Status: COMPLETED
Our Memories Blanket Us With Friends We Know
You're Not In This Alone
It had been eight long days before Frank had received any contact from the future. And by the future he means Gee.
Frank had thought about Gerard for a very long eight days. The longing in his stomach hadn't settled, even when Gerard's enveloped letters were in his hands.
Frank's Halloween tattoo had been basking in the the sun set of the Lake House's view. He was relaxing on the couch shirtless with Gee's letters in his palms. One was marked: OPEN THIS ONE FIRST, the next: SECOND
" Do I open it? " He looked at Pepper to his right and the only reply was a whine.
" But what if this is the last letter? " Frank's stomach sort of drops. His speech is getting a bit fast .
" What if Gee is refusing all contact from me. From now on? That would explain the envelopes. " Frank couldn't help but bite his lower lip. Pepper puts his snout on Franks thighs and whines again.
" You're probably right Pep's. I'm being an idiot. "
He thought that Gerard was going to stop all contact, that's why he had written two separate letters to him. He strokes Pepper and just looks at them both. He's resisting the urge to tear them both open and just get this all over and done with. But he doesn't. He takes a big nervous breath and opens letter number one.
'Dearest Frankie. I hope you've followed the rules clearly and that you have opened this letter first. If not, this relationship of ours shall not be going on any longer if you cannot give me some trust.'
The letter has HAHA in big bold letters.
'Just joking! I'm sorry. Forgive me?'
Of course, Frank thought.
'It's just been a . . . rough week. I've worked so much this week and you know The Breakfast Monkey? Yeah, a complete dud. So that's got me a bit down (you don't even want to know) and because of that I haven't been able to get away when I was creating it. I can't remember the last time I looked at the blue sky, or saw a goddamn tree. I'm just beat. But it's not so bad when I'm busy. It's when I have a minute to breathe, to look around, that it seems really hard. I wonder what the hell I'm doing here. Alone. In this grey city. And I miss the way the world looked from the window of the Lake House. Well. . . enough of sad old me, it's time for your present. Letter number two'
Frank relaxes and takes a deep breath. " Thank god, Pepper. " He pats him on the head. " Not to worry boy, we're still in love. " Frank smiles widely at Pepper and opens letter number two.
Photographs are tucked into the envelope. Beautiful photographs.
The first one's got a man in it and he's dressed in a red jacket and black hat. He's got a wide grin on his face, his hands are out, in a sort of look-at-this-awesome-shit way. Frank places it down and grabs the next. There's so many people in the photo it looks crowded. But there's no Gerard. Not in any of them. Frank feels a bit jaded.
Then there's the third and last photo. It's a arm pointing towards the city and the view is beautiful. He could tell by the light in the sky that he didn't go during the day. The sky had faded from a deep blue into a light blue, pale orange and then a light salmon. The lights on the streets looked like red bugs. And everything, Frank meant everything, was lit up. Like a mysterious camping ground at day. The leaves shading nearly everything but the sunlight just peaking though the branches. He assumed the hand pointing out was Gerard's.
' It was a date right? I know there's only three pictures but I was to taken away by everything that I didn't get much photos. And I sort of did, though their mostly blurry. It was a beautiful night Frankie. I wish you were there with me. I really do. You would have loved it. But you know, you were in a sort of way. It was a great idea, one I much enjoyed. Thank you for the wonderful night- Gee'
*~~~~~~*
Frank rolls out from bed and takes another glance at his photograph on his bedside table. He get's up, stretches and get's ready for work. Keeping New York at night and Gerard's arm on his mind.
*~~~~*
Mulhern directs Frank to the infant trees in front of them.
" These dear boy are being planted on section 14. We also have the new arrivals of wood being shipped in at 3pm sharp. Lucky for me it's your job. " Mulhern elbows Frank's side. " I got a date at 4 with the Wife. " Mulhern is still cackling as he walks off. Frank thought that he would actually be the one laughing while leaving the premises.
*~~~~*
And Frank was. He was driving into New York's evening. In the back of his truck is one of the trees.
*~~~~*
Frank digs a hole outside the construction site that will become Gerard's apartment building. He finishes and starts to set the tiny, fragile tree into place.
