...

This walk changed everything. We went to the beach first, where Sam showed me one cave where he claimed he got lost exactly twenty years ago because he saw something shiny and didn't come out with the rest of his invited guests. It was hard for me to believe that the Sam I knew had gotten into as much trouble as Norman Price was now. Sam told me his other unbelievable adventures as we headed from the beach to the cliffs and then along a narrow path through the forest. He apologized to me several times for talking so much about himself, interrupting his stories, but I just laughed and immediately reassured him that I had no problem with it. I liked listening to his voice, especially when we had a reason to laugh together. Besides, I could see that he was enjoying that too, although I hoped he wouldn't mind if I used one or the other story to tease him a bit one day.

If such a day ever comes, I sighed inwardly. I could go on and on about the thousands of situations in which I wanted to talk to Sam honestly. Open up to him. Tell him the truth. Explain why I can't laugh so loudly with anyone else, or why I trust him blindly in every situation, even the worst. To tell him why everything becomes easier when he's around. Each of my attempts had a different reason depending on the circumstances, but something always went wrong and eventually fear took over and I quickly found a quick explanation for my sudden nervousness without Sam suspecting anything. Sometimes I was so disappointed by another failed opportunity that I had to take a day off because I couldn't look Sam in the eye without feeling guilty at the same time that I called him my best friend and hid the truth from him by lying to him every day, straight into the eyes.
We were close friends, but I always felt special and safe with him. I may not have often encountered extremely dangerous situations at work, but whenever something happened that made me feel scared, Sam was always the first to notice and he always did everything he could to give me time to calm down, even if it meant he had to keep me in the back. I was never mad at him for it, on the contrary I was grateful and didn't understand why he cared about me so much. However, part of me wanted to believe that what we connected us was something stronger than friendship.

It didn't take us long to return from the walk and I was even proud of myself because I made it in time and exactly at the moment when Sam followed me into the fire station, everyone gathered started singing Happy Birthday to him. I joined in too, standing with the rest of our friends. I could clearly see the confusion on Sam's face and I couldn't help but smile. I had the impression that just because I told him we had something ready for him didn't mean he would be ready for it. Sam wasn't the type of person who liked to draw a lot of attention to himself. He was bolder than me, but his humble demeanor alone when someone praised him as a  hero next door showed that he didn't like publicity.

After the more official part, everyone wanted to come up and wish Sam best wishes personally. I waited patiently in line, talking to Arnold, who also ended up at the end of the line.

"You can go first, Penny," he suggested to me when it was our turn.

"Thank you, but you were here first," I declined politely. "I will wait".

"I'll try to hurry up," Arnold replied, winking at me playfully.

So I leaned against the wall, watching Arnold talking to Sam out of the corner of my eye. However, I didn't hear anything, so instead I focused on the rest of the guests, who slowly started to go their separate ways. It seemed to me that the whole town came. Now there were very few of us left in front of the fire station. Charlie, Bronwyn, Sarah and James along with the rest of the kids and our team. This year it turned out to be quite a modest party, exactly what Sam wanted. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice that I had missed the line and that Sam had suddenly disappeared from my sight. I looked around, but I jumped in fear when he suddenly stood right behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Sam," I scolded him. I knew perfectly well that Sam knew that I could be easily scared when I was deep in thought, and he always knew how to take advantage of it. "Don't you forget someone?" I added teasingly as I managed to get my heartbeat under control.

"About who?" Sam looked at me surprised. I tried not to let on that it made me a little sad that he didn't notice that I didn't wish him well. "Is something wrong, Penny?" He asked worriedly, apparently I didn't hide my disappointment as well as I thought.

"No," I replied, doing my best to look away. I wanted to leave, but at that moment Sam grabbed my wrist and gently stopped me in my tracks.

"Maybe we'll dance?" He asked when our eyes met. "Then you can wish me well," he added encouragingly.

But I didn't have to be asked twice. I could see in his eyes that he wanted this as much as I did. So I smiled and let him slide the hand he still had on my wrist down to where I intertwined my fingers with his.

“Happy birthday, Sam,” I said.

"Thanks, Penny," he replied shyly before turning me around and we started dancing.

He led me in the dance, and I was even more than aware that our faces were so close to each other that I could clearly distinguish the color differences in his iris. The melody around us was changing, but the emotions weren't. Feeling his closeness for a long time, I felt a strange warmth inside and for a moment I could imagine what a melting ice cube might feel like. Everything I felt for Sam suddenly wanted to come out of me. I looked up and my gaze immediately met his before he confidently spun me around in a dance. When I regained my balance, Sam smiled slightly at me, and a moment later I felt his hand on my cheek. My heart began to beat faster, hoping that Sam wanted the same thing as me, but I was disappointed to have to suppress my excitement when it turned out that he only wanted to tuck a strand of hair, that had fallen out of my ponytail, behind my ear.

