Wait For You in 5 Stages

Pt.18 : Promise

"Kody, I want you to get a better sleep schedule, wake up before noon, eat your favorite foods, take long walks, laugh with Sera and Camille, find something new, do anything to get your mind off of me."

"...what?"

"Kody...I could feel the weight of your emotions. The tension in the air when you look at me and how closely you try to see my cuts and bruises, I feel it all. I know you've had a hard time but you need to get better. Please. ...I don't want you stuck in such a monotonous routine if it means you're constantly hurting."

I was stunned. He read me like an open book. I was at a loss for words.

"Will you get better?" He shakily asked.

"How long will you stay?" I spoke with a somber tone.

We fell into silence again.

I wanted him to know that I needed him and as long as he was here that I would be happy. But that's selfish. I shouldn't have asked. I should have just promised him I would.

I decided to pick up the conversation again.

"...I just wanted to know. I'm sorry... I'll get better. I promise."

This time I made the promise. It reminds me of when I was stuck in the hospital.

He held out his pinky.

"Pinky Promise?"
"Promise."

Our pinkies intertwined, a delicate vow to keep this promise and trust between us. A kind of vow we would never get to reword with golden bands on our ring fingers. I took this last pinky promise as a chance to vow that in sickness and in health, until death do us part, I will hold Lumine, in my heart.

It was a stinging reminder that his departure means we will never hear the vows of matrimony.

The sun finally set and we were left in the moonlight. I noticed at the corner of my eye that it began to snow but I didn't bother looking.

"Since you asked, I should probably just tell you I have no idea when I'm actually leaving if I am..."

"Wait, huh?"

"I seriously don't know! Maybe I am staying here forever but... I don't want to rely on that idea too much incase I..."

"Yea...makes sense. Can I ask what it was like?"

"Being dead...? Well I am dead right now but-" he chuckled, "-Being... no where I guess?"

"Yea...." It felt rude to ask in a way.

"Well...first-say Kody, you said I was gone for months?"

"...Yea...It's been like about 3 months." I replied.

"Whoa. That's so weird! For me, I was only stuck in limbo for 14 days!"

My eyes grew wide. So does that mean he remembers everything clearly? How has it only been about 14 days? If it really has been that long for him...can he remember how he died?

"Limbo?" I asked.

"Oh yea, I was stuck in this place called Limbo but it looked exactly like Terranevo but...empty. Stuff changed over time and I never slept or got hungry and I was just stuck with my thoughts! It was scary."

I tilted my head.

"At first when I died, everything went all white and It felt nice. I think It was like heaven or something. It was real pretty and I felt so peaceful there. I kinda wanna go back. It was the most happy I've ever felt."

I really wanted to ask how he died to get my closure but I don't think now is the time.

"Then it went all pitch black! And I was like a speck of matter in the universe! I couldn't comprehend a thing in those seconds but it ended really fast but a part of me feels I was there for a really long time. Then I was back home."

"In Terranevo?"

"Yea. I was here. Everyone was gone and it was snowing like it is now. I got to do whatever I wanted and explored without a tinge of sadness or fear. Until about day 12 when I started noticing small drops of blood would appear trailing my footsteps and on some things I touched but I couldn't see myself bleeding anywhere! On day 13, I saw a lot more blood follow me once the sun rose. I couldn't go back to the places I was before because I didn't wanna see the blood again. On day 14, I decided to run to my papa's home where I was raised. Thats where I saw myself for the first time and how scratched up I was. Then I remembered you...and I really wanted to see you again so I called out to the angels to take me back to you."

Me?

I helped him come back?

"Lumine..."

His face was slightly red and I could tell he was embarrassed. It was sweet though.

"I was afraid you'd grow up without me. But even more afraid you wouldn't grow up at all." He hid his face in his sweater.

I had never seen him cry before.

Again, we stayed in silence. I couldn't say much because his predictions weren't too far off. He did come save me at the perfect time. I was feeling my lowest on that day he first arrived back.