Wait For You in 5 Stages

Pt.33 : Memories

I remember when Lumine told me I was stronger than I think before. He didn't say it directly but I knew what he was getting at.

I told him I was weak. That if we were going to be attacked again, there's no chance I'd be any help. But he looked me in the eye when he said, "Is that really true or is that just what you've learned to believe?"

I was too embarrassed to even keep eye contact. I was too shy to ever thank him. I always struggled at showing my genuine affection and I regret it dearly.

Lumine always comforted me. And I couldn't do anything in return.

We were walking for a while, around Terranevo, nothing new to see. It was the same snowy terrain and the same people who were out around this time. I knew that regardless of what happens to him tonight, that the world will look the same tomorrow.
And the day after that
And the day after

"My aunt's name is Anna. My papa's name is Noel."

"Huh?"

"I just wanted you to know if you ever need it."

I couldn't quite tell what Lumine was trying to tell me, but I determined that he just wanted me to know their names in case they ever somehow contacted about him. I would have to tell them what happened to him.

Our walk was deathly silent for a while. I couldn't think.

We made it to this park that we used to sit at together, sometimes we would climb the playset when no one was around.

Lumine sighed. "I'd want to know everything about you but I don't even know what to ask. I feel like I missed the opportunity to get to really know you."

Ouch.

"Then can we go back and forth telling eachother things we never said before? I wanna learn about you too", I asked.

"Yea! I think thats a better idea." He sounded happy again.

"Okay, me first. What was your childhood like?", I started.

"Well, this was my home..I lived here in Terranevo since I was born but left about a year or two ago. I only have faint memories of my mama before she died, she liked singing. For my papa and aunt, they took care of me and raised me to be an outdoorsy kid. Papa and I would run in the woods for fun but my aunt preferred to take me to the small knick-knack stores. When I think of 'childhood' I hear my papa's laugh."

I was finally getting to know Lumine.

"What about you Kody? What was your childhood like?"

"Well, I think you know most of it. Getting bullied I mean. But earlier than that, I guess it was pretty nice. I would practice magic in the woods and would come back with scraped knees from stumbling over trees and bushes.."

Lumine giggled. I smiled, which turned into a serious frown.

"My dad would work a ton. Probably way more than when you met him. Back then, the staff at HQ took care of me more than him. But I guess I get it now, he was working hard for us after what happened with my mom.

But- when I think of childhood, I have this one specific memory. Me and Calla.. we were outside playing on the empty road during some kind of school break or something and she would use magic to blow the orange leaves into the sky and we would run around to try and catch them. I hear the crinkle of the leaves."

Lumine hummed. "That's so nice.."

"I wish I met you sooner"

It slipped. I was being truthful though. I wish we could've experienced each other's favorite memories together.

"I think the way we met was-" Lumine laughed. "-like meant to be or something."

"Yea you sleeping on the side of the road and me getting lost in the city? What a nightmare."

"But I liked the way we met! Isn't it so odd that we happened to be in the same place at the same time as lost kids?"

"I guess."

We sat there, swinging our legs for about half an hour talking about eachother. I learned a lot about him and I finally opened up to him about me.

Once our conversations started getting slower, Lumine eventually grew silent.