Rainfall 5
by Redkage
It is my firm belief that rain brings good fortune to my life. Normally I don’t believe in such silly superstitions such as that, but that has been my motto for many years now. I love the rain. It may make me sound a bit loose in the head, but I’m openly admitting it. I live for rainy days where I can dance around on my way home, or sometimes I would stay up all night just to watch a storm sweep the city clean. And in response to feelings, the rain would give me hours of unexplained happiness, as unreal that may sound.
It gave me happiness each and every time except that one night.
After Ray had run away after his surprising growth, I searched around for him. The first place I went to was my apartment to see if he had gone home. It was too much t ask however, because there was no sign of Ray ever returning. After I confirmed that Ray wasn’t there, I quickly ran back outside. It wasn’t until I was two blocks away that I realized that I had forgotten to grab my umbrella. I didn’t even think twice about going back for it since it would mean losing valuable time. I would just have to live with getting soaked to the bone. I’ve been wet, so I knew I’d be able to live with being wet again. What I was doing was far more important then a little water, after all.
I ran around, searching for my lost roommate. I asked a few people if they had seen a 7’8” muscle giant, but they looked at me like I had been smoking crack. I only asked five people before I gave up on it entirely. Precious moments slipped by when I tried to convince them that I was seriously looking for someone as big as a bodybuilder with a teenage face. I decided that instead of relying on others, I would have to search for him myself.
So I ran. I ran and I ran. I didn’t know where I was going, nor did I care. Even when I felt the muscles in my leg start to burn, I didn’t stop. I could feel the cold air begin to settle in my lungs, making it more difficult to breathe. But I didn’t stop. I needed to push myself past my limit, especially where it counted.
* * *
“You gotta push yourself past your limit where it counts Bryce, otherwise you’ll never beat me.”
I was bent forward with my hands braced on my knees while I gasped for breath. I could feel the sweat drip from my nose and into the red soil of the track. My lungs screamed for air at the moment, so I couldn’t really respond right away.
“You start out too hard. Once you reach about halfway, you burn yourself out completely. It’s basically a walk for me after that.”
“Shut…up…Henry…” I wheezed.
He laughed and clapped me on my back. I tilted my head up so I can look at him.
Henry was, in a word, beautiful. He hated me for using that word, but it was completely one hundred percent true, honest to God. He wore his sandy blonde hair in a ponytail, which allowed his long wavy locks to flow down to the middle of his back. He had a face that could only have been painted by angels. Soft, and yet masculine at the same time with emerald green eyes that made me shiver whenever I looked into them. Even for a high school sophomore his muscles were already large and ripped, which was even more apparent with his shirt off. His skin was without any scars or breakouts, which allowed his sweat soaked golden tanned skin to shine flawlessly. I could see how deeply cut those six pack abs were, and how large and well defined his 185 pound body was on his 6’11” frame. He had hit his growth spurt recently as well, and it didn’t appear as if he would stop too soon either.
“What Bryce, can’t admit that I’m the superior athlete?” Henry gave a cocky grin which meant he didn’t really mean it. He was actually pretty humble…unless he could use his muscles to joke with me.
“Well excuse me if I didn’t decide to choose bodybuilding for a career.” I rolled my eyes. “You spend all your time in the gym while I’m busting my butt on the basketball court.”
“Hey, big muscles have nothing to do with basketball.” Henry pointed out. “It’s your aim and stamina that really pulls you through, and if you use it just right you really can take your game to a whole new level.”
“At least I can still beat your ass on the court.” I said sourly.
“Only because I let you.” Henry said in that offhand manner that I both loved and hated.
* * *
I don’t know how long I ran in the rain before I slowed down. The muscles in my legs were starting to shut down and go stiff. My feet were throbbing in their wet sneakers, screaming for me to sit down and take a rest. I ignored that pain, though. Pain was something that you needed to fight. Pain was something that can be ignored. Even though all my body wanted to do was to sit down and rest, my mind told me to go on and keep on searching.
I had completely used up all of my stamina at that point, but I pressed on. Even though the fastest I could manage was a glow gait, I still moved forward. I walked down the streets, searching. Silently I walked, an apparition of an unsatisfied ghost that cannot rest in peace.
