Cicada Song

  Chapter 11

  August 1991

  The gravestone was surrounded by flowers, and an envelope rested against its base. Jake wondered what was written inside the envelope but respected Ms. Beverly too much to pry. It had been three years since Mr. Campbell passed away, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. Jake would be starting his sixth grade year soon but could still hear his second grade teacher’s goofy laugh as clear as day.

  “Hey, Jake.”

  Sara and Stan had arrived, and Jake couldn’t help but feel concerned for Sara.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” Sara said. “I came with Mom earlier, but you know...”

  Sara didn’t like the attention she received on the anniversary of her father’s passing, so she often waited to visit his grave until after everyone in Anderson had settled in for the night. This was the first year Stan had come, as his mother wasn’t fond of him being out late, but he’d finally learned the art of sneaking out at night and could make it. Now, bundled up in his fall jacket, he looked as nervous as Jake had ever seen him.

  Sara knelt at her father’s grave but didn’t break down like she had previous years. He knelt and put his arm around her anyway. Stan kept his distance.

  “I really miss him.”

  “I know,” Jake offered.

  Sara sniffled a little. “I think about him every day, but I don’t cry as much as I used to. Does that make me a bad daughter?”

  “No,” Jake said firmly. “I think people are supposed to move on. That’s what your dad would want you to do.”

  Sara looked at Jake, her face sullen. “You don’t think Daddy would be upset if I stopped caring?”

  “I think caring is different from crying. You’ll always care, but your dad wouldn’t want you to cry. I think he’d want you to smile.”

  Sara looked back at the gravestone, and a small smile appeared a moment later. “Daddy always liked making me smile.”

  “We do too,” Stan offered.

  “I know.” With that, Sara grabbed Stan’s sleeve and tugged him toward her. She hugged him and then hugged Jake a little longer. “Thank you.”

  With a kiss to her father’s gravestone, Sara stood and announced that they could leave. They sneaked Stan back into his room, and then Jake walked Sara home, where he helped her climb through a kitchen window.

  “Thank you for coming again,” Sara whispered, leaning over the windowsill. “I know how much you hate getting into trouble.”

  “You’re just a bad influence.”

  Sara smiled and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. Unsure of what she was doing, however, Jake turned to look at her. The peck landed softly on his lips. She laughed.

  “What would I do without you, Jake?”

  He stared awkwardly as the window shut. Then, after she vanished into the dark room, he turned to go. He could do nothing to suppress the goofy smile that broke across his face, and giddiness exploded from him as he began to run.

  It may have been an accident, but he was pretty sure Sara just gave him his first kiss.