Ben arrives on Saturday
his face near the bleachers
a welcome sight
he watches me on the beam
until we are set free for the day

with only a week to the Tri-Cup
I stay an extra few minutes
I almost have my flight series
though I still jump off at the last second
sometimes
even Coach seems pleased
mostly

I change and walk over to Ben
a smile playing on his lips

“Sorry. I wanted to try it a couple more times,” I say

He shrugs with one shoulder, “I could watch you all day.
It’s amazing what you can do.”

when I reach him I stop just short and pause,
looking at this guy
such a short time to feel this way
but I am more sure than ever
that Ben
is nothing like Ethan

so I drop my bag
and
throw my arms around him