Page 134 of Sunset Catchers

I dry my tears, beaming at Levi.

July

Levi

“Omg, you’re here!!!”, Winnie shrieks, wrapping her arms around my neck. My bag hits the floor and my arms are around her. Nuzzling her hair, I inhale deeply.

“Did you just sniff me?” she asks.

“Yeah, I did.” She giggles. We pull apart and leave just enough space between us so our lips can meet for a few fevered kisses.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too, pretty girl.”

“How about I show you my room first? Junie is out for a meeting.” I bob my head a few times. An excellent plan.

It isn’t until after we’ve thrown our clothes all over the floor and got reacquainted with each other’s bodies in her bed that I tour her room like a groupie while Winnie is in the bathroom.

I’m holding a frame with a picture of a much younger Winnie missing a front tooth when she walks back into the room.

“You were such a cute kid.” She hikes one of her brows up.

“Are you saying I’m not cute anymore?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She gives me the finger. I chuckle.

She stays with her back against the door, wearing my t-shirt, silently staring while I ruffle through her belongings in my underwear. Once I’m done with my perusal, I look over to find her brown eyes lined with tears.

“What is it?”

“Nothing,” she says while wiping at her cheeks. “I’m just so happy you’re here. Touching my stuff. Leaving invisible specks of yourself everywhere. That’s the best birthday gift.”

I’m probably missing the greater meaning behind her words, but I still understand. She left behind traces of her passage in my home when she came to see me, too.

They help when we are not together.

“So you don’t want the gift I got you?”

“No! I do!” she says while walking up to me, where she links her arms around my waist. She tilts her head, gaze sparkling.

I missed staring at her.“But first, how about I leave more specks of myself over you?” I suggest.

Winnie takes off my t-shirt.

And so I do.

October

Winnie

“I’ll show mine if you show me yours,” I tell Levi, wriggling my brows.

“You first,” he tells me, from the confines of the screen of my phone.

I walk out of my room, then onto my balcony, and switch my camera around to show Levi the sunset that’s blazing pink over Montreal.

Even when we’re not in the same place, we try and catch the sunset together most nights. I have yet to convince Levi to start our own official club. I’ve pitched him Sunset Catchers as the name, but he still thinks a club that contains only two members isn’t legit.