While I walked, a million questions raced through my mind. How did Ray suddenly grow like that? Why did Ray run away from me? Exactly how strong was Ray if he was able to hold up an entire moving truck? How come he never told me anything about these things before?
I pressed my hand against my forehead momentarily. All those thoughts were giving me a headache. I quickly shoved them all from my head. There was no need to think, just keep moving.
Aimlessly I wandered, searching for Ray. There were times that I found myself walking down the same miserable stretch of sidewalk for the third time. I had truly lost all sense of direction.
Or, to be more specific, I had lost all sense of mind.
* * *
“Have you lost your mind?”
Henry turned around from the stove. He was holding a large carrot in his hand, and from the looks of it he had been prepared to throw it into the pot without cutting it up or even peeling it.
“I thought I would make you dinner for once.” He said sweetly, even as I threw down my bag and rushed over to him. At twenty years old he had a great time growing through high school and was now seven foot one and two hundred and fifty one pounds of muscle. Even since he graduated from high school, he spent most of his days in the gym working out and building up his body to perfection.
However, for a man who was picky about what he ate, he didn’t know jack about cooking.
I inspected the damage he had caused. Whatever he had been cooking, it was far from being edible now. Giving a big sigh, I turned off the gas and removed the pot from the stove. “I know you mean well, and I really appreciate it sweetie, but you are the worst cook in the history of man.”
Henry shifted uncomfortably, giving me that same half embarrassed look whenever one of his few faults came up. “Well to be fair, cooking isn’t a man’s job, it’s a woman’s.”
“Oh?” I cocked one eyebrow up, signaling to him that he had just said something stupid. “Then perhaps I can go ahead and serve you nothing but peanut butter sandwiches for a week, since a ‘man’ can’t cook.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “Y-you wouldn’t!”
“Well I’m certainly not going to let you poison yourself.” I said, jerking my head towards the pot. “And you can’t really call spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread ‘cooking’, so it’s perfect for a big, manly stud like yourself.”
“Alright alright I’m sorry!” Henry cowered. “I promise I won’t say something like that ever again! So please forgive me, I’m hungry!”
“I don’t know…” I tapped my chin tauntingly. Seeing a muscleman beg me for forgiveness was actually kinda hot.
“Oh please.” Henry was practically on his hands and knees. “I’ll do that thing you like!”
“Oh really?” He got my attention there. “How about payment in advance?”
Henry stood up straight again and gave me a semi-wicked grin. “You know that dessert always comes last.”
“Man, your mind is dirty.” I laughed and proceeded to making dinner. Since there wasn’t much time to make anything else, I decided to make something simple. While I was pouring into the frying pan, Henry suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and hugged me. I stood there, minding the food while at the same time enjoying feeling those strong arms embrace me and the two mounds of rock hard flesh called pecs pressed into my back.
“So what are you making, love?” Henry whispered sensually into my ear.
I stiffened a bit to prevent myself from shivering. Damn, Henry sure knew how to turn a simple phrase into a near orgasmic experience. “Just a ham and cheese omelet.” I replied.
“Ham and cheese?” His voice perked up and the entire mood changed. “I love your ham and cheese omelets!”
“That’s why I’m making it.” I laughed.
“Well then you’re really gonna love what I’m gonna do to you tonight…” He nuzzled my neck.
“Please, Henry.” I moaned, “I’m cooking here.”
* * *
A car screeched as I jumped backwards, startled. In my daze I had almost walked off the sidewalk and into traffic. I felt as if a few years had been shaved off of my life in a single instant. A feeling of dread welled up inside of me as I felt a cold pit form in my stomach. Suddenly I didn’t feel so well. In fact, I felt just plain sick. Quickly I rushed to the nearest alleyway and then proceeded to hurl.
It wasn’t a pretty sight. I tried to keep it down, but it wanted out. Over and over I threw up, my hands pressed against the wall for support. Finally it reached the point where I wanted to hurl some more, but I no longer had anything left to throw up. I waited awhile in that awkward position focused on making my stomach stop jumping. Now feeling completely horrible inside, I tried to push myself off the wall so I can get moving again. To my utter surprise, I found myself still against the wall. I focused harder, ordering my arms to push off. For a moment my hands left the cold stone, but then soon it pressed against it once again. Frustrated at being unable to even do one simple action, I pushed off with all of my strength. My hands flew off the wall this time, only the force of my push had caused me to lose my balance and fall backwards into a head of cardboard boxes.
