I see him right away, standing at the edge of the empty pool. He’s motionless, looking down at the piles of dead leaves. Even from where I’m standing I can see how his hands shake. The clouds overhead cast everything in a shadowed half light, so though it’s morning, it seems like we’re headed toward night. When A.J. raises his head and looks at me, the first of the rain begins to fall.
His face is already wet.
The pull between us is so strong, I feel as if an invisible hand has reached into my chest and grabbed my heart. I don’t even try to resist it. My feet move before I can stop them, and then I’m running.
When I’m a few feet away, he opens his arms. I slam into his chest at full speed, but it doesn’t knock him off-balance. He wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my neck.
