Luminance

The night air was thick with the scent of rain, though the clouds above held their breath, refusing to break. Evana and I walked in silence, our footsteps echoing softly against the empty streets. Her hand was warm in mine, a grounding force that kept me anchored to the present. The hospital was far behind us now, but its shadow lingered, a ghostly reminder of what I had lost—and what I had found.

We reached a small park, its gates creaking softly as we pushed them open. The playground was deserted, the swings swaying gently in the breeze as if moved by unseen hands. Evana led me to a bench beneath an old oak tree, its branches stretching wide like a protector's embrace. We sat down, the wood cool beneath us, and for a while, we just listened to the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the city.

"What now?" Evana asked finally, her voice soft but steady. She turned to me, her eyes searching mine for answers I wasn't sure I had.

I looked down at my hands, still marked by the faint traces of my mother's cold touch. "I don't know," I admitted. "I thought… I thought saying goodbye to her would give me closure. But it feels like I've just opened a door to a room I don't know how to enter."

Evana nodded, her gaze drifting to the stars peeking through the canopy above. "Grief is like that," she said. "It doesn't just go away. It changes shape, becomes something you carry with you. But you learn to carry it. And eventually, it becomes a part of you—not something that weighs you down, but something that reminds you of what you've loved."Her words settled over me like a blanket, comforting yet heavy. I thought about my mother, about the way she had always been my compass, even when I didn't realize it. Now, without her, I felt adrift, like a ship without a harbor. But Evana's presence beside me was a lifeline, a reminder that I wasn't alone.

"I keep thinking about the note," I said, pulling it from my pocket. The paper was worn, its edges frayed from being folded and unfolded so many times.

Evana placed her hand over mine, her touch gentle but firm. "That note, It's a part of her, just like you are. Take care of it."I nodded, slipping the note back into my pocket. For now, it was enough to know it was there, a piece of my mother that I could carry with me.

We sat in silence for a while longer, the world around us quiet and still. Then, as if sensing the shift in my thoughts, Evana spoke again. "You said something back there," she began, her voice hesitant. "About rising. What did you mean?"

I looked at her, surprised by the question. The words had come to me in the hospital, unbidden but true. "I meant… I've spent so long falling," I said slowly, choosing my words with care. "Falling into grief, into anger, into myself. But now… now I feel like I've hit the bottom. And the only way left to go is up."Evana smiled, a small, sad smile that spoke of understanding. "Rising isn't easy," she said. "It's like trying to fly with broken wings. But you don't have to do it alone. I'll be here, every step of the way."

Her words filled me with a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. She became the missing part of my broken wings. I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers through hers. "Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion.

"For everything."

She leaned her head against my shoulder, her presence a quiet reassurance. "Always," she whispered.

We stayed like that for what felt like hours, the night wrapping around us like a cocoon. And as I sat there, with Evana beside me and the stars above, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time: hope. It was fragile, like a fledgling bird testing its wings, but it was there.The road ahead would be long, and I knew there would be moments when the weight of my grief would threaten to pull me under. But for the first time, I believed I could rise above it. Not because I was strong, but because I wasn't alone.

"Benji, now lets walk back to our homes"

"Yea, we should. its getting late"

As we finally stood to leave, the first drops of rain began to fall, cool and gentle against my skin. I looked up at the sky, letting the water wash over me, and for a moment, I felt like I was being reborn.

Maybe I am ready to take the first step towards the path of light with my rightful partner, Evana.