This time I didn’t try to get up. This time, I just laid there open eyed, staring at the dark sky while the rain fell on my face. I could feel the droplets run down my face and neck into my already soaked shirt.
From the way it fell, to me it felt like I was crying.
Maybe I really was crying.
I didn’t know.
I was so messed up that at that point I didn’t know what I felt anymore.
* * *
“I…I don’t know what to feel right now!” I sobbed as I gripped my head.
Henry sat down on my bed next to me and placed his arm around my shoulder. Even at the tender age of 13, he had large swells on his arms that could be registered as biceps. I could tell, because they were pressing into my neck that very instant. That very feeling caused a large collection of confused emotions to arise in me, the same ones that were giving so much trouble that exact moment.
“It’s okay Bryce, you don’t have to answer me.” Henry said gently.
“You just told me that you loved me, how can I not answer you!?” I snapped, shoving him away. Although he had been lifting quite a bit, I was still strong enough to knock him off the bed. He looked up at me from the floor, both surprised and hurt.
“I…I…I’m sorry.” I apologized through my sobs. “I-I don’t know how I feel! I haven’t been able to think straight for the past five months now. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Sick thoughts. I’ve dreamed about…about….oh God…” I buried my face into my hands.
We sat there in my room, me on my bed and Henry on the ground. Finally, Henry made the first move by pushing himself back onto the bed.
“You’ve only been thinking about me for only five months?” He asked.
Startled, I lifted my head from my hands so I can look at him. “Y-yea…?”
“I’ve been thinking like that for two years already.” He said casually as he laid down on his back.
“T-two years?” My eyes must’ve nearly popped out of their sockets. “W-why didn’t you say something before!?”
Henry closed his eyes and took several calm, deep breaths. The time waiting for the answer was torture for me.
“I was too afraid you wouldn’t be my friend anymore.” He said finally.
I stared at him as I allowed the full weight of his words to sink in. He had been hiding his feelings for so long, but he had treasured our friendship above all else. He didn’t want to lose me. However, all that unexpressed emotion must’ve been killing him until he couldn’t take it anymore.
It was probably why he told me I might leave him forever just before he said those three simple words.
Suddenly I knew.
Without even thinking I turned onto my hands and knees, placing myself directly over him and looking down at his face.
“Bryce, what are you-”
I interrupted him when I slammed my lips against his, pulling Henry into my very first and most passionate kiss. After a blissful eternity of sucking face, we broke off gasping for air.
“I love you too.” I said just before I moved in for round two.
* * *
The sound of laughter woke me up. Well, waking didn’t exactly describe what I had been in. Somehow I had slept with my eyes open. I had been aware of my surroundings, but my mind felt like it had shut down completely. I hadn’t realized I had been staring pointlessly at the sky until that noise brought me out of it. I couldn’t tell how long I had stayed like that
“Hey look, there’s a dude in the trash!” Someone said. It sounded mature and boyish at the same time, probably a guy in either his junior or senior year at high school. I couldn’t really tell. I didn’t have the will power to turn my head and look anymore.
“Dude, you think he’s wasted?” Another guy asked.
“Hey, maybe he still has his wallet on ‘em!”
From the sounds I heard, there were three teenagers. From the rattle of glass, they must’ve been drinking beer, and possibly smoking. Sure fire signs of trouble.
“Dude, he’s awake!” One guy said when they came into view. Spiked hair, earrings, baggy jeans and dark studded jackets while carrying half empty bottles of Heineken beer. These three were definitely from the wrong crowd.
“Shoot, should we run?” One of them asked uncertainly.
“Wait, he’s not doing anything.” The leader said. He bent down and waved his hand in front of my face. I just stared onward.
“Ya think he’s stoned?”
“Must be. Ain’t no one in there.”
“Maybe he’s loaded.” One guy said and reached forward.
A sudden thought occurred to me. I don’t know why, but these kids had taken Ray away from me and were now holding captive somewhere. My hand grabbed the boy’s outreached arm, squeezing it in a deathly grip.
“Give him back…” I said, sounding not unlike a zombie that had just crawled out of the grave.
“Dude, let me go!” The guy pulled back, trying to break free. However, I only tightened my grip on him.
