Chapter 6 - Cabin Twelve
The cabin stood exactly where Roman remembered it.
The paint had faded.
The porch leaned slightly.
But the lake beyond it was unchanged.
Eli held out the brass key.
“You do it.”
Roman shook his head.
“Your mother gave it to you.”
“She said it belonged to you.”
Roman wrapped Eli’s fingers around it.
“Then we open it together.”
They turned the key.
The door creaked inward.
Dust floated through the afternoon light.
Roman stepped inside.
Fifteen years vanished.
“Mom brought me here once,” Eli said.
Roman turned sharply.
“When?”
“Last summer.”
“Why?”
“She said she wanted me to see where she was happiest.”
Roman looked around.
On one wall were faint pencil marks.
Claire had measured Eli’s height.
Roman approached them.
Age 8.
He touched the mark.
“She knew she was sick then.”
Eli nodded.
“She cried that night.”
“Did she tell you why?”
“No.”
Roman looked toward the lake.
“I think I know.”
That evening they sat on the porch.
Eli pointed toward the sky.
“That’s Vega.”
Roman looked upward.
“Which one?”
“You seriously don’t know?”
“I know companies.”
“That’s sad.”
“I own an aerospace company.”
“That makes it worse.”
Roman laughed.
Then Eli became quiet.
“Are you going to send me away?”
Roman turned.
“Where did that come from?”
“Your mom said you barely know me.”
“She was wrong about what matters.”
“What if you get tired of me?”
Roman leaned forward.
“I spent fifteen years building things I thought would make my life complete.”
“Did they?”
“No.”
Eli waited.
Roman continued.
“I can’t promise I’ll always get this right.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll miss meetings. I’ll probably embarrass you.”
“Definitely.”
“I may buy inappropriate amounts of astronomy equipment.”
“That one’s okay.”
“But I will never deliberately disappear from your life.”
Eli studied his face.
“You promise?”
Roman held out his hand.
“I promise.”
Eli shook it.
Then Roman pulled him into a hug.
The boy stiffened for half a second.
Then his arms wrapped tightly around Roman.
Roman closed his eyes.
For the first time since reading Claire’s letter, he understood what she had meant.
May you like
Love him honestly.
The rest will follow.
