It was almost midnight and Henry was just about to kick off his fireworks show to ring in the New Year.
I was helping Jackie alert the guests to go outside, and, I was also trying to find my coat so I could go outside myself. I happened to see Sam and Melanie as they were walking out the front door, but by the time I got outside, I couldn’t find either of them. Pretty much all of the winter hippies had left by this time, and so the crowd was mostly made up of people I’d met at Henry and Jackie’s ward.
The temperature felt bitterly cold, but there was a white-hot excitement in the air in anticipation of the fireworks. But as I scanned the crowd with my eyes, searching for Sam and his date, I felt like my eyeballs were starting to freeze into my sockets. So I finally gave up looking for them, and I turned back so I could stand next to Jackie. She poured me a Styrofoam cup of the most delicious hot chocolate, and then we both looked up into the sky to watch the show.
I remember I tucked my arm under hers, and she gave it a little squeeze.
I said, “I’m sorry about Sam and all of his friends — that was super crazy that he invited so many people.”
Jackie just smiled at me, and then whispered, “It’s OK…”
Then I added, “Sam took off without even saying goodbye.”
I couldn’t hide the disappointment or confusion in my voice from Jackie, so I know I didn’t bother. A few big blasts of color exploded in the sky, and while my words hung in the air between us, Jackie and I watched in impressed silence.
After the sparks disappeared into the night, Jackie said, “This year’s gonna be your year, Sonja!”
“You think so?” I asked.
“I know so…” she whispered.
