Read Online Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry - Free Book Online Page A

would have an impact on her, but no matter how hard I worked or how well I did, it was never enough. Never mind the fact that while half my classmates were getting into trouble doing stupid things, I skipped the whole teenage rebellion thing. There were times when I think she would have been happier if I had rebelled, because I would have been more ‘normal’ in her eyes.” I was speaking quietly, but I hated the bitterness in my voice.
    Lost in the past, my hand clutching Nicholas’s as though it were a lifeline, I went on to tell him how even after my dad had turned into my mother’s puppet he still showed me in small, odd ways that he was proud of me. He would give me money or gifts whenever I excelled in school, but it felt so distant. What I really wanted was for him to take an active interest by coming to the award ceremonies or teacher reviews and expressing support. I never expected that of my mother, but up until a certain point, I held out hope for my dad.   I knew he loved me, he just had trouble showing it; he wasn’t comfortable with it, but he cared in his own way. My mother didn’t even try.
    I looked up to meet Nicholas’s eyes. He was watching me, his face serious, and he nodded for me to continue. “I wanted to prove that I could make it on my own and be my own person without conforming to what they thought I should be, whatever that happened to be. But I had never really defined what being my own person meant, and that’s where I ran into trouble after graduation. ‘Being my own person’ had led me as far as top marks in all my classes, a diploma, and an identity crisis.” I shrugged helplessly. “I suppose now I’m hoping to make up for the past few years and have a fresh start. Make a decision about what being my own person really means to me.”
    I let out a long sigh and leaned back against the trunk of the oak. Like the night before at the diner, I felt exhausted after revealing these things to Nicholas. They had always been such private thoughts, ones I never spoke aloud to anyone, but it felt good to talk to Nicholas. Or rather, at Nicholas, I realized. “Now it’s my turn to apologize,” I said, heat rising to my cheeks. “I didn’t mean to go on and on.”
    “Hey, you don’t need to be sorry,” Nicholas said, shaking his head and leaning back against the tree, his shoulder brushing mine. “That’s what friends are for.”
    Friends . A slow smile spread across my face. I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders and carried away on the soft spring breeze. “Thank you,” I said, shifting to face Nicholas.
    “For what?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
    “For listening to me ramble on about my life, even if that is what friends are for. And for letting me release a lot of pent-up emotions. I think it’s helped me figure some things out about who I want to be now.”
    “You don’t have to thank me, Emma, but if my listening helped then I’m glad I could be here for you.” He smiled almost shyly, his gaze lingering on mine. There was a momentary pause where we just sat and stared into each other’s eyes, smiling. Everything around us faded into the background—the bright sunlight, the chirping birds, the giggling children on the playground below. I took a deep breath, and as I slowly let it out I looked away, feeling the blood rising in my cheeks again.
    Nicholas let out a soft sigh as he looked away too, and began packing up the picnic basket. I helped him, and when we were done he looked at me again and said, “Do you like strawberries?”
    I laughed at the sudden, off-hand question and replied, “Yes.”
    “Great!” He stood up, holding out a hand to pull me to my feet. “Have you ever been berry picking?”
    “No…” I said slowly.
    “Great!” he said again, flashing me a dimpled smile. “Come on, then.” He hauled me to my feet, gathered up the picnic basket and blanket in his free hand, and we headed down the hill at full