Ends of the Earth

Ben snorted to himself, mumbling, “So you know Jason’s name. Yes, that’ll make it so much more meaningful.” Hell, he didn’t even know if Jason was interested. He might think Ben was a creep. And I just might be.

Maybe he yearned for a bit of company too. His dad’s old cabin had been a magical place when he was a kid, but now that it was home, it felt empty. He and Brad had had a group of friends in Kalispell, but it was awkward after the breakup, and Ben rarely saw them after moving out of town.

Dad was gone now, and Mom had passed when he was still a teenager. He probably had cousins somewhere, but he didn’t know them. He’d always imagined having kids by forty. He told himself he was fine on his own, but sometimes he wished…

“Christ,” he muttered. There was his sentimental streak, rearing its ugly, useless head. His family was gone, and Brad had made a new family without him. He needed to man up and deal with it.

The moon was almost full, so he didn’t need to turn on his flashlight as he navigated the campground. Many campers were gathered around their fires, and he scanned the faces far too eagerly.

After half an hour, Ben still hadn’t spotted Jason. He was just about to give up and get to work when he heard a man and child singing off-key. As he neared the campsite, he spotted Maggie’s bright hair, the echo of firelight catching in the golden strands.

When he realized what they were singing, he smiled in the darkness. John Denver and his country roads had been a favorite of Ben’s parents, and he joined in without thinking.

Jason shot up from his perch on a log beside the fire, squinting toward the dark road. “Hello? Who’s there?”

Ben stepped into the campsite with a wave, pushing up the brim of his hat. “Sorry to startle you. I was just passing by.”

Jason visibly relaxed. “Oh, hey.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans, seemingly anxious all over again. “We were just…hanging out.” He cleared his throat.

“You sounded great, and don’t let anyone tell you any differently.”

Ben could swear Jason was blushing. “Yeah, well. Maggie loves campfire songs even though I’m not good at them.”

“You’re awesome, Dad. Hi, Ben! Do you want a marshmallow?” She thrust a stick toward him, a gooey mess stuck to the end of it.

“Thanks, Maggie.” He pulled off the warm marshmallow and savored the sticky sweetness.

“Can I get you something?” Jason asked. “Um, I don’t really drink.” He opened a nearby cooler and fished around. “There’s soda, juice, water and, uh, milk. Or I could make some coffee?”

Ben smiled. “Soda’s great.” He took a seat on the log next to Maggie, resting his hat on his knee. Jason passed him a cold can of cola and sat on her other side.

“So. Um, nice night, huh?” Jason asked.

He was clearly nervous. Maybe a good sign? Ben didn’t know why he was even entertaining this idea of starting something with Jason. He should probably just leave the guy in peace, but there was something about him and his crooked smile that intrigued Ben in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. He took a swig of cola. “Beautiful. I guess you don’t see stars like this in Philadelphia.”

“Nope. It’s amazing out here.”

Maggie speared another marshmallow with her stick and held it over the fire. “Ben, will you sing a song with us?”

“Well, I’m not much of a singer. You might regret asking me.”

“It’s okay, my dad can’t sing either.”

“Hey!” Jason faked offense. “You just said I was good. I’ll have you know I was in the choir all through school. Sure, it was mandatory, but that’s not the point.”

Maggie giggled and turned her stick, browning the marshmallow. “Come oooon. Let’s sing.”

“Maggie, don’t whine,” Jason said. “It’s okay, Ben. You don’t have to.”

“How about you sing one for us, Maggie?” Ben suggested.

“Okay. I learned this in Girl Scouts.” She cleared her throat dramatically before launching into a slightly off-key version of “Puff the Magic Dragon.” When she was finished, both Jason and Ben clapped. Ben asked, “You ever think about going pro?”

She grinned. “Maybe in a few years. I have to at least finish sixth grade first, and I’m only going into fourth.”

Jason added, “Oh, you’ll be finishing a lot more than sixth grade, young lady.”

“You know, that song used to bum me out when I was a kid.” Ben took a swig of cola. “Man, I haven’t heard it in years.”

“I guess it is kind of depressing, with Puff losing his friend and going to wallow in his cave,” Jason said.

“Yeah, but I thought the kid died. You know, dragons live forever, but not little boys.”

Jason laughed. “Okay, I can see how that would be a serious downer.”