Slow Farewell (Reprise)

Mended Hearts

Another dream, but this time it wasn't so bad. The memories of him with his son replayed while he slept, except Mango was aware. He tried to enjoy these moments, even if they were not real.

"What's wrong, dad?" His son asked. Mango paused, and felt his face. He looked at his hands, wet from tears. He didn't realize he was crying.
"It's nothing." Mango was fully aware this was only a dream, but still he felt obligated to keep his son happy.
"A-are you sure?" Gold insisted. Mango kneeled down and smiled gently, looking his son in the eyes.
"I'm sure." The joyful tears continued to fall down his face. He missed his son so much. The poor child was confused, so he hugged his father. This woke Mango up, and it was already morning.
Sure enough, he was crying in his sleep. Mango wiped off the dried tears, and stood up. His heart hurt, but was feeling a bit better. It took him a moment to gather courage to exit his room. Mauve was sitting at the kitchen's counter, eating leftover pancakes.

"Good morning- are- are you okay?" She noticed Mango's expression and became worried.
"Um," He was a little choked up, but continued. "Yeah."
"Okay." Mauve patted the stool next to her. "Have some." Mango did as told, an empty plate, toppings, plus a container of pancakes were waiting for him. He got some pancakes and drizzled maple syrup over them. He scarfed them up.
"I've got to go. You'll be okay?" Mauve put her belongings away, and walked over to the exit. She was a little concerned about Mango, she didn't want him to have another breakdown.
"I promise I'll be okay. Don't worry." Mango encouraged.
"Okay, have a good day." She waved farewell, and Mango was alone again. Once he finished eating, he put away the remaining dishes. He obtained his phone from his room, and scrolled aimlessly on his phone.

He was surprised when Mauve burst through the doors, a few hours later. She covered her face with her hands, and ran towards her room. She slammed the door behind her, and sobbing could be heard.
Mango hardly had time to react. "Mauve?" He got up and slowly approached her door. He knocked, not wanting to overwhelm her.
"..." She didn't respond, and her crying grew quieter. Mango gently creaked the door open. Mauve was sprawled across her bed, her face still obscured because of her hands.
"What happened?" He moved closer, but was hesitant to get near. Mauve inhaled deeply, and sat up. She rubbed her face in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I-..."
"Don't apologize."
"Sorry- I mean-" Mauve sighed. "I just got fired." She frowned.
"That's not your fault."
"Yeah." Mango sat down next to the girl. She didn't deserve this. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, to comfort her. The two sat there, for a moment.
"I'm overreacting." Mauve thought aloud.
"No, you're not." Mango protested, looking at her sternly. She only looked away, hating that she was being so soft. "Really." Mauve nodded gratefully.
"I'll be fine." She put on a smile. "Let's go out, take our minds off this chaos, yeah?" She suggested, and stood up.
"Only if you want. I can pay you back-" Mango began to respond with a soft tone of voice.
"Don't worry about it. Where do you want to go?"
"I heard the spring festival was going on."
"That would be great!" She responded. Mango chuckled, getting the signal to go prepare. He went to the room he was staying in. The man slipped on an old, brown coat and placed his phone, and wallet in his surprisingly large pockets. He cleaned himself up, before going into the kitchen. Mango waited patiently for her, but not for long.
She exited her room, with a floppy straw hat, and a joyful grin. The two headed out the door, and toward Mauve's small white car. The car ride was mostly silent, with Mango admiring the beauty of the plants currently. Everything was blossoming- he didn't get to see it much because of being inside so much.

They arrived at the large plot of land covered in carnival rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, and animal acts. Plenty of couples, families and friends were scattered about the public event. The weather was cold and slightly windy, causing petals from trees to float down from the skies. Outdated music blasted from a nearby speaker mounted on a pole, setting the upbeat mood.
Together, the two headed inside the gates of the carnival. There were vendors and rides everywhere, but Mauve and Mango agreed to stop at a food vendor first.
"What would you and your husband like?" Hearing this, Mango covered his face in embarrassment.
"Woah woah, we're just friends." Mauve shook her head, and laughed.
"Apologies, ma'am." The employee rubbed their neck awkwardly.
"Two funnel cakes, please." Mauve requested, brushing off the embarrassing moment. She received her order a few minutes later, the deep fried desserts were caked in powdered sugar and strawberries.

Mango and Mauve took a seat at a wooden bench and happily munched on their snack. They deserved a sweet after what they had been through. Mauve looked at her surroundings, and appreciated the joy, and happiness around her. She missed it.
They engaged in a conversation, Mango started feeling comfortable enough to open up a bit more to Mauve. She laughed and smiled, gladly hearing what her close friend said. Mango felt himself having a good time, too, but unlike before, he didn't think twice about it. He kept chatting with Mauve, pleasantly listening to her voice.
In the back of Mango's mind, the voice that always haunted him was finally silent, for good. It was overpowered by the joyful chatter around him.
"Let's ride the ferris wheel!" Mauve exclaimed, after both of them finished their food. She grabbed Mango's wrist, and dragged him towards the ride like an energetic child. After purchasing tickets, they got into one of the gondolas and the ride began.
They were lifted into the air, and Mango looked out of the side of the capsule. He was surprised with the beautiful scenery. Bright tents, colorful grass, blooming plants, the world seemed to come to a pause.
With another glance at Mauve, this is when Mango knew it would all be okay. She grinned, and the two friends enjoyed the rest of the day at the festival. They played games, and Mango gave Mauve a teddy bear he earned.
In the next few weeks, Mango would finally heal from his wounds, physical and mental. Both Mauve and Mango got hired to work at an ice cream shop. Although it was simple, they enjoyed working together.
Mango started living in his house again, and taking better care of himself. He was still close to Mauve, visiting her often and enjoying her company. He was much happier now, and finally, was looking forward.