do.” Her foot slips out of her shoes and rests against Matt’s ankle. “Ever since we met, there’s a connection between us I can’t explain. But I love my dad, too.”
“Let me guess.” The muscles in his jaw flex. “He doesn’t want you to see me anymore.”
Jessica doesn’t say anything.
A giant knot forms in Matt’s stomach.
A half hour later, they’re standing together on her doorstep.
She turns off the porch light. Matt wraps his arms around her from behind as she snuggles under his chin and looks into the infinite darkness above.
“Jess, can I ask you a question?”
“Anything you want.”
He pulls her a little closer. “OK. What do you see in me? I mean, why—”
“Do I love you?”
“Yeah. Exactly.” He looks down and kisses the top of her head, taking in a deep inhale of the fresh fragrance. Roses with a hint of apple. “I mean, I’m really just a big mystery. A past I can’t tell you about. An uncertain future. With all your connections and family money, you could have any guy within a thousand miles. Why bother with me?”
“I don’t want
any
guy. And I certainly don’t want one that’s only interested in my family’s money. Love is strange when you think about it.” One of her hands comes up to his shoulder. “I could say it’s because of your irresistible dark hair or those mysterious Asian eyes. Or because you’re smart. Or because you’re kind and gentle. Or because you like to ski and rock climb, just like me.”
Matt waits for her to go on. His internal camera is recording everything about her in this moment so he can recall and savor it later.
She turns around and lets her eyes drift up to meet his. “All those things are true, but that’s not why I love you.”
He shakes his head, not understanding. “Then why?”
“The truth is, I don’t know. I just feel peaceful and calm when I’m with you. No particular reason. Nothing I can put my finger on. We’re just meant to be together. Chemistry, I guess.”
“But what about your dad?”
She turns back around without answering and stares up into the night sky. “So many stars. Worlds without number.” Her breath is sweet below him. “Do you really think the universe just happened by chance?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Matt says. “The fact is that it
did
happen. Whether by chance or design. And somehow you and I are here together. That’s all that matters to me.”
She backs closer into him, lifts her hands up and weaves her fingers into his. “I wonder what it’s like to be God, to have cosmic power. To be able to do anything you want, but only use that power for good. To create worlds and life and people. To love them and feel their love.” She pulls away and turns to face him, looking up into his dark eyes with that piercing intensity that he worships. “What would you do if you were God? What kind of world would you create?”
Matt nibbles on his lower lip. A mischievous thought passes through his mind.
“Well,” he says. “My world will be in a far corner of the universe. Orbiting a triple-star system. There will be an ocean full of whales and dolphins.” He stops to think.
“Is that all?” Jessica says. “There’s got to be more to it than that.”
“Now the good stuff.” Matt draws in a deep breath and lets it slowly come out. “It will have one massive continent with a pristine white sand beach all the way around. A few hundred meters in, I’ll make a warm green jungle full of towering trees and gentle dinosaurs, and perhaps a few scary ones just for fun. Above the jungle will be a mountain range that spans the continent parallel to the shore. It’ll be covered in dry snow as warm as sunshine, year round. Ultra-light powder, like what they have in Utah. The best skiing in the universe.”
Matt pauses, waiting for Jessica to reply, but she is silent as her eyes scan his face.
“What do you think?” he says.
“I was just imagining what it would be like,”
“Let me guess.” The muscles in his jaw flex. “He doesn’t want you to see me anymore.”
Jessica doesn’t say anything.
A giant knot forms in Matt’s stomach.
A half hour later, they’re standing together on her doorstep.
She turns off the porch light. Matt wraps his arms around her from behind as she snuggles under his chin and looks into the infinite darkness above.
“Jess, can I ask you a question?”
“Anything you want.”
He pulls her a little closer. “OK. What do you see in me? I mean, why—”
“Do I love you?”
“Yeah. Exactly.” He looks down and kisses the top of her head, taking in a deep inhale of the fresh fragrance. Roses with a hint of apple. “I mean, I’m really just a big mystery. A past I can’t tell you about. An uncertain future. With all your connections and family money, you could have any guy within a thousand miles. Why bother with me?”
“I don’t want
any
guy. And I certainly don’t want one that’s only interested in my family’s money. Love is strange when you think about it.” One of her hands comes up to his shoulder. “I could say it’s because of your irresistible dark hair or those mysterious Asian eyes. Or because you’re smart. Or because you’re kind and gentle. Or because you like to ski and rock climb, just like me.”
Matt waits for her to go on. His internal camera is recording everything about her in this moment so he can recall and savor it later.
She turns around and lets her eyes drift up to meet his. “All those things are true, but that’s not why I love you.”
He shakes his head, not understanding. “Then why?”
“The truth is, I don’t know. I just feel peaceful and calm when I’m with you. No particular reason. Nothing I can put my finger on. We’re just meant to be together. Chemistry, I guess.”
“But what about your dad?”
She turns back around without answering and stares up into the night sky. “So many stars. Worlds without number.” Her breath is sweet below him. “Do you really think the universe just happened by chance?”
“It doesn’t really matter,” Matt says. “The fact is that it
did
happen. Whether by chance or design. And somehow you and I are here together. That’s all that matters to me.”
She backs closer into him, lifts her hands up and weaves her fingers into his. “I wonder what it’s like to be God, to have cosmic power. To be able to do anything you want, but only use that power for good. To create worlds and life and people. To love them and feel their love.” She pulls away and turns to face him, looking up into his dark eyes with that piercing intensity that he worships. “What would you do if you were God? What kind of world would you create?”
Matt nibbles on his lower lip. A mischievous thought passes through his mind.
“Well,” he says. “My world will be in a far corner of the universe. Orbiting a triple-star system. There will be an ocean full of whales and dolphins.” He stops to think.
“Is that all?” Jessica says. “There’s got to be more to it than that.”
“Now the good stuff.” Matt draws in a deep breath and lets it slowly come out. “It will have one massive continent with a pristine white sand beach all the way around. A few hundred meters in, I’ll make a warm green jungle full of towering trees and gentle dinosaurs, and perhaps a few scary ones just for fun. Above the jungle will be a mountain range that spans the continent parallel to the shore. It’ll be covered in dry snow as warm as sunshine, year round. Ultra-light powder, like what they have in Utah. The best skiing in the universe.”
Matt pauses, waiting for Jessica to reply, but she is silent as her eyes scan his face.
“What do you think?” he says.
“I was just imagining what it would be like,”
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