Between Life and Death

Truth Be Told Part 2

●●●

"Good evening, Life," Death said, bowing and gesturing towards the small picnic set that lay on the ground. "Glad you could join me for a meal."

Life rolled her eyes as she walked up to Death and pecked him on the cheek, her hand falling into his own. "Stop pretending to be a gentleman, Death. I know who you really are."

Death cocked an eyebrow and said, "Oh, really?"

Life smiled and flicked his forehead. "Yes, I do. So are you going to invite me to sit, or just let me stand here awkwardly?"

Laughing, Death said, "You're the one who told me to stop pretending to be a gentleman."

"Whatever," Life said, crossing her arms. She sat on the picnic blanket, and smoothed down her dress, crossing her legs to the side underneath it.

"The dress I gave you looks nice. I must have great taste in gifts," Death commented as he picked a flower from the grassy field surrounding them. "Here," he said as he gently placed the flower behind her ear. "The flower compliments your dress well."

Life blushed as she turned away. "You certainly chose a beautiful location for our dinner date, Death. The sunset is absolutely enchanting. And yes, I wore the dress you gave me. It's quite stunning, don't you think?"

"Not as stunning as you," he whispered into her ear, and Life's blush deepened.

"Shut up," she said, pushing him away, and Death chuckled.

"Do you not like my compliments? Isn't that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?" he asked, well aware that he was making Life uncomfortable.

"Just be quiet," she muttered.

Silence fell as they sat side by side, admiring the sunset and eating the food that Death had brought with him. Life, despite her somewhat rude remarks at Death a few moments before, enjoyed sitting next to him and liked it when he teased her. She rested her head against his shoulder, and he sighed and pulled her closer to him. They sat like that for a while, staring at the stars that first twinkled in the night sky like little fairies.

"Death?" Life asked, turning to face Death.

"What is it?" he mumbled, eyes closed. He had appeared to be resting, and Life felt some guilt course through her when she realized she had disturbed his rest, that she had disturbed such a perfect little moment.

"There was this dream I had..." she began, but she trailed off, beginning to have second thoughts about sharing the dream with Death.

"Well?" Death asked, fully alert now. "What was it about?"

"Um, well, in it, I saw the two of us together in a home I didn't recognize. We were talking when a little girl who looked kind of like you walked in, asking for breakfast. You laughed and told her to stop whining and then..." She trailed off again, stomach clenching at the words the little girl had said in her dream, at the thought of it.

"What happened next?" Death asked. "You look worried."

Life hurriedly shook her head and said, "No, no." She paused for a moment before saying, "The little girl called me 'Mom'... and she called you 'Dad.'"

Death inhaled sharply and whipped around to face her, eyes wide.

"I don't know what to make of that," Life said nervously. "Oh, goodness, you don't think me weird, do you? I shouldn't have told you."