The Fireflies, The Stars

Disappeared

I had never met someone like you, so I had no idea what to say. I had nervously chuckled along, being embarrassed by our little rendezvous. I even jumped a bit when you introduced yourself.

"Ash."

Your name was Ash. A young, sick, homeschooled girl. You were going to die before you were even born. Huntington's disease. You had about ten years to live.
"Why are you here?"
I could hear myself ask, my voice a raspy whisper. I could feel my heart clenching.

"The fireflies."

I remember the smile you gave me when you said that.

We were young, sure, just fourteen. But at that moment, I knew I wanted to stick by your side, forever.

We became inseparable.

Everyday, we'd meet up by the hill at the same time. By that tree you knew I loved so dearly, that you grew to love too. We carved our names in the trunks of it, because those carvings would last forever, even if we didn't.

We thought we would.

We wanted to.

Huntington disease. It was horrible, it was so rare. Your brain was slowly breaking down, and I was breaking myself, while I had watched it break you.

Everything was broken.

You were already weak to begin with, but it made you weaker.
So how come you were so strong? After a while, you joined my school. We became even closer, we became so inseparable people began to suspect something between us.

I didn't mind. I loved when your cheeks had become rosy, or the way you laughed when I dragged you every day after school to watch the fireflies.

At some point, it wasn't the fireflies I even wanted to watch. I wasn't even sure what I was watching, at that point.

All the memories we made, all those feelings. You fulfilled every look in my eyes you could read, you knew everything.
You were home.

...

I lost my home.