Sound of a Broken Drum

Chapter 12

You can fight to keep the things in your life but those things may be destined to leave one day. It doesn't change a thing about it meant to you. It doesn't change what it taught you or the message that was left behind. That is what endures on past the day it has to leave. And that's why they were there in the first place. Like masterpieces on the walls of a museum, you can take what was left and turn it into something that will be eternal. For yourself to grow and share. For others to find and take with them.

Life will never feel fair, life will never be perfect.
You may not get a happy ending but you still made it to the end.
If you can turn this life into a story, that can be read and read again,
Then even with death your life will keep trying, through the souls you told never to quit.

This is the human condition, always flawed but always growing.

Charlotte stayed the night. There she was again, next to me sleeping and rolling into my body from time to time. I laid next to her, awake, hearing her breathe, letting the soothing sound of it lull me into that peaceful state of mind. It felt just like it did before anything in the past week happened. That glow, that completion, the mutual validation of having her and her having me. It was the same bliss that hung in the air as it was when we were at the park, at the lake, or at the museum. It felt perfect again.

The only thing was, I couldn't asleep. As great as it felt, my mind wouldn't let me fall asleep. It stayed up and stayed aware throughout the night. Aware of Charlotte. Aware of the truth. And regardless of what I tried, I couldn't shut it off or ignore it. That's what made this night different than before. Even with Charlotte in my arms, I couldn't forget what I knew.

So I just laid and listening to Charlotte, watching the window turn from darkness into the dawn light. Slowly the light of day crept outside and into the room. I watched every second of the slow creep as it happened.

Eventually, Charlotte awoke. As she did, I pretended I was sleeping and slowly woke myself along with her. Immediately, I looked into her eyes and she smiled.

"Morning, Mister."

Daybreak can come into the room and the sun was ready to light the horizon on fire. You could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. We both got up and stretched. Charlotte looked out the window.

"So great to be outside today, right? Too bad I'm going to have to spend most of the day in my lecture halls." She smirked.

"Well... you know..." I couldn't really finish my thought though. There was something in my energy that was gone from before. Even Charlotte couldn't keep it propped up this time. I worried that Charlotte might have sensed something was off, but instead she hugged and kissed me, smelling my neck.

"Syd... I think you need to take a shower." She teased, with a hint of honesty.

I laughed and agreed. Truthfully, I had no idea how much time had passed since...

What happened?

It completely blanked my mind what I was trying to remember. All I could recall was Charlotte. Everything else just faded. Suddenly, those were the events that felt like a dream.

"Well Syd, I think I have to go. I don't have much time before I have class up the ass again." She signaled a thumbs down to her plans for the day.

I nodded, looking at her face that still glowed like a beacon, even when she looked disappointed. "Have fun... I guess I'll just take a shower."

"You do that, Mister." Charlotte winked at me.

I watched her leave through the door with a click.