“Give him back.” I repeated, a bit more strongly this time. “Give him back. Give him back. Give him back!”
“Let GO!” The boy kicked my face, the heel digging into my mouth. He began stomping me, trying to break free. Soon the other two boys joined in, kicking me in the chest, the legs, in the side. The boy I held onto pulled so hard that I fell forward onto my stomach, but I still didn’t let go.
I didn’t let go. I couldn’t let go. I held on for dear life, even though holding on was costing mine. I held on, ignoring the pain of being dragged, struck and kicked. I heard something crack, but I didn’t listen to it. I felt pain all over my body as they relentlessly attacked. All the while, I repeated the same phrase over and over again.
“Give him back…”
“Dammit, let go you fucker!” One yelled and kicked me in the side of the head. The force of the blow nearly knocked me out and my hold on him slipped. Taking this chance the guy pulled away from me, shaking his head.
“Oh, you’re going to get it now.” He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out something. Metal flashed in the scant light as he approached me. I couldn’t tell what it was, or what was happening anymore. The blow had been a hard one, and now I was slowly drifting away.
Was this how it’ll end for me, left alone in an alley in the pouring rain to only be found the next day and displayed on the news? But what did it matter. My life no longer had any meaning to it. It no longer had Henry. It no longer had…
There were strange noises going on around me. Suddenly the boys sounded afraid. Quickly, sounds of a fight went underway. There were cries, screams yells and swearing from the boys, but nothing from whatever they were fighting. After awhile the noise died down and there was only silence in the rain.
Someone was approaching me. I could tell by how the water splashed from footsteps as they came closer. Without warning, I felt myself being lifted up and held in someone’s arms like a limp rag doll. The arms that held me felt hard, and yet gentle at the same time. With the last ounce of strength I tilted my head up to look at the face of my savior, even as I lost my last bits of consciousness.
“H…Hen…ry.” I said before I completely blacked out.
* * *
“Henry…”
The name sounded so lifeless now.
“Henry.” I tried again.
Still nothing.
I sat up. It had been two weeks already, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling off. The feeling of perpetual emptiness inside my chest.
Because two weeks ago on that very day, Henry died.
It had been sudden. He had been at the gym doing the dead lift when he dropped dead himself. The doctors said it was heart failure, and that it was something that was difficult to discover even if they had been looking for it.
I felt the chills run through my body. Henry had always been so energetic and vibrant. He had been a specimen of ideal fitness. In another year or two, he would have been qualified for his pro card for professional bodybuilding.
All those big muscles and the most important one let him down.
I stood up and went out into the living room. There were still a few boxes here and there that I needed to unpack. Some of those boxes I would never open again.
After Henry’s funeral, I knew right away that I needed to move out of our apartment. Too many memories lingered there. I wouldn’t be able to get anything done if I broke down every fifteen minutes. So, I quickly rented a smaller, less expensive apartment in a brick building on the other end of town. The location wasn’t so bad and the view was passable, I suppose. It was also nothing like my last apartment.
I walked around, surveying my new home. It was much smaller then my old one, with barely enough room for one person. However, even with the diminished size and all of the boxes to fill the room, it all felt empty and lifeless.
Empty without Henry.
Unable to take it anymore, I threw myself onto my couch and broke down when the cold hard truth finally hit me in full force.
I was alone.
* * *
The first thing my mind registered was the beeping. It was loud, clear and steady like a heartbeat.
It took me a few moments to realize that it was my heartbeat. Or at least the machine that measured it.
My eyes fluttered open. They felt strangely heavy, but I fought the urge to just lie there and sleep the night away. Finally, I managed to get them at least partially open so I can survey my surroundings.
I was in a bed. A bed in a hospital room. It was at that point that I was painfully aware of the pain in my body (sorry, I just had to say that). It felt as if someone threw me into a blender, pressed puree, then molded me back into the shape of a man before crushing me into a ball of clay. Seriously, that was how I felt.
My rain soaked clothes had been removed and replaced with a hospital nightgown. I felt slightly embarrassed at the thought of strangers changing my clothes, but that feeling passed. At least it wasn’t someone I knew after all. Someone had also stuck one of those I V needles into my arm, the one that deposited liquids into the body. I know there’s a name for all of that, but I couldn’t think of it at the moment. My brain still felt like it was half asleep.
