pink cheeks.

After a few minutes, Edison cleared his throat loudly.

"Talking about football."

She grinned. "We weren't talking about football."

"Now we are." He paused hesitantly, like he was standing on the edge of something. "You were right. I never stopped caring about football. Even though I tried to convince everyone, including myself, that I did."

The outright admission took her by surprise and she wasn't sure what he expected in response. But he didn't wait long enough to get one.

"I've been thinking." She raised her eyebrows in interest. "And I've decided, I'm gonna give football another try."

She sat up in astonishment. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm going to play again," he said, excitement in his voice. "I already called coach. Hell week starts at the beginning of August."

Kit just looked at him, words failing her. He chuckled at her silence.

"Other than coach, you're first the person I've told," he said. "I haven't even told my mom."

"Seriously?"

He nodded.

"I don't even know what to say. What? How?"

He laughed. "So, this is how it feels, making someone speechless." He gloried in the feeling for a moment. "This is awesome. Usually it's the other way around."

She playfully smacked him. "It is not."

"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "You've left me speechless since you suggested putting peanut butter cups in waffles."

"Football," was all she managed to say to try to refocus the conversation.

"I've just been thinking these past few days," he said. "And I realized that even though I lost a lot, there was a lot I gave up on."

Kit nodded. "This is amazing! You're going to play football again. I knew it!"

"How?" he asked. "How did you know?"

She smiled. "Someone who truly doesn't care, doesn't have to convince people of it. They simply just don't care. You tried to convince me."

He laughed. "I guess I kind of did.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," she reassured him. "Moving on, you'll be back on the team."

"Well, I'm not sure about that. I have a long way to go to get back what I lost," he said. "I'm not even sure if I'll be good enough to play. But I'm going to try. It's the least I can do."

"It's the most you can do," she corrected him. "Being willing to try is half the battle."

"And the other half is trying not to get crushed by a line of two hundred pound football players."

She laughed. "Well, there's that too." She squeezed his hand. "For whatever it's worth, I'm proud of you."

He returned the squeeze. "It's worth everything." He gave her a grateful smile, but after a moment it turned playful. "What if...?" he started. She gave him an intrigued look, ready to play along. "What if you had gotten waffles with Jaxon that first night?"

She smiled. "It never would have happened. You know how Jaxon sleeps like the dead."

"Okay," he said thoughtfully. "Well, what if you had shown up at a different house?"

"Like who's? Drew's?" They both laughed. Kit's time with Drew had been limited, but she knew he wasn't the kind to climb on the back of a moped. "I guess my summer would have had a lot more boat rides. Shoot! I really missed out."

"Hey!" Edison said, giving her soft shove. 

She laughed. "I could have gone to Neil's house. He's nice."

"He eats very healthy, and definitely wouldn't approve of your peanut butter cup waffles."

Kit's face turned horrified. "Dear me, he definitely wouldn't do. Who else could I have woken up that night? Amanda?" she joked. 

He shook his head. "She doesn't eat carbs."

Kit gasped. "The very thought!" 

He chuckled. "What about Tommy?"

She squinted skeptically. "He doesn't think girls can be good at pool, so it wouldn't have worked out."

"True." He gave a defeated look. "I guess it was always going to be you and me."

"How unfortunate for you." It started out as a joke, but as the words landed, she realized that their meaning rang true. It was a heavy feeling knowing it was a misfortune to be in her company. And an even heavier feeling knowing she had brought that misfortune upon him. She dropped her gaze as a familiar guilt began to bubble in her stomach. "I hate that I've hurt you," she said. "That I will."

"Hey," he said softly. 

She shrugged. "I am sorry. I just wanted a fun summer. I thought I would come, have fun, move on and be forgotten by the time the school year started."

He took her hand and smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "That won't be happening."

"I know!" she said, surprising both of them when the words came out louder than she had intended. "You weren't supposed to actually like me."

"This is my fault?" he asked in amazement.

"Yes. This is all your fault," she said loudly. She smiled, even though part of what she said rang true. "Why couldn't you just treat me like all the other girls you flirt with?"

He let out a surprised laugh. "When you put it that way, I really did screw this up," he joked. "You're right, this is all my fault."

"It is. Why couldn't I just be another girl?"

She dramatically threw her head back in anguish. When she didn't receive an equally dramatic response, she looked back at him. The look he gave her was steady with a hint of something she couldn't read.

"Because you're not just another girl. You never could be," he said, his voice serious. "I might have screwed this up by caring, but you screwed this up by being the most amazing person I've ever known.

There wasn't a chance I wouldn't care from the moment you threw rocks at my window."

She looked over at him and a rush of warmth spread through her chest. She felt filled to the brim with life and something clicked into place. She had a full life, just like her grandparents. She had feared she wouldn't be able to find it before her time ran out, but here it was, and it was because of the boy sitting next to her.

A full, happy life wasn't filled with traveling and experiencing her lasts. A happy life filled with peanut butter cup waffles and burnt s'mores. Spontaneous dancing, princess party hunts and carved initials. It was filled with warm jackets, bonfires and familiar scents. But it was filled with the people she cared most about, her parents and Jaxon.

Edison and their three weeks.

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

Baffled biscuits!

So yeah, it doesn't feel like the end does it?

More than ever this book is truly concluded with the epilogue, so with that said I'm honestly not sure how to close us out. Usually with the final chapter I go dramatic and cry about how it's over and oh goodness what's the point of living!?!

But if this book has taught me anything it's that you should always keep on living, that this world is better with you in it! You should always find adventures even if it's in the smallest thing! You should smile whenever possible! Laugh often and never be afraid of doing something wild!

And wow, am I turning into a cliché myself?! *Faints*

Anyways, let me just say this, I'm amazed you stuck with me through this whole book even when it turned out to be so different than what it seemed.

How are you feeling?

It's okay to feel a little kdbakrkvsdhrmgknx😫😩🤔😕🙁😔😜🙃😐😶, that's natural.

Did the ending surprise you?

Well, we still have one step to take together before we finally part ways. And when I say part ways I mean literally split for the half a second it takes you to get from one book to the next, cause you know I ain't leaving you hanging.

Favorite Edit moment?

Favorite character?

If you were going to write the epilogue, what would happen? (Make sure to make is a Kit type ending)

For one of the last times peace, love and ice cream or in more common words, vote comment, follow.

Remember to smile because there's still cuteness in the world!