Tearing Paper

Night

"Are you not going to come back there? It's not over," Nate said as they sat in front of Dianne's hut, the kite festival and all its euphoria looking so distant from them.

Dianne shook her head.

"I'm not a fan. Devon is, I just joined in so he won't have to be alone."

"You really are a good sister," Nate reached his hand towards Dianne and gripped it tightly.

His warmth rushed through Dianne's skin swiftly. It took all her might to pull her hand away from him.

"Dianne?"

"Sorry," she muttered.

"I'm sorry for-scaring you, that night, about Lucio," Nate finally said. "If it crosses your privacy-if it disturbs you..."

"It's fine."

"I understand that you might choose to stay here with Devon now that you found him. I'm sorry that I'm not the one who helped you find him, as I promised," Nate spoke bitterly, fighting every urge inside him to cry.

She only gave him a nod.

"I came here because I wanted to meet you. And I... I got something for you."

He reached into his coat pocket, and from it he pulled out a book with a pastel pink cover. Dianne's eyes marvelled at the writing printed in black ink in the middle-

Tearing Paper

A Collection of Poems

by Dianne .

"Tearing paper?" she laughed.

"I describe is as poems so carefully written that all the author does is tearing paper until she perfected her work," Nate smiled, so glad to see Dianne happy.

"Thank you," Dianne said after a while.

"This goes to book stores tomorrow. I just thought I could give you one special copy. You need this-to remember how much of an incredible person you are, and that dreams are not impossible."

"I need to talk to you. Tomorrow. Where are you staying?" Dianne decided not to say anything else about what Nate just told her.

"I-I'll book a cheap room in one of the resorts. Tomorrow, breakfast?"

"Or you can just stay here," she suggested with a thin smile on her lips. She did not need to wait for his answer-she knew he would stay.

-

It did not take long for Devon to like Nate. Although he was not sure how things were with him and Dianne, Nate was still friendly to him, repeatedly mentioning how happy he was that Dianne could find Devon again. He urged Devon to still sleep on his bed while he lied on a mat between Dianne and Devon's beds.

"They said a hard surface is good for the vertebrae," Nate insisted. "Good night."

"Good night. I hope you'll not wake up with stiff bones," Devon said.

"Mm-hm," was all Dianne said before she lied facing the wall, away from Nate and Devon. The hut became completely silent, but she was the last to fall asleep that night.