I sit on the porch with my hands tucked under my chin and elbows on my knees, breathing in the crisp night air. Grandma is sitting beside me, humming a tune. She hands me an ice-cold lemonade, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead. I beam, graciously accepting it. Grandma and I sip on our drinks as we stare at the beautiful stars illuminating the night sky. The lemonade is icy and invigorating, sweetened to perfection–just the way I like it. The sweetness lingers on my tongue, a blissful echo of the calmness. I listen to the chirping crickets and hooting owls, closing my eyes and leaning on my grandma's shoulder. Never has there been a more perfect moment, and I want it to last forever. Today marks the last day of summer break, and I'm determined to enjoy this final day of peace with her. Before long, I quietly doze off until I feel her gently nudging my shoulder.

 "Aurora, honey, it's time to go to bed." 

I slowly lift my heavy eyes using my last bit of strength and look towards her. "I love you, grandma." She beams at the words, and I can't help but notice her unique beauty. I want to be just like her when I grow up. 

 

4 years later, 12th grade. 5:57 PM

I pour the pitcher of lemonade into two cylindrical glasses. Next week is the last day of school. I couldn't wait to spend my summer with her, free from all the homework that had been piled on me. I close my eyes and breathe in the warm summer air. My amber hair rustles against the breeze and I shiver at the perfection of the scene. Years of memories are displayed in front of me. The tire swing, hanging limp under the tree, aimlessly rocks back and forth, guided by the gentle wind. A toy chest containing years of my childhood sits peacefully on the deck of my grandma's little wooden house. The famous porch with the cozy swing serves as a grand entrance to my home, the place where I belong. I sit down on the porch swing, legs ambiently swinging under me. My phone vibrates in my pocket.

"Xander!" I smile and pick up the phone. 

"Hi Rory! What's up!" Rory was a nickname he loved to use.

I shrug, and respond, "Nothing much. I'm just waiting for my grandma to come home with the apple pie she promised." 

"You're so lucky. You're going to give me some, right?" Xander's voice echoes cheerily on the other side.

"How am I supposed to give it to you?" I laugh. "Fly it over on a drone?"

After what seemed like hours of chatting, he finally hung up. Even after moving an hour away, Xander still continues to be there for me, just like the old days of my childhood.

I say goodbye and hang up. I drum my fingers on the porch railing and sigh. Grandma said she would be back from the grocery store by 6 PM with all the ingredients, but she wasn't here yet. I checked my phone. 6:23 PM. No worries, she was just running late. She would get home, we would enjoy the pie, and give some to Xander tomorrow. Except she never came home.

I remember that night so vividly. I was on the verge of falling asleep, eyes growing heavy, but still sitting in that porch chair waiting for grandma to come home, listening to those crickets chirp. Grandma, where are you? I checked my phone again. 11:27 PM. I still tried to make excuses. She went to a hotel! She... she... but nothing made sense. I suddenly saw a flash of light, and heard footsteps. Grandma was finally home! I grabbed both glasses of lemonade, now room temperature and stood up, waiting for her face to appear from around the corner of the fence, but it wasn't hers. 

"Hello, I am Officer Kimberly. Are you Aurora Lotsune?" Those icy blue eyes  pierced my soul. That was the moment I knew something had happened.

"O-officer? Y-yes, I'm Aurora. Is everything okay?" I tried to appear casual. I leaned against the wooden post, and drank the lemonade in my right hand through the straw. The officer took a deep breath and began slowly talking as I swallowed.  "Aurora, I'm sorry for your loss." 

I forced the lemonade down my protesting throat. I grimaced. The once-sweet lemonade now tasted sour and bitter, akin to a toxic waste. I choked and sputtered when I heard the words. "W-what?" My world came to a stop. I couldn't breathe. I stared at her in disbelief, but when she averted her gaze, I knew she wasn't lying. I suddenly felt a splash of liquid lapping at my bare toes poking through the sandals. I felt a sharp sting at the tips of my toes, and my shoes were polluted with drops of crimson. Simultaneously, I heard the piercing sound of glass hitting the floor. The tiny shards were just like my heart. Broken. 

It was a numb pain, tingling through my body. Another police officer gently took my arm, but I was frozen solid. It was as if I was paralyzed, an external force grabbing my limbs and forcefully pinning me down to the ground. I felt nothing at all, really, and the world I had once known was slipping away through my icy cold grasp. I let go, and went tumbling down into the darkness. It engulfed me, and forced me down underwater, unwilling to let me take another breath of air. My mind went blank, and I was falling... falling... down to the deep end. 

In my room, my mind freezes. Crickets chirp, but all I can focus on is the gaping hole in the pit of my stomach, as if someone has ripped me open. I take a few deep breaths. Breathe. Just keep breathing. With shaky hands, I dial the one person I know and care for. 

 "Hey, how's the pie-" Xander answers the FaceTime I send him, and stops short when he sees my tear-stained face. The mere mention of the word pie unleashes another wave of tears.

 "She's gone." I feel lifeless.

 "Auror-" But before he can finish, I end the call and throw my phone onto the pillow. 

 The phone continues to ring, again and again for I don't know how long. Surrounded by tears, I drift off, wishing for grandma's embrace.

 

 Two Hours Later

I check my phone. 17 missed calls from Xander. 13 voicemails. I bring the phone to my ear and listen to the most recent one. 

 Xander's voice pierces the silent room. "Rory... please answer..." White noise. "I'm coming over.. You better open the door."

 I stare at the phone in shock. 

At 2:56 AM, the door slowly creaks open. I realize I've forgotten to lock it. Xander enters my room, finding me in a state of despair, my eyes throbbing with pain. He takes a seat beside me on the bed.

"Rory... don't cry," he says, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders. I bury my tear-stained face into his shirt. 

"She's gone." I shake between sobs, and my tears soak his shirt. "I'm alone." The words escape in a strangled whisper. "She loved me. She was all I had left."

Xander pauses for a minute, leans down, and whispers quietly into my ear, "That's not true, Aurora. You have me. And I'll be there with you every step of the way." I look into his eyes and gently squeeze his hand three times. He squeezes back. Slowly, I sense the pieces being put back into place.

 

3 months later

 I'm at the grocery store with Xander. The end of summer is approaching, and haven't had lemonade since my grandma departed. As I eye the lemons, Xander notices my hesitation. He puts a comforting hand over mine, and encourages me to pick out a few. His green eyes stare back into mine as he gives me a small, lopsided smile.

 After we arrive back home, I start making lemonade. Surprisingly, the process becomes enjoyable, with Xander beside me. Night falls, and two glasses of lemonade sit on the counter.

 "Ready?" Xander stands behind me, arms wrapped around me.

 "As ready as I'll ever be." 

 

 I walk outside and sit down on the porch in my old spot. Xander sits beside me. I melt into his arm, and watch the stars, while sipping the bittersweet lemonade. It's a taste that mirrors life itself. I smile and stare into the stars, recalling the constellations grandma had taught me. Pausing, I look at a line of stars twinkling in front of me, and I see my grandma's face smiling back at me.

 

 Grandma made the night sky prettier.