Page 34 of The Way Home
“Dramatic?” Riley added.
“Yes… maybe even dramatic.” I placed a hand on his cheek and locked onto his green eyes, shining behind the black frames. “You told me I sparkled, and I believed you.”
Riley let his head rest on my hand. “You do. I wish you could see yourself the way I do. The way others do. You shine so bright, it draws people in. I always felt lucky simply to be in your presence, like I could absorb some of the light that poured from you.”
“I felt lucky to be in your presence, too. Still do. And you have plenty of light. You shine brighter than your favorite planet.”
“Technically, Pluto’s planet status was downgraded.”
“You know what I mean.” I grinned and kissed his cheek before leaning back against the tree once more.
We sat in a comfortable silence, existing together on this holy ground, memories of good times floating between us. Riley sunk down a little, bending his knees, and reclining into me. “Tell me about the monument.”
“You know the story.” I’d told it to him the first time I brought him here. We sat just as we did now, him in my arms, a tree supporting us. It was past and present colliding, swirling with the emotions that came with the time together and the time apart.
His fingers gently stroked over my arm in a soft caress. “I do, but I like hearing you tell it.”
I had to clear my throat before I could start. “The monument marks a tragedy, but one that was born out of love. A forbidden love that defied time, language, history, and culture.”
“And you don’t think you’re dramatic?” Riley chuckled.
“Hush. It’s story time, darling.”
Riley huffed out a soft laugh, and I continued, “As the legend goes, there was a handsome, young Cheyenne pathfinder who came across a beautiful young woman, and he was drawn to her in an instant. The woman was the daughter of a preacher from a group of missionaries. They came from different worlds, but they didn’t need words to be able to speak of the love they felt for each other. They kissed, and their bodies became one.”
His fingers never stopped moving in that gentle pattern on my arm as he listened. “The pathfinder and his lover would swim into the lake, where the water flowed in and around them, holding them up as they made love. It was as if the lake itself gave its blessing of their union. The two were destined to be.”
The story was part of the history here, but speaking it out loud made my eyes warm with building tears as I thought of the pain they faced trying to be together. “They were destined for each other, but their peoples weren’t ready for such a pair. Members of the Cheyenne tribe found the pathfinder with the preacher’s daughter. Soon, the pioneering party came looking for the young girl. The two were chased by both groups. With nowhere to go, they fled to the water. They knew that if they left the lake, they would be pulled apart, or worse.”
“You don’t have to say the rest,” Riley whispered.
A single tear broke free, and I let it slide down my cheek, not wanting to let go of him. I didn’t expect the story to get to me like this, but it did. With the weight of everything with Riley, with the hope we could be something again and the fear that we wouldn’t, it did. “I do. It’s important.”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “The lovers knew they could never be together if they returned to land and that wasn’t something they could live with. Instead, they held each other and kissed, promising their love in ways words weren’t big enough for, and they said goodbye. They found rocks from the lake, and they let the water welcome them to the home they wouldn’t have if they returned to their people.”
A tear slid down the other cheek, and my throat tightened. Riley’s gentle caressing of my arm continued as he gave me time to finish, because Ihadto finish now. I couldn’t leave it with the tragedy that happened but with what grew out of it. “The rocks”—I croaked, coughing to clear away the thickness in my voice—“the rocks are a tribute to the couple. Over time, the storyhas been passed down, and people collect rocks from the lake and leave them here as a way to bring the couple back to land. Each rock added helps return them to the home they should have had. To honor what they had and to pledge to fight for love.”
“Ithasgotten bigger,” Riley said with awe.
“It has. It’s grown a lot. People continue to add onto the monument. It’s become a sacred place for those who have ever known forbidden love, a love that might push against societal norms. With each person who places a rock and chooses to love louder than the fear or misunderstandings of those around them… it gives the next person a foundation to build on. Love honors the past, and love is the way forward.”
The silence returned between us, holding space for those that came before us as we admired how many rocks had been collected to grow into what we saw today.
Riley’s fingers finally stopped, and he rested his hand on my arm, squeezing it gently. “Do you really think there’s a place for them?”
“For who?”
“For the people whose relationships might be… unconventional?”
“I think this world is hard, and if you are lucky enough to find something orsomeonewho makes you happy, and it’s not hurting anyone, then you should hold onto it and never let go.” My arms tightened around him, and Riley folded his arms over mine, holding them in place.
“What if people don’t agree with it?”
“Fuck ’em.”
Riley snorted out a laugh. “It’s that easy, huh?”
“Sure. Why not? Well… it might not always be easy, but it would be worth it. For the right person… it would be worth it.”Youare worth it, I thought. If Riley chose to be mine, therewasn’t a force on earth that could keep him from me. But it had to be his choice.
