The silver stars above Al's bed twinkle as the moonlight enters through the room, showering her in sparkles. Oscar rests on her door before walking up to her bed. He leans down to her face and rests his lips on her forehead. Even deep in her dreams, she senses his kiss, showing a faint smile that remains there for long seconds. There's comfort in her when her father is nearby.
"Here." Mrs. Ashford extends her arm to him to hand him a sandwich wrapped in aluminum. "Eat it the way there."
Oscar grabs a water bottle from the fridge and takes his breakfast from his mom. "You don't have to keep waking up early. I can cook myself."
Mrs. Ashford scoffs lightly. "I don't want to wake up in flames."
Oscar laughs.
"Where has been Theo?" she asks him, leaning on the sink with her coat around her. "It's been more than a month without him."
Oscar finds the urge to fill a sudden emptiness in his chest. "Busy, I guess."
She nods, eyes fixated on her son. "Al asked yesterday. Made me realize we haven't seen much of him as of lately."
Oscar decides to ignore her words in lack of a response. "See you later, mom," he says, heading for the door.
The night is quiet, leaving it up to his thoughts to make noise. His thoughts are noisy today—just like every other day since he left Theo. So prevalent in his mind to the point where he feels forced to put on his earphones. Thankfully, the music helps distract him up until he arrives at a house with a lawn waiting to be mowed.
He is so invested in the work that he finishes before the sun is up. So early that he decided to visit Mrs. Monroe tomorrow to get his pay so she wouldn't have to wake her up so early. When all the equipment is put away, he roams once again the empty streets of his city, accompanying the stray animals.
A bull terrier with white fur and black dots in his eyes stares at him. He rests next to the trash cans, resting his head on his front paws. He has no collar and there are bloodstains on the back of his fur from the people that kick him out of their properties by throwing rocks at him.
Oscar removes his backpack and pulls out something. His sandwich. He nears the dog and places the opened sandwich on the ground. The dog fears him, not heading for the food until Oscar has taken a few steps back.
Oscar finds joy in knowing that he made his day better even if the rest would not. "Tomorrow will be a better day, buddy," he says, wondering if he spoke to the dog or himself.
He is the first to get to school, not even the staff has arrived. The doors are locked so he heads to the bench, taking his usual seat.
He closes his eyes until he feels her presence.
"I feel you," he murmurs, now eyes open and staring at the blue night sky.
He hears her smile. "That's because I'm here."
She's not. Not really.
"You fear the night," he recalls, glancing at her.
Her blonde hair is being blown behind her, letting her face be in full view. She's beautiful.
"I don't fear the night, silly," she says, looking at the stars. "Not when I'm with you."
Oscar smiles and nods.
"There's something I've been missing," she says, nudging his shoulder.
"What is it, Gwen?"
"Your smile. You don't smile as often anymore."
Oscar looks down at his lap. "I smile."
He hears her sigh, or maybe it was the wind. "I want you to smile, Oscar." He feels the weight of her hand on his shoulder. "He makes you smile."
"Theo?" Oscar asks, already knowing her response.
"Theo," she confirms