Tentacles of red, white and blue streaked down from the dark night sky.

“They’ve started! Come on.” Grace pulled Drew by the hand and they ran to the bottom of the staircase.

The fireworks were in full force by the time they’d climbed midway up the stairs to a landing with a long wooden bench. “My dad built this when we were young, so we could have a resting place on our way up from the beach,” Grace said as they sat on the bench overlooking the beach and, beyond it, the bay.

Drew pulled her against him as the sky filled with color. When she glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling in the afterglow of fireworks, he felt a burst of emotion that he couldn’t quite identify. Something more than pleasure or satisfaction. Was it as big as joy? Or did it even matter whether he could name it or not? He knew only that he wanted to kiss this small woman leaning into him.