I looked around a bit more, taking in the details. It was a small hospital room with a simple wallpaper and design, and my bed was the only one in the room. The door to the far left was closed shut, though I could see activity through the small window pane. Speaking of windows, to my right was a large one, but the curtains were drawn shut. It was too bad, because I wanted to see if it was still raining outside.
There was a soft click to my left. I turned my head and watched a doctor in a white lab coat enter the room carrying a clipboard.
“Oh, you’re awake.” He said. The doctor looked like a regular person, with a face you would forget the second you look away. Average height, average build, average brown hair and eyes. If it wasn’t for the coat, I wouldn’t have known he was a doctor.
“Where am I?” I croaked, even though I already knew. My voice sounded like a toad’s, I noticed, and was very sore like the rest of my body.
“My name is Doctor Bradley, and you’re at North Wood Hospital.” The doctor informed me. North Wood Hospital was quite far from my apartment, so I was a bit surprised. He walked over to me and flipped though the pages on his clipboard. “You were in pretty bad shape when you came in. Internal bleeding, two cracked ribs and a minor concussion. To top it off, you have pneumonia to boot.”
The memory of what had happened in the alleyway bubbled up in my head again. The face of the man who saved me had been…
“And what about the guy who brought me in?” I bolted upright and then winced at the shooting pain in my side. My ribs were broken all right.
“Easy, easy!” Doctor Bradley rushed forward and eased me back down. “Mr. Frost is currently being examined right now by his doctors.”
“F-Frost?” I repeated. “Reynard Frost?”
“Yes, that’s him.” Doctor Bradley nodded. “Our doctors had been studying his unique genetic makeup when he had vanished quite a long time ago. However, now that he has returned, we’re doing a thorough check-up and recording the changes from his present stats and comparing his previous records. He’ll be in here later to see you.”
I laid back. It hadn’t been Henry that I saw after all. Henry was gone for good, I knew that.
The doctor asked several questions which I answered honestly. He wrote a few things down, and then left telling me he would be back later. I was glad when he left, because it gave me a chance to close my eyes and rest a bit. So many things had happened that night, yet as I tried to remember what had happened, everything became a fast blur. I decided not to let this confuse me an longer and allowed myself to relax.
I didn’t realize I had dozed off until I woke up a few hours later. Someone had turned off the light in my room, so it was very dark and quiet, save for the occasional booming of thunder. I allowed my eyes to adjust to the lack of light, and that was when I realized that I wasn’t alone in that room. Someone was sitting in the chair to my right with his head hung down. Someone very big and familiar.
“Ray?” I said hesitantly.
Ray’s head snapped up. His face showed surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to wake. Without warning he bolted out of his chair and began to run out.
“No, stop!” I lunged forward and grabbed his hand. I ignored the white hot pain erupt in my side as I clung on to him. “Please, don’t leave me!”
Ray stopped in midstep. Slowly, reluctantly, he turned around to face me.
I sucked in my breath.
Ray was huge.
My previous assessments had been a little off. Er, actually, scratch off the ‘little’ part. Ray was about 7’9” tall and impossibly wide. I had previously guessed his weight at approximately 300 pounds, but not he looked more like 350. He had gotten a shirt and slacks somewhere to cover his body, but his muscles were so huge that they were plainly visible as if his clothes had been painted on. His shoulders were so wide to accommodate his traps and deltoids, which rolled and pressed against each other on the limited space. His arms were thicker then my waist, with bowling ball biceps and triceps that appeared as if they were ready to burst out of his skin if he gave a hard enough flex. Likewise, his forearms had also blown up. My hand couldn’t even reach all the way around his wrist now! And those hands…they could probably crush whole slabs of rocks like week old bread.
And speaking of slabs, he had two gigantic ones protruding from his chest. From my point of view, they were as big as basketballs. Those were so large and full, I guess any idiot could mistake them for a woman’s breasts…until they realize that it was composed of rock hard muscle instead of jiggling flesh. His lats spread large and wide, making him appear impossibly thick. Ray probably can no longer walk through any door normally now unless it was a double door.
