Hanging Stars On Big Willow Creek: A Novel

by Sarah Hill

  “Okay! I’m ready! Can we go for street pizza? The kind in a cone?” Alex asked, as he ran back into the living room.

  Rylie tore her eyes from Spencer’s narrowed ones and looked at Alex, smiling. “I think if that’s what your belly is craving, then that’s where we should go. Coned Pizza it is,” she said, standing up to give him a hug.

  Alex peeked around Rylie to look at his dad and said, “My belly is also craving ice cream.”

  Spencer’s face relaxed and he stood up smiling. “Of course it is buddy. Let’s see how much time we have after we get the pizza, okay?” he said.

  “I’ll grab my bags and then I’ll be ready to go,” Rylie said, heading towards the hallway. She grabbed the two suitcases she’d packed earlier that day, took a deep breath and then headed down the hall rolling the suitcases behind her.

  “Let me get those, Rye,” Spencer said, taking the suitcases from her and kissing her forehead. He met her eyes and whispered, “Someday. Soon. I want to know your whole story.”

  Rylie nodded and said, “I know. I promise.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her then turned and walked towards the door with her suitcases. “Let’s go kid, mommy has a plane to catch.”

  Standing in line outside the Pizza Cone truck, Rylie held on tightly to Alex’s hand, trying to soothe the storm that was forming inside her. She looked down at the little boy who filled her heart with so much light and smiled. Thinking about where she came from made it even more unbelievable to her that this was her life now. She wasn’t sure how she made it from there to here, but she’d never felt luckier than she did as she stood there holding his hand.

  Crouching down to get eye level with him, she zipped his coat up and asked, “So, what are you going to try tonight, Mr. Tompkins?”

  Alex giggled and then rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. In his best English accent, he said, “I don’t know Miss Stone, maybe pepperoni.”

  Rylie replied with an accent equally as bad as his. “Yes, yes. I hear the pepperoni is known around the world for the amount of cheese and little ‘roni’s they roll into the cone.” She raised her eyebrow at him and asked, “Tell me Mr. Tompkins, shall we try a new dessert cone together as well?”

  “I think that would be quite delightful, Miss Stone. Most delightful indeed,” Alex replied, puckering his lips the way he imagined a dignified Englishman would.

  Spencer let out a laugh and said, “I’m going to miss the play acting and imagination you two share with each other.” Looking at Rylie, he added, “Hurry back my love.”

  Rylie stood up and met his eyes. Kissing him sweetly, she nodded and said, “As soon as possible.”

  “Gross,” Alex said, covering his eyes and turning his back to them.

  Spencer cocked his eyebrow at her and nodded his head towards Alex.

  Smiling, Rylie nodded. Together they wrapped their arms around Alex and started tickling him in every spot they could get to.

  Alex’s laughter echoed through the night air and filled Rylie’s heart so full she thought it might burst. They ate their pizza cones and shared a peaches and cream cone between the three of them. As they passed the dessert cone around, they took turns giving the most dramatic accounts of their day that they could muster. Passersby looked at them as if they’d gone mad, but Rylie didn’t care. She didn’t want this moment to end. She didn’t want to say goodbye to the two people who kept her anchored to the present.

  They were enjoying each other so much at the pizza truck they ran out of time and couldn’t stop for ice cream. At the airport, Rylie kept apologizing to Alex for the missed treat. She hated leaving when she knew his heart wanted ice cream so badly.

  “It’s okay, Mommy. I liked sharing the dessert cone and playing with you more than I like ice cream. My belly isn’t even sad. See,” he said, lifting his shirt so she could see the little pooch of belly and added “it’s all full.”

  Letting out a laugh, Rylie bent down and kissed his forehead. “You know how much I love you don’t you?” she asked, as she placed her hand under his chin so he’d look at her.

  “I love you too,” he said, looking down at his feet, as his bottom lip started to quiver.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can and I will call you every day, I

  promise.”

  Alex continued to stare at his feet but nodded.

  “Can you give Mommy a smile before she leaves?” Spencer asked, placing his hand on Alex’s shoulder.