*~~~~~*
Frank tosses the shovel in the back of his truck and leaves 1620 RACINE.
Frank had thought about Gerard for a very long eight days. The longing in his stomach hadn't settled, even when Gerard's enveloped letters were in his hands.
Frank's Halloween tattoo had been basking in the the sun set of the Lake House's view. He was relaxing on the couch shirtless with Gee's letters in his palms. One was marked: OPEN THIS ONE FIRST, the next: SECOND
" Do I open it? " He looked at Pepper to his right and the only reply was a whine.
" But what if this is the last letter? " Frank's stomach sort of drops. His speech is getting a bit fast .
" What if Gee is refusing all contact from me. From now on? That would explain the envelopes. " Frank couldn't help but bite his lower lip. Pepper puts his snout on Franks thighs and whines again.
" You're probably right Pep's. I'm being an idiot. "
He thought that Gerard was going to stop all contact, that's why he had written two separate letters to him. He strokes Pepper and just looks at them both. He's resisting the urge to tear them both open and just get this all over and done with. But he doesn't. He takes a big nervous breath and opens letter number one.
'Dearest Frankie. I hope you've followed the rules clearly and that you have opened this letter first. If not, this relationship of ours shall not be going on any longer if you cannot give me some trust.'
The letter has HAHA in big bold letters.
'Just joking! I'm sorry. Forgive me?'
Of course, Frank thought.
'It's just been a . . . rough week. I've worked so much this week and you know The Breakfast Monkey? Yeah, a complete dud. So that's got me a bit down (you don't even want to know) and because of that I haven't been able to get away when I was creating it. I can't remember the last time I looked at the blue sky, or saw a goddamn tree. I'm just beat. But it's not so bad when I'm busy. It's when I have a minute to breathe, to look around, that it seems really hard. I wonder what the hell I'm doing here. Alone. In this grey city. And I miss the way the world looked from the window of the Lake House. Well. . . enough of sad old me, it's time for your present. Letter number two'
Frank relaxes and takes a deep breath. " Thank god, Pepper. " He pats him on the head. " Not to worry boy, we're still in love. " Frank smiles widely at Pepper and opens letter number two.
Photographs are tucked into the envelope. Beautiful photographs.
The first one's got a man in it and he's dressed in a red jacket and black hat. He's got a wide grin on his face, his hands are out, in a sort of look-at-this-awesome-shit way. Frank places it down and grabs the next. There's so many people in the photo it looks crowded. But there's no Gerard. Not in any of them. Frank feels a bit jaded.
Then there's the third and last photo. It's a arm pointing towards the city and the view is beautiful. He could tell by the light in the sky that he didn't go during the day. The sky had faded from a deep blue into a light blue, pale orange and then a light salmon. The lights on the streets looked like red bugs. And everything, Frank meant everything, was lit up. Like a mysterious camping ground at day. The leaves shading nearly everything but the sunlight just peaking though the branches. He assumed the hand pointing out was Gerard's.
' It was a date right? I know there's only three pictures but I was to taken away by everything that I didn't get much photos. And I sort of did, though their mostly blurry. It was a beautiful night Frankie. I wish you were there with me. I really do. You would have loved it. But you know, you were in a sort of way. It was a great idea, one I much enjoyed. Thank you for the wonderful night- Gee'
*~~~~~~*
Frank rolls out from bed and takes another glance at his photograph on his bedside table. He get's up, stretches and get's ready for work. Keeping New York at night and Gerard's arm on his mind.
*~~~~*
Mulhern directs Frank to the infant trees in front of them.
" These dear boy are being planted on section 14. We also have the new arrivals of wood being shipped in at 3pm sharp. Lucky for me it's your job. " Mulhern elbows Frank's side. " I got a date at 4 with the Wife. " Mulhern is still cackling as he walks off. Frank thought that he would actually be the one laughing while leaving the premises.
*~~~~*
And Frank was. He was driving into New York's evening. In the back of his truck is one of the trees.
*~~~~*
Frank digs a hole outside the construction site that will become Gerard's apartment building. He finishes and starts to set the tiny, fragile tree into place.
*~~~~~*
Frank tosses the shovel in the back of his truck and leaves 1620 RACINE.
♠ ♠ ♠
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