Meet Me Where the Oak Tree Grows

The middle-aged guy spat on his fingers, counted out three crisp bills, and handed them over.
My lips were trembling with anger. "You never mentioned you were going to cut it this short."
He shot me a sideways glance. "That's just how we do it in this line of work. Take it or leave it. It's not like I can glue your hair back on."
He knew full well that once it was cut, it was a done deal.
I snatched the cash from his hand. "You liar. Karma's going to catch up with you."
With that, I turned on my heel and left.
Around this time, most bakeries in town were still closed. After running around to a few, I finally found one that was open.
"Please, could you hurry it up a bit?"
An hour later, I was walking out with a freshly baked blueberry cake and headed to the flower shop nearby.
"Could I get a bouquet of sunflowers, please?"
After those purchases, I had about eight bucks and some change left in my pocket.
As I checked at the goodies in my hands, the satisfaction washed away my frustration about the haircut.
But Jonah didn’t seem as excited about the cake and flowers as I’d hoped. He fixed his gaze on my new haircut, lips pressed into a thin line, and after
a pause, he muttered softly, "You little fool."
I noticed a glimmer of tears in his eyes and rushed over, forgetting everything else.
"Hey, hold it together. You know what they say about tears before a goodbye—they bring bad luck."
I waved my hand over his eyes, fanning away the tears.
He choked up, and when he looked up again, disbelief filled his eyes.
I breathed a sigh of relief and, as always, pulled him along to light the candles. The candle flames danced, blending with the lively sunlight streaming
in.
"Happy birthday, Jonah."

At that moment, he leaned in to whisper something in my ear, but my right ear was completely out of commission just then.
I could only look at him, puzzled.
He averted his gaze casually, saying, "Nothing, just wishing you a happy birthday."
I took his word for it.
We closed our eyes and made our wishes. This year, I wished for his safe journey and for us to have many more years together.
As usual, he tried to dab the first bit of frosting on my forehead, but I dodged and quickly swiped some on his brow instead.
"I'm giving you all my future luck. Bring it back to me when you return."
He never had a sweet tooth, but this time he insisted on sharing the cake until it was all gone.
Before we parted, he tousled my hair and remarked, "A bit prickly."
"...Then don't touch it."
He chuckled softly, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Next time I come back, it won't be prickly."
He left with nothing but that old ten-dollar bill and the bouquet of sunflowers I’d just bought.
I stood at the door, watching him and Cooper's silhouettes fade into the distance. Strangely, I didn’t feel as sad as I thought I would, just a heavy
sensation I couldn’t quite pin down.
My eyes stung, but no tears came, leaving just a bitter taste in my mouth. It took me a while to realize this feeling was numbness.
Before bed, I found a set of keys and a bank card under my pillow. Jonah had left me the little house and his savings from over the years.
Tears sprang to my eyes unexpectedly, like being caught in a sudden rain.
After they left, I lived alone in the little house. When my college entrance exam results came out, I ranked in the top hundred statewide, earning a ten-
thousand-dollar scholarship from the school.
I got into a university for forensic science, and the teachers and classmates I met were all wonderful.