I brushed my hair before bed, staring into my own soul in the bathroom mirror, recounting my life from day one.
From my childhood in Tulsa, growing up with the Greasers.
Remembering playing football with the Curtis's and their buddies.
Recalling going to school, getting sent to the office for chatting and laughing with Two-Bit Matthews too much.
Spending time out at the lot with Johnny Cade, listening to his words that held so much more meaning than you could ever imagine.
Hanging out at the DX and listening to Sodapop Curtis speak about his life, and struggles that no one payed any attention to, since his movie star smile wasn't as shallow as you'd think.
Watching drag races with Steve Randle, him being nearly forgotten, like the moon without a sun and not taken as one to be noticed.
Going to the Nightly Double with Ponyboy Curtis to see a movie and understanding what he meant, when he felt like it was an escape.
Helping cook dinner and clean the house with Darry Curtis, actually taking him seriously for how he was robbed of his youth and had to stress over everything.
And lastly Dally Winston, my poor Dally who had so much trouble with his emotions and all the rage he had been whipped with through the years.
Dally was the one who I loved, I even married that dreamboat of a man.
You see, we were young and in love.
We stayed together until his death in 1988, where he was killed by an old rival who hadn't let go of the old days.
He was forty, I was thirty nine.
I was even pregnant with our fourth child, who I miscarried weeks after his death.
So now that I'm nearly seventy six, in 2024, nearly forty years after his death, I'm still mourning.
I never moved on, and never will.
I finished brushing my hair, and looked at my face one last time.
My hair had grey streaks and was long, about waist length.
My face had hardly wrinkled, still having some life in it.
My eyes never changed, still twinkling with wonder.
I cringed suddenly, my chest having some sort of pain, the usual heartbreak accompanied by something else.
I walked back to my room, having memories dance back into my mind, the fun times Dally and I had mostly.
I laid in my bed and kissed my wedding photo of us on my bedside table and smiled sadly.
"Goodnight, my love." I whispered before drifting off.
I felt myself being carried away on my ship of dreams, or what I thought it was.
No, I was dying.
I realized it, too.
I was dying alone, my children moving all over the place, not around me when I died.
I shifted onto my side, and sniffled.
That was before I felt two strong arms wrap around me, engulfing me in an embrace I hadn't felt for years.
"You ain't alone sweetheart." A voice said.
I chuckled lightly and stopped shedding tears immediately.
"I missed you, y'know?" He sighed.
"I know, I missed you too. Goodnight, Dally."
