— “Hi.” An energetic voice said behind me. I blinked, and sighed, knowing who the voice belonged to. Noah Frey. The always-happy-for-some-reason kid at my school, who never seemed to live life in stress. Unlike me, I was a worrier, and I hated doing this that involved people. I was also gay, so yeah. I didn’t get many friends. His finger tapped my shoulder and I turned around with my eyebrows raised. His round face had a sweet smile plastered on it. “I have something for you!” He exclaimed, then dug around in his green satchel. The latch clicked against his metal bracelets as he dug through it. I stuck my hands awkwardly in my pockets and waited for him to get what he wanted from his bag. The air smelled sweet of flowers in the park, and the grass under my shoes was a bright green from a fresh rain that just passed through. Noah finally lifted his head, and hid his hands behind his back before I zoned back into the world. He bounced back and forth on his heels and giggled, his excitement was contagious to other people he was around, like all his crazy friends. I tilted my head at him, I never understood why he was so nice to me, or why he was always following me everywhere I went. Why would he choose me? Noah tried to calm himself before he spoke. “Alright,” he said, holding up his free hand. “Close your eyes.” I sighed and groaned. “Seriously?” I asked, crossing my arms at him. Noah looked playfully defensive. “Uh, yeah.” He said teasingly. I pursed my lips, but I closed my eyes. Nothing but black now, and I all I heard was Noah’s laugh, and him stepping forward. He grabbed my hand and I flinched slightly, his hands warm against mine. I could hear concern in his voice as he spoke, but sweetness still touched it, and reminded me of a mother talking to their child. “It’s okay.” He said softly. I exhaled slowly, my eyes still safely closed from Noah’s secret, whatever it was. I felt something being placed in my hand, it was soft and flexible, like leather. Noah took his hands away. “Okay, open your eyes now, Brody.” He said. —
When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t in the same park with dandelions in the fields just blooming, and the sound of kids screaming from the playground. Or the wind tussling my hair, and warm sun shining down on my face. No. Instead I was in a cemetery, standing over a grave that bore the name Noah Maylinn-Frey on it. The words written under that was, “You Can Open Your Eyes Now.” My husband. My lover. My only lover. The same person who dragged me into a bar for the first time, swearing it wasn’t for the drinks, just the stupid glowing fish tank by the door. The same person who said adopted all five abandon puppy at the shelter because he knew I would love them. the same person who gave me a leather bracelet with a rainbow in beads on it. I looked down at that same bracelet on my wrist, the faded rainbow beads still looked as beautiful as it did to me on the day Noah gave it to me. The day he became my friend. Then my boyfriend. Then my husband. I tear fell onto my hand and coloured it darker. I sighed and looked at the grave again, the name still there, the words carved into it. Seven years ago they were carved there. I laid down the flowers that rested in my palm, onto the grassy ground in front of the grave. The grass around it was sickly yellow, and pale, and the sky was stormy. My eyes felt blurry, but Noah’s voice still whispered into my ears, and calmed me. “You can open your eyes now, Brody.” He said softly, the sweet voice that calmed anything and anyone, and whispered to animals like a power. I sniffed and looked up from the grave at my son, who was swinging on a swing hung on a willow tree. “I can’t…” I whispered, my voice cracking from emotion. I squeezed my eyes shut, and closed out the shattered world around me. Noah was… everything to me. I clenched my jaw and crouched down by the grave, the stone began to get darkened from small rain drops in the stormy clouds across the dark sky. Noah’s soft laughter faded away from my mind, and it became harder to imagine his voice. I sobbed. but before I left the voice said again. His voice. “Open your eyes. Look at me.” “Okay,” I whispered, my voice caught in the breeze, and carried it away with Noah’s voice. “I will.” I slowly opened my eyes and saw his face in front of me. His soft wavy brown hair, and caramel eyes glowed in the sun shining through the clouds. His face shimmered and disappeared like disturbed water, and then when I blinked all I saw was my son running towards me. His face glowed like Noah’s and his black hair rippled behind him. I smiled. “I’ve opened my eyes.” I said and stepped forward to my son, Noah. Cover art credit to Cabbage_catt Story by me