I hoped I didn't show anything as we continued to dance. All I knew was that Sam didn't show anything, even if he noticed something. We danced until the music stopped playing. And when we finished, my legs were still moving to the rhythm of the dance and I couldn't do anything about it.

"Maybe we should eat something?" Sam suggested.

"Fine," I agreed.

"Have you baked anything this year?" Sam asked jokingly.

"You know I don't like to bake," I replied, returning his smile.

"But I also know that there are opportunities that you can break through" he objected, smiling cheekily.

"Don't flatter yourself," I teased him, gently nudging his side with my elbow.

"Why?" He looked at me with confusion.

"I think you're counting on too much, Sam," I tried to sound neutral.

"Is it bad that I want to spend my birthday with my best friend?" He joked again.

"You've already spent it," I hit him on the shoulder with the back of my hand, and he responded with a dry laugh.

We just reached the snack table, where my failed bake was also standing. I tried to get Sam to try the Elvis cookies instead, but he insisted on helping himself and me with a piece of my cake. I didn't try, I waited for his reaction, and when his face suddenly froze, I immediately tried to explain something.

"Unfortunately, it was a bit burnt, but..." I said, embarrassed, when suddenly he interrupted me by placing his finger on my lips.

"It's delicious," he said comfortingly. "And certainly better than Ellie's cream cake," he added jokingly.

"I heard it, Sam!" Ellie's voice cut through the crowd.

"I have to go," Sam said hesitantly. I leaned out and saw Ellie coming towards us.

"Sure," I winked knowingly.

I knew perfectly well that it was impossible to escape from Ellie. But Sam must have managed it somehow, although we didn't meet again until outside the fire station, when Sam came out of his hiding place to thank everyone for coming and us for organizing it all. I didn't want to listen, my emotions were still swirling like crazy when he raised the glass of his juice towards me. I still remembered the dance, and my legs could repeat each step exactly. So I tried to get my mind off it, but no matter how hard I tried, I kept thinking about Sam.

I was so focused on stopping thinking about him that I completely didn't notice that everyone had already left. I was the only one left outside. I leaned against the wall and sighed. It's never been so hard for me to pull myself together enough to be able to act normal around him again. I closed my eyes and let the silence fill me, I felt calm, or at least that's what I thought until I felt someone's eyes on me. I turned my head back slightly and almost jumped in surprise because Sam was standing behind me.

"Why are you standing here all alone and not playing with the others in the common room?" He asked me in a gentle voice, leaning against the wall right next to me.

“I just like the view,” I explained, pointing to the dark sky above us. But, although my excuse was good, the weather had a different opinion, because today the stars were obscured by clouds.

"I know you like looking at the stars. But at the clouds..." he looked at me with amusement.

"You don't know me as well as you think, Sam," I muttered under my breath, sighing slightly.

"Are you hiding something from me?" He looked at me teasingly. I immediately recognized that spark in his eyes. "Are you living a second life in Newtown?"

"I let you make stupid jokes on your birthday without consequences, but I think you went too far this time," I admonished him, although I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face.

"Come on, Penny," he looked at me teasingly, tilting his head slightly. "Tell me your secret," he whispered quietly.

I couldn't tell what came over me. Something in Sam's eyes was so captivating that I couldn't resist and immediately got lost in them. Their color, ever since I met Sam, reminded me of the color of the sea that I loved so much. As much as I loved him. For years I couldn't openly deny it anymore. Every moment in his presence lifted me to the clouds. Never before has anyone been able to make me laugh so much, often revealing their completely different face to me. A face that the serious firefighter Sam couldn't wear on a daily basis, but I was glad that it wasn't the mask that I fell in love with. I wanted to believe that it showed that he trusted me, but when he dropped his constant seriousness in front of others too, I began to doubt it again.
However, in one moment I saw in his eyes how wrong I was. But I didn't have time to think about it when I felt his lips on mine. He pulled me closer and I didn't want to resist. I gave in and welcomed him by deepening the kiss. At that moment, all my deepest dreams, which I had kept carefully hidden from the world, woke up. I also had the undeniable certainty that Sam felt the same as soon as I looked into his eyes. They sparkled with happiness, just like mine.

"I've never been good at telling people how I feel, but you make me want to try," I started as we both took a breath. "I love you, Sam," I whispered against his lips.