‹ Prequel: Dance to Anything
He was the Moon
We are a hurricane.
“Was he a good man, Daddy?” the girl asked, clinging the hand of her father. “The man buried here.”
Her father squeezed her hand and laid the bouquet of black roses at the foot of the headstone. “Yes, Tali,” he said. “And he was a beautiful man.”
“How beautiful, Daddy?” the girl asked, tracing the faded words on the gravestone.
“He was like the moon on a clear night,” her father told her and picked her up, placing a kiss on her cheek. “The prettiest thing you’d ever imagine.”
The girl leaned into her father and touched her nose to his cheek. “I wish I had meet him,” she said earnestly. “You talk about him all the time and I’m sure I would’ve loved him too.”
“I know you would’ve,” her father said and set her back down on the ground. “And he would’ve loved you too.”
“I love you, Daddy,” the girl said, hugging his legs. “Can I go play in the sand?”
“Love you too, Tali,” he said. “Go and play. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay!” she said with a bright beam and skipped over to the beach, leaving the man alone with the grave.
He said down next the headstone, touching light fingers to the cool stone. “Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked in the air around him. “I named her Talia, you know. Just like you wanted. Though I did sneak Elizabeth in as her middle name. You know I’m stubborn like that.” He laughed, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. “God, I miss you,” he said with a loud sniffle. “I wish … Well, I wish a lot of things. It’s not important.” He paused and bit his lip. “You should see William now. He and Gabe moved to the countryside. Goat-herders. Who would’ve thought? And Pete … I wish I could say that he got thrown in jail for all his shit, but we were too chicken-hearted to turn him in. I hear he’s still running La Cage de Toxiques, though it’s gotten quiet run down. Not as hot anymore. And me? I’m the same as I always was.” He choked on a bitter laugh and leaned into the headstone. “No. That’s a lie. I’ve been different since the moment I laid eyes on you, <i>ten years</i> ago, dancing in your black dress. Opus, I called you. It wasn’t until that night that learned your real name. Yes, things have changed for me. But that’s okay. You changed me for the better. I don’t regret you.” He shrugged. “I love you, Ryan, and that’s all there is to it.”
“You coming, Daddy?” Talia called, spinning in circles across the sandy beach.
“Yeah!” Brendon called back and slowly got to his feet. “I’m coming!”
Her father squeezed her hand and laid the bouquet of black roses at the foot of the headstone. “Yes, Tali,” he said. “And he was a beautiful man.”
“How beautiful, Daddy?” the girl asked, tracing the faded words on the gravestone.
“He was like the moon on a clear night,” her father told her and picked her up, placing a kiss on her cheek. “The prettiest thing you’d ever imagine.”
The girl leaned into her father and touched her nose to his cheek. “I wish I had meet him,” she said earnestly. “You talk about him all the time and I’m sure I would’ve loved him too.”
“I know you would’ve,” her father said and set her back down on the ground. “And he would’ve loved you too.”
“I love you, Daddy,” the girl said, hugging his legs. “Can I go play in the sand?”
“Love you too, Tali,” he said. “Go and play. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay!” she said with a bright beam and skipped over to the beach, leaving the man alone with the grave.
He said down next the headstone, touching light fingers to the cool stone. “Isn’t she beautiful?” he asked in the air around him. “I named her Talia, you know. Just like you wanted. Though I did sneak Elizabeth in as her middle name. You know I’m stubborn like that.” He laughed, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. “God, I miss you,” he said with a loud sniffle. “I wish … Well, I wish a lot of things. It’s not important.” He paused and bit his lip. “You should see William now. He and Gabe moved to the countryside. Goat-herders. Who would’ve thought? And Pete … I wish I could say that he got thrown in jail for all his shit, but we were too chicken-hearted to turn him in. I hear he’s still running La Cage de Toxiques, though it’s gotten quiet run down. Not as hot anymore. And me? I’m the same as I always was.” He choked on a bitter laugh and leaned into the headstone. “No. That’s a lie. I’ve been different since the moment I laid eyes on you, <i>ten years</i> ago, dancing in your black dress. Opus, I called you. It wasn’t until that night that learned your real name. Yes, things have changed for me. But that’s okay. You changed me for the better. I don’t regret you.” He shrugged. “I love you, Ryan, and that’s all there is to it.”
“You coming, Daddy?” Talia called, spinning in circles across the sandy beach.
“Yeah!” Brendon called back and slowly got to his feet. “I’m coming!”
♠ ♠ ♠
D'awww.