All American Boys

23. The Golden Gate

All American Boys

Chapter 23: The Golden Gate

A/N: I've attached the reference to Alicia and Hayden's wedding photo, the scene of Joachim and Anne meeting at the Golden Gate, Jerusalem

Alicia was smiling, her lips parting to reveal the row of perfect white teeth. Her hair fluttered in her breeze, her gaze looking up at Hayden's as he caught her in his arms.

She wore a pale yellow sundress, the fabric dotted with small white flowers. Hayden wore a blue sweater and maroon pants. For a wedding photoshoot they didn't seem to like wearing wedding clothes.

They had taken those pictures on the asphalt sidewalk of the golden gate bridge, it's famous bright red beams in the background. They must've gone early in the morning, judging from how empty the place was.

The couple looked very natural in their poses, Alicia leaning forward, Hayden supporting her forearms. I didn't know if it was intentional, but the morning sun casted what looked like bright halos over their heads. But what I knew, those two looked happy. They deserved it.

It was my first time seeing it, those photographs of my sister back in happier times. I guess that's the beauty of photography – you could capture the joy of the moment and keep it forever, no matter how fleeting and ephemeral it was. And I suppose if you look through that photo frame, enveloped in your own sorrow and loneliness, it almost feels like you're looking into another world. A foreign place that you'd rather be.

But maybe that's what moments like that are for. To save for gloomier times. For us to look at them to remind ourselves that happier days do indeed exist.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked Hayden, not taking my eyes off the photograph.

"Alicia wanted to," he said. "But I told her it wasn't safe."

"What do you mean?"

The young man only shrugged as he let out a deep sigh.

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it?" Hayden replied.

I only agreed in silence.

"It's been hard for all of us," he said, folding his arms. "I've been trying to move on but. . . Well, I try."

"Me too," I muttered.

Hayden turned to look at his brother, who was looking through his phone on the sofa.

"Anyway," he said walking up to Isaac. "How have you been? How's school?"

"I've uh," the younger brother replied. "It's been better."

"How's your injury?" Hayden asked.

Isaac only shrugged.

"What about football?"

The younger brother only shrugged again. It was pretty obvious that he was getting uncomfortable.

"What about you, Hayden?" I interjected. "What're you up to recently?"

"Well I'll be based here until Christmas," the young man said. "Then I'll be deployed again."

"Where to?" I asked.

"I don't know yet."

The tense, heavy atmosphere returned as the three of us were back to being silent. There were things that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't. Not with Isaac there listening.

"Actually," I said, standing up. "Can I talk to you outside? In private."

Isaac raised an eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing as Hayden and I slipped out of the main door.