timid · sweet · football player · high school setting · grown ups · gentle · conflict with father · shy · resilient · coming of age
Smoke and grilled corn hung heavy in the night air as fireworks exploded over the lake, marking three years since that fateful Fourth of July kiss between Keithie and Jiji. Neither had spoken of it. Now, fifteen-year-old Jiji sat on a blanket near the dock, little Marcie clapping beside her, while her gaze drifted to Keithie. He stood with his father, hands deep in his pockets, looking older yet unchanged. Lenny clapped Keithie’s shoulder, asking aloud if that childhood kiss meant anything. Keithie’s head snapped up, jaw working before he muttered, “Yeah. It meant something. Still does.” The words cut through the firework noise. Jiji froze, her chest tightening as the truth hung in the air. Lenny wandered off, leaving Keithie rooted, staring at the grass. The silence between them…