The Moon, The Sun, and Everything Else

Simply Reality

"Simply Memories" spin off

This would fill in after the line: "This whole thing was sickeningly real" from the original story.

It was yet another night when Kirstie couldn't fall back asleep. It had been like this since Avi left for the war. She'd succumbed to sleeping in one of his t-shirts that still smelled like his cologne, no matter how many times it was put through the wash.

That was the t-shirt she was wearing when she found herself curled up into a ball on the couch, with some randomly selected episode of The Crown playing on the screen in front of her.

That Netflix series was a Kaplan household staple. The two binged the whole series in one weekend, and from then on, it became their thing. For instance, when one of them was sad, they'd sit together and watch an episode, probably ending up falling asleep on the couch.

She wasn't really paying attention to the episode, she was just mindlessly staring at the lit up screen. Every time she would try to focus, she'd zone out again.

She glanced down at her phone, realizing it was nearing four a.m. Her alarm would be blaring in her ear in two hours, so she turned off Netflix and went back upstairs, trying to get a little more sleep.

"Two years and three months left." She muttered to herself as her eyelids became too heavy to stay open, and she fell asleep.

~~~~~

Two years and two months later

Avi ran, dog tags clinking together as he picked up his pace, forgetting his other soldiers behind. He ran as fast as he could to his car.

By some work of God, he got out of it all a month early. A whole month! He made Esther and his family swear they wouldn't tell Kirstie, because he wanted to surprise her. And nonetheless, the kept their promise.

The car ride seemed to last forever, but soon enough, he was home.

Home.

To keep it a surprise, he quietly opened the door to their apartment and quietly walked in.

Once inside, he froze at the sight of Kirstie, fast asleep on the sofa, tear stains on her cheeks, and an another episode of The Crown playing.

Avi walked over and gently lifted her, bridal style carrying her to their bedroom. She shifted around, noticing the sudden interruption to her sleep, but soon stopped moving again. He laid her down once they got in there, leaned her gently into his chest like they normally slept, and kissed the top of her head.

Kirstie started shifting around again at this way too familiar feeling.

No, he wasn't home for another month. She thought.

"I love you." An already half asleep Avi mumbled into Kirstie's shoulder.

At this, Kirstie's eyes snapped open. "Avi?"

"Hey, Princess." He smiled.

And it was hard to believe, but everything now was simply reality.