[WARNING! Unedited! Don't buy!]
Later that night, I stepped outside with a mug of tea in hand, hoping the cool air would clear my head. The stars were scattered across the sky like spilled glitter, the breeze carrying the scent of damp grass and blooming kalachuchi. I leaned against the porch railing and exhaled slowly.
Behind me, the soft murmur of my parents' voices drifted through the open window. My mom was still talking about grandchildren. My dad, ever the grumbler, was muttering something about "not rushing" and "the boy still needing to pass the barbecue test." But his voice lacked real resistance now. He wasn't really fighting her. He never did, not when it came to her hopes.
I smiled to myself. They were ridiculous sometimes—but they loved me. And more than anything, they wanted me to be happy.
But even with all the warmth of the evening, there was still a weight on my chest. A name I couldn't say aloud at the table. A presence that remained missing.
Cole.