  Alex looked up, his eyes swimming with tears that hadn’t quite spilled over the rims and forced a smile before saying, “I love you, Mommy.” With those words his voice broke and the tears trailed down his cheeks.

  “No baby, please don’t cry,” Rylie said, wiping his tears as her eyes began to water. She bent down again and wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around his waist, rocking him back and forth as she softly began to sing his favorite lullaby. “Baby mine, don’t you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head, close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine.”

  Spencer allowed them to hold each other for a few more minutes before reaching down and pulling Alex from her and taking him into his arms. “She’ll be back in no time, buddy. You and I are going to have so much fun,” he said, winking at the little boy whose cheeks were stained with tears.

  Alex wiped his eyes and nodded before laying his head on his dad’s shoulder and growing silent.

  Rylie placed her hand against Spencer’s cheek and smiled. “You and me, we make the best team. I’ll be back to bat before you know it,” she whispered, as the tears she couldn’t stop continued to line her cheeks.

  “I know. Don’t worry, I’ve got this. We’re going to be fine. You go take care of Del and Norm. We’ll be here waiting when you return.”

  “I love you so much, Spencer Johnson,” she said.

  “I love you too. Listen, I know our lives have been busy lately, but when you get back…, he paused, then continued. “I’m going to make more of an effort to make time for just us.”

  “Time for just us? That sounds like a dream come true,” she said, kissing his lips three times before grabbing her luggage and rolling it towards security.

  Once she was seated on the plane and her tears finally subsided, she ordered a drink. Leaving her family and going back home were two of the worst things she’d had to do her entire adult life. Feeling this way made her feel guilty. She loved Del and Norm like a mother and father, but there were so many shadows in her past that she wasn’t ready to shine a light on. It made her ill just thinking about returning. She sipped her martini and rested her head against the seat as she closed her eyes and allowed the memories to swirl.

  September 1982

  It was the first day of school and Rylie woke up early so she could stop by Del’s before walking up the long gravel road to the bus stop. Her momma had taken her to the second-hand store in town and allowed her to pick out 3 dresses of her choice. Rylie chose a blue dress with a sailor collar, a western dress with a white blouse and a red skirt sprinkled with little yellow flowers and a green dress with short sleeves and a tiny black bow at the neckline. She chose to wear the green one because it was her favorite color. She had gone to bed with wet hair causing it to dry in different directions and she was having a hard time getting it to lay down. Giving up, she tossed her brush onto the counter and headed down the hallway. She peeked into her momma’s room and her heart dropped. It was empty. She had hoped she would at least be here for the first day of school. Rylie shoved the disappointment she felt into the hidden parts of her heart and continued down the hall to the front door.

  She ran up the gravel dirt road towards Del’s house, hoping Del would remember what day it was and ask her to join her for breakfast. She lifted the latch on the gate, making sure she re-latched it tight before she ran up the sidewalk to the screen door and knocked softly.

  A few seconds later the back door opened and a man with unruly hair and beard peered out at her from behind the screen
door. Rylie felt her heart jump into her throat as she stepped backwards in surprise. She contemplated running back out the gate but forced herself to stay put.

  “Hello. Can I help you, young lady?” the man asked with a kind voice.

  “Is Del here?” Her voice was a mere squeak.

  “She’s in cooking breakfast,” he replied, holding the screen door open for her. “You must be Rylie. Del told me you might stop by this morning. I’m her husband, Norman,” he said, holding his hand out to her and adding, “pleased to finally meet you.”

  Rylie stood staring at the man who looked nothing like she’d pictured. She reached out to shake his hand and said, “Hello. It’s my first day of school.”

  “That’s what I heard,” he said, stepping aside for her to pass. “What grade will you be starting today?”

  “Fifth grade,” Rylie replied, following Norman through the laundry room and into the kitchen.

  “That’s an exciting grade. You get to be one of the top dogs this year,” he said, turning to give her a wink. “Del, your little friend is here.”

  Del smiled from the stove and went to the cupboard to grab some plates. “Good morning Miss Rylie. Are you ready for your first day of school?” she asked, placing three of the plates on the table and turning back to the stove.

  “As ready as I can be, I suppose,” Rylie answered, sitting in her normal lunch spot. She spent the last couple weeks of summer eating lunch with Del and taking the leftovers home for dinner. Norm never made an appearance, so seeing him this morning had her feeling a little misplaced. She looked sideways in his direction as he sat to the right of her.

  Del set a plate of sausage and bacon on the table and then returned to the stove for a pan of scrambled eggs. “Do you like eggs, Rylie?” she asked, holding the pan over Rylie’s plate.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Del dumped a good-sized helping onto Rylie’s plate before moving over to Norm and doing the same. “Grab yourself some bacon and sausage, honey. You’ll need to hurry so you don’t miss the bus. I think Maysen is stopping by this morning too. You can walk up together,” Del said, smiling as she sat down.

  “Maysen? You mean Maysen Banks?” Rylie asked, holding her spoonful of eggs, frozen in front of her mouth.

  “The very one. Do you know him?” Del asked, taking a bite of sausage.

  Maysen Banks, was the son of the man who owned the ranch land they all lived on. Rylie set her spoonful of eggs back down on her plate shaking her head and said, “No, ma’am. But I know who he is.”

  Del paused and looked at Rylie. With concern she asked, “He isn’t one of the kids who picks on you, is he? I love him, but I’m not afraid to give him a stern talking to.”

  Rylie shook her head again and said, “No. He’s never talked to me. Most of the popular kids ignore me. He’s friends with Rebecca Gregory and she picks on me more than anyone.”

  “Hmmm, Gregory, huh? I bet she’s related to the people who own the store and café in town. Did you want me to go in and talk to them about her bullying you?” Del asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “Del,” Norm said, giving her a warning look.

  Del glanced in Norm’s direction and waved off his concern before saying, “Don’t Del me. If someone is picking on Rylie, I will take care of it like an adult.”

  Rylie felt her eyes bulge. “Please don’t say anything,” she pleaded. “If she finds out I told, she’ll be even meaner to me. I’m good at ignoring her.”

  Norm nodded in Del’s direction as if to say, ‘I told you so.’

  Del glared at him, then looked over at Rylie and said, “If that’s what you want, honey. What do you say I try and tame that hair of yours?” Del cocked an eyebrow at the unkempt look of Rylie’s hair.

  Rylie’s hand flew to the top of her head and she felt her cheeks get warm. “I tried. It wouldn’t stay down,” she said, her forehead creasing.

  “Don’t worry about it, honey. How about I give you some pigtail braids while you eat?”

  A smile sprang to Rylie’s lips. Nodding, she exclaimed, “I’ve never had braids before. I would like that very much!”

  By the time Rylie finished eating, Del had two braided pigtails tied off with green ribbon laying on Rylie’s shoulders. “You have such pretty blonde hair, Rylie,” Del said, patting her head before she sat back down.

  “Thank you,” Rylie said, looking down as her cheeks turned pink. Nobody had ever told her any part of her was pretty and she wasn’t sure how to respond.

  As Rylie looked back up, Del winked at her and took a drink of milk. She set her glass back down as a knock on the door echoed through the laundry room.

  “I’ll get it,” Norm said, scooting his chair back to stand and disappeared into the laundry room.

  Rylie’s eyes grew to the size of saucers and her pulse quickened. Looking over at Del, she asked, “Does Maysen know I’m here?”

  “I told him I was expecting you. He offered to walk with you to the bus stop,” Del said, scooping a spoonful of eggs into her mouth.

  “He did?” Rylie asked, frowning.

  “He did. He’s a very nice young man who’s been taught manners. I’m glad to hear he doesn’t pick on you.”

  Norm came back through the doorway. “Maysen’s here to walk with Rylie to the bus.”

  As he sat back down, Maysen walked through the doorway smiling. He looked at Del and said, “Morning.”

  “Good morning. Are you excited for the first day of school?” Del asked, with a smile.

  “Oh, yes, ma’am! I got Mr. Park this year. Everyone wants him because he’s the best!” he exclaimed, with a smile.

  Rylie had always liked Maysen Banks’ smile because he had the biggest dimples she’d ever seen. During recess, she’d watch him from a distance as he played flag football with friends. He was always smiling as if he was trying to show them off to the world, though she knew he wasn’t. She had tried forcing indents into her own cheeks by holding her index fingers against them for hours at a time. They refused to do what she wanted them to, remaining dimple free.

  Maysen looked over at her and flashed those dumb dimples at her as if he knew what she was thinking. “Hello.”

  Rylie looked down at her empty plate and mumbled, “Hi.”

  “Who did you get this year?” he asked as he sat on Norm’s right facing her across the table.

  Looking up at him, she forced herself to say, “I got Mr. Park, too.”

  Maysen whooped, causing her to jump.

  “Maysen,” Norm moaned, sticking a finger in his ear and shaking his head.

  Maysen glanced over at him. “Sorry Norm. Like I said, Mr. Park is the best.” He turned his attention back to Rylie and asked, “Are you as excited as I am?”

  Rylie shrugged and answered, “I don’t know much about him. I guess so.”

  “Oh, he’s cool. You’ll see! So, are you ready to go?” he asked. He looked around the kitchen and added, “Where’s your backpack?”

  Rylie’s mouth dropped open and she felt heat rise into her cheeks. “My backpack?” she asked, looking at Del.

  Maysen looked at Del, who shook her head and said, “You guys better get going, it’ll take a good five minutes for you to get up there.” Looking at Rylie, she added, “You look beautiful today. Enjoy your day and stop by on your way home if you’re not too tired. I want to hear all about it.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I will,” Rylie replied, getting up from the table and walking over to give Del a hug. “Thank you for breakfast and the braids.”

  “Off you go,” Del said, patting her back. “Thank you for walking with her, Maysen.”

  “No problem. It’ll be nice to have someone to walk with.”

  Rylie waved at Del and Norm and followed Maysen out the door.

  Rylie didn’t know what to say to Maysen, so she kept her eyes on her feet as she listened to the gravel crunch beneath their feet while they walked.

  “Wait until you meet Mr. Park,” Maysen said, brea
king the silence and causing her to jump. “He’s literally the best teacher that ever lived. He’s super funny too.” He paused and looked over at her. “What’s your favorite subject, Rylie?”

  Hearing him say her name caused an odd thrill to rise from her stomach. She peeled her eyes from her feet and looked over at him. She considered him for a few seconds, wondering if he cared or if he was just making small talk. He smiled and those darn dimples made her cave. “Reading. What’s yours?”

  “Math. I’m good at it. I like Science too. I hope we get to cut up a frog this year.”

  “Ewwww,” Rylie squealed. The word escaped her mouth before she could stop it.

  Maysen laughed and said, “Nah, it’s not gross. Haven’t you ever wondered what the inside of people and animals look like?”

  “No,” Rylie said, shaking her head vigorously.

  “Well, I do. All the time. I think I want to be a doctor, but a veterinarian would be cool too. It would come in handy here on the ranch.”

  “That’s cool. You must be really smart.”

  “I get my school work done,” Maysen said with a shrug. “What do you want to be?” he asked, glancing at her.

  “I wish I could be a writer, but that won’t happen.”

  “Why not?”

  Rylie turned pink and looked back down at her feet and shrugged.

  “I’d read one of your books.”

  Rylie stopped walking and watched him as he walked a few more steps before stopping. Knitting her eyebrows together she asked, “You would? Why?”

  Maysen shrugged and answered, “Why not.”

  Rylie narrowed her eyes at him. She couldn’t figure out if he was mocking her or being serious. She started walking again and as she past him, he reached out and touched her arm.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  Rylie stopped and turned to face him. “You don’t know me. Why would you read something I wrote?”

  “I like to read.”

  “You’ve never even talked to me before. We’ve been coming to the same bus stop since first grade. You’re only talking to me now because Del asked you to walk with me. Don’t pretend to be my friend, because I know as soon as we get to school, you’ll go back to ignoring me again,” Rylie said, glaring at him.