My gaze traveled down further. Because of the way the shirt was tight across his chest, the fabric draped over his abs to hide it. However, it was just a bit short, so I was able to see the bottom two rows of abs, and what abs they were! Although he had grown everywhere, his waist was probably the only thing that didn’t grow, and it looked freakishly out of proportioned on him. His abs, however, did change. They were deeper and more cut, as if chiseled into stone by a master sculptor. Momentarily I remembered a similar phrase in our book that I wrote.
His quads stretched his pants to the limit, each head visible even in the dark. His calves had grown into a perfect tear shape, even though they had inflated like party balloons. With those legs, it was no wonder he was able to run away from me so quickly!
Without even realizing it, my eyes traveled to his crotch, where I then quickly shifted my gaze. Damn, what did he stuff down there, a salami and two grapefruits!? Luckily for me I had a thick blanket covering me because I don’t think hospital gowns could hide erections very well.
I moved my eyes back to his face. His crystal blue eyes practically glowed in the night. It made me feel…safe.
“Don’t go…” I said softly. “Please, don’t leave me again...”
Ray hesitated. I could see him struggle between deciding to stay with me…or to leave.
“Please, stay with me.” I pleaded. “I…I don’t know what I’d do if I’m left alone again. Please, I can’t stand being alone. I thought I would be okay, but I’m not!”
Ray stood up straight and looked at me in shock. It wasn’t as much for my words that stunned him. It was the fact that I was openly crying.
“Please, I don’t want to lose anyone again! I won’t be able stand it again! I know it’s selfish for me to ask, but please stay with me, at least this one night! I can’t….I can’t…” I sobbed. What was I doing? I had no right to ask that of Ray. I let my hand go slack and allowed it to slip away.
Before my hand fell away, Ray snatched it into huge palm, his fist easily covering my entire hand and a fourth of my forearm along with it. I looked up in disbelief as he moved back to the side of my bed and gently pushed me back down. His free hand reached up to my face and began caressing it. The feeling was very relaxing. Before I knew it, I let out a low coo as I felt his warm finger traced my face. After several minutes of soft caresses, I felt myself drift back to sleep.
Before I fell asleep, however, I looked for the window again. The curtains were now drawn back so I could see the night sky. It was still raining, but instead of the ferocity of a storm, it had died down to a gentle trickle.
* * *
“You’re just like the rain, Bryce.” Henry said as we gazed out the window. The rain had come very suddenly, and now there were two eight year old boys cooped up in a house with nothing to do.
I turned towards him. “I am? Does that mean you think I’m all dull, dreary and no fun at all?”
“Of course not.” Henry laughed, punching me in the arm. I winced a bit from his punch. He was getting stronger every day, he told me, and I believed him.
“Then why did you say I’m like the rain?” I asked. “I hate the rain.”
Henry’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Really?”
“Yea, really.” I confirmed.
Henry paused briefly before looking outside again. “I don’t see how anyone can hate this. There’s so much life in the rain that it amazes me every time I see it.”
I looked back outside, trying to see what my best friend saw.
“Water flows in an endless cycle.” Henry continued. “It falls from the sky as rain down to the Earth, where living creatures depend on it to survive. Alone, a raindrop is nothing, but together then can form a stream, which can turn into a flowing river. Eventually the river will reach the ocean, where millions of living creatures live. There, the droplet of water can stay for centuries before it evaporates into the sky to become clouds. And when all those clouds come together, they become heavy and then rains, starting the cycle all over again.”
I had heard of the water cycle many times before, but the way Henry told it drew me in. After he finished, he turned towards me with a half smile on his face.
“It’s an unbreakable cycle that will never fail. It’s nature’s way of showing us how continual life really is.”
“Are you going to start babbling about the circle of life now?” I half joked, even though a part of me wanted to hear it.
“I know that I could always depend on the rain to come someday.” He said as he pressed his hand against the window pane. “Just like I always know I can depend on you to always be there for me.”
I was truly flattered by Henry’s words. When I looked out the window again, I was surprised to be suddenly able to see things I hadn’t been able to before.
“I love the rain.” Henry said as he wrapped his arm around me. “Whenever I see it, I know that even though it may seem hard now, everything will be alright again.”
* * *
“Everything will be alright again….” I whispered, just before I fell asleep. The last thing I remember was the feeling of a warm hand holding mine. It felt like everything it should be. Soft, strong, warm, gentle…all of these things I have missed so much over the past three years.
And tonight, it was mine once more.