Page 122 of Lake
“Want what, Lake?” she asked with a smile on her face. One that was wise and knowing.
“I want new adventures. And to go out having had a million laughs. And to leave behind a trail of memories— good ones. No, amazing ones.”
“Alright, take it easy there, buddy,” she said playfully. “You’re really adorable when you’re excited about something. Did you know that?”
“Adorable? I’ll take it,” I said as I pulled her in for a kiss.
The sadness didn’t lift right away, but it had eased knowing that I was taking a part of Ed with me on the rest of my journey.
“Ready to— what was it you said— do this?” she asked patting me on the chest.
My head fell back and I laughed to the sky, hoping that Ed heard it all the way up there.
“Yes! But first, I need a nap. Oh, and I have to go talk to Iron real fast.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting in your room for you.”
I handed her my keys and went in search of Iron.
The sadness hit a little harder as I filled him in. He told me that if I needed anything, he was there. And I knew it, because he always was.
After getting a brief fill-in that wasn’t much, I headed to my room.
Where I found Bridge waiting for me under the covers.
Naked.
And so beautiful.
But as I stripped down to nothing, I knew there wouldn’t be any kind of funny business.
Instead, she gave me just what I needed.
The feeling of her soft skin against mine.
The weight of her hand on my chest.
The scent that I’d longed for all this time she’d been gone.
The rise and fall of her body with each breath telling me that this was real.
I fell asleep with a calm kind of peace surrounding me.
And right before I drifted off, I made a silent promise to not only keep her safe, but to always cherish her as well.
