Inside the Shadow

Chapter Fourteen: There you are, my son Pov-Erin

     "Erin, I never realized how captivating your eyes were in the sunlight. The caramel specks seem to glow somehow, inviting me in." Making eye contact with Mairi as we sat on a bench under the park's gazebo, she leaned in closer, bringing her hand up to my face, and caressing my cheek. Her touch sent shock waves throughout my body, yearning for simple interactions such as these. "Min, is everything alright?" I spoke as she sat unmoving, still holding my face. "It will be." Those words parted from her pouty lips seconds before she brought herself so close that we shared the same breath. Before I could gather my thoughts, she gripped the nape of my neck pulling me in, my mouth brought against hers, exchanging an electrifying first kiss I had been anticipating for years.   

      "Erin, wake up." Came the voice of my mother, as my subconscious came to the heartbreaking reality that the steamy exchange, I had with Mairi was merely a dream, a wonderful one at that. I slowly awoke seeing as my mom stood over me as I was lying down on the couch. "I'm sorry for waking you from your nap but I just finished making dinner a moment ago. Do you want me to prepare you a bowl?" Her words came out so sweetly as not to irritate me, still in a half-asleep state, groggy, yet not grumpy given the emotions I developed within my dream were still quite intense. "Sure, what did you make?" I questioned, rubbing sleep from my eyes and wiping drool from my mouth. "Nothing special, just mac' n' cheese with sliced brats mixed in. I know it's not as good as Chinese." Before she spoke another word, I cut her off. "Anything you make for me is special mom, you take good care of me, don't forget that." I spoke hoping to lighten the mood and to show my appreciation for her for everything she's accomplished all alone. "Erin, you really are too kind, what did I ever do to deserve such a considerate and thoughtful son?" She voiced as she came over to run her hand along my curls, bringing a smile to my face. "I love you mom." I spoke before she returned my statement with a, "I love you too."
"Do you wanna eat in here or at the table?" She gave me the option due to my lesser mobile state, nonetheless, I would rather move around as much as I am able to keep up my strength. "I'll go in there, it's easier for you, plus I am really not that injured." I muttered gathering my crutches and rising to my feet, following behind her heading to the table. I sat down closest to the stove, observing as she prepared our bowls of food and placed mine in front of me before she retrieved two glasses of water for us as well. "Thank you." I stammered before we proceeded to eat together. "Of course, anything for you Erin." After her response, we ate in a comfortable silence, nothing out of the ordinary other than the looming dread in the back of my mind that Key would be back to finish me off. Instead of his presence festering within my fearful thoughts, I decided that this time would be better off spent dwelling on a far more appealing topic, Mairi. The fact that she had her own boyfriend out there practically risking his life for me was enough to help the passion and fondness I held for Mairi to blossom, the image of her glamorously quirky smile warming me, causing me to blush, my skin now warm to the touch. "What's on your mind, huh? That smirk on your face only adds to the redness of your cheeks. Thinking of anyone special?" Her words brought me out of my daze and back to reality, my truth, that Min would only be with me in that way within my dreams, or in this case, daydreams. "Kind of, but they don't feel the same, and I doubt they ever would." My smile now faded as the truth coming out of my mouth made it all the more real. "I don't mean to pry into your personal affairs, but have you ever voiced your opinion to this girl out loud, or is it a boy?" She replied with a sly smirk as she stated the last part. "Well, I suppose if I am going to tell someone about my feelings it might as well be you. It's Mairi, we've been friends for a long time now and she is the person that I am the closest with, I can't help how I feel. It's as if our hearts are connected by a thread. The harder I tug on my end toward her heart, the farther away it becomes as if the thread is unraveling from her side. She never feels the tugs from my heart, just as my heart never feels hers reaching out to me. It's an endless cycle of my heart yearning for hers, while hers remains oblivious to my feelings.