My guardian angel, the prequel of The world elsewhere

Six years and four months after the accident

I look Noah braid Aurore's hair.

- Say, Daddy, do you think we can like girls ?
- Love cannot be controlled. he smiles.

Aurore turned to me.

- Say, Eden, what was he like ?
- He looked like a Korean with American features. He didn't care much about his Korean origins but his American side made him incredibly cute. That's what we said. I smile.

Aurore goes to pick up a book when Noah finishes her braid. She returns with a storybook.

- Palmer gave me this !

I smile. I look at the storybook more closely.

- You are lucky.

I'm going to get Eden's diary.

- You will feel that you are ready, read it and enjoy his vision of life.

She smiles at me.

- You're a perfect, Mommy.

Someone knocks on the door, opens and finds Lloyed. He comes in without even waiting for my response.

- Another one of your many friends ? Noah says.
- Hello, let me introduce myself, my name is Lloyed.
- Did your parents really call you that ? Noah says suspiciously.

I elbow him in the ribs while Lloyed says nothing.

- Um, I don't know my parents. They're dead.
- I'm sorry. we both say it at the same time.

Aurore looks at Lloyed.

- You too have sun spots. she says happily.

A smile appears on his face before he bursts out laughing. He takes her hand as he kneels.

- What are sun spots ?

She touches his face where his freckles are.

- Them. she says.

Then she also touches her freckles.

- Sun spots. she smiles.
- I adore my sun spots. he smiles.

Aurore's face beams even more.

- And you have fire-colored hair. she smiles.
- No, it's carrot, the color of my hair.

Noah takes my hand and leads us outside.

- What are you doing. I smile.
- I rarely trust a man but I trust him and I can't understand why. he said perplexed.

I cup his head in my hands.

- He's very nice. That's all I can tell you about him even though I've only known him for five years.
- Five years is still a long time.
- Not for me.

He intertwines our fingers in a delicacy that belongs only to him.

- You know that Aurore thinks she fell in love at first sight.
- With Mio ? I ask.
- I think it's not impossible but she's so young.

He looks into mine.

- She chooses who she wants to love.
- You change your speech quickly. he smiles.

I kiss him as the wind picks up. Autumn shows us its colors.

- I remember Halloween when I was young. The pleasure of dressing up.
- Harvesting sweets.
- Too bad she doesn't know this tradition.
- I don't like Halloween.

He lets go of his hand. He puts a hand to his heart while taking a kind of judgment.

- You're so sad all of a sudden. he says.
- Shut up. I laugh.
- But I love you anyway. he says kissing me.

🄽🄴🅇🅃 🄴🅅🄴🄽🄸🄽🄶

The black sky shows us its stars. Lying on the fresh grass after the rain, we watch the comets pass.

Sorry, shooting stars.

The soothing silence of nature makes the atmosphere magical. The world seems to slow down around us.

- Look, one more. Aurore laughs.

Lloyed is probably watching from the mall.

- And you see, there is a kind of pan. Noah says at Aurore.
- I see it, I see it !

My eyes close and when I open them. Eden is sitting across from me.

- Aren't you eating, Jessy ? Emily told me.

Astonishment prevents me from speaking. She shrugs and leaves.

I wake up in my bed. Noah turns to me, completely asleep.

- Did you have a bad dream ?
- I woke you up ?

He embraces me, pulling me towards him.

- It's nothing, just go back to sleep, Firefly.

🄽🄴🅇🅃 🄽🄸🄶🄷🅃

A noise wakes me up. With sleepy eyes, I see a silhouette that I know only too well.

- Damn, Lauricii, what the hell are you doing ?
- Are you calling me Palmer anymore ?
- Damn, but it's night.

She takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen.

- I have a good new. she says as she sit down.

- I'm sleepy, Palmer.
- He came back.
- Who ?
- Diallo.

———————— ☀︎ ————————

Oh my, I missed you so much !

Two weeks without writing is torture !

I hope you're doing well !

January 17, 2024