Work Text:
You see Delilah.
She’s about your age. Middle-aged, beyond the point of a “few” grey hairs. Standing alone, next to your piece of shit pickup. Covered in the same layer of ash that everyone flown out is.
You, Henry, have been waiting for an entire summer for this moment.
You approach her.
“Hey, D.” You say as coolly as you can.
“Hey, Henry.” She says.
She’s about the height you pictured her. A bit curvier.
You start laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” She asks. She’s not hostile, she’s just a bit cold. Considering everything that’s happened, you don’t blame her.
“You…you…”
“Oh, I can’t wait for this one. I’m what, Hank?”
“You’re…exactly what I expected.”
“Really? Because you’re nothing like you said you were, Burt Reynolds.” She replies sarcastically. You finally get to see the smirk you always imagined on her face.
“Speaking of which...” You reach into your pack. Out comes Turt Reynolds. Delilah smiles.
“You know, taking him with you is technically illegal.”
“A lot of things have been illegal today, and you want to report me for a turtle.”
“His little turtle family could be so worried! You’ve held him hostage for months now!”
“Well, I’m sure they can handle a few months more. Turt and I have been through a lot together, I couldn’t leave my friend behind to burn.” You point out.
There’s a long silence. The other lookouts have all left already. All that’s left is you, Delilah, and some rangers.
You ask her for a drink.
“Henry, that’s…that’s a bad idea, we both know it.”
“Just a drink, D. Just to…say goodbye to the summer.”
Eventually, she agrees. Only to get you to stop begging.
Just a drink.
It’s midnight, and neither of you want to leave this bar.
You’re drunk.
She’s drunk.
You eventually move to the back of your pickup. You sit and stare at the stars.
“They were easier to see out in Two Forks.” You say.
“It’s a bad night for this. Too many clouds.”
“Yeah.”
You reflexively grab the radio in your pocket. The person you want to talk to is right next to you.
You don’t know what to say.
You say the wrong thing.
“Still want me to go see Julia?”
“Yes. You should be with her.” She says.
“I haven’t seen her in almost a year, D.”
“That’s why you should go now!”
You don’t argue.
“Would you wait?”
“What?”
“Would you wait for me to come back?”
“You want me to wait around in Colorado until you come back from visiting your sick wife?”
“When you put it like that, I sound like a dick.”
“Because that’s what you are.” She doesn’t sound very angry.
“Would you?” you ask again.
“I can’t.”
“Delilah-”
“We can’t do this, Hank. It was a good summer. Fuck, it was a great summer. Why can’t you just let it go?”
She has a completely different color of eyes than Julia. Her hair is different, even a different texture. The two look nothing alike, not even similar.
She smells like the forest.
You kiss her.
You don’t know why. Yet you know exactly why.
Two weeks later you head to Melborne. Delilah waves you off.
She promises to at least let you know where she ends up.
Two years later, you’re drinking beer. You’re drinking shitty beer, staring at the trees in the distance.
Your beard is turning grey, but you still look good. At least to yourself.
Julia is fine. Julia is with her family.
Julia barely remembers you.
You came back to Colorado. Got a new job. Got a new place. Finished that novel.
D got a very sexy accent in it.
You drink beer out on the patio. The sun is going down.
You drink beers with Delilah on the patio. You drink beer just about anywhere.
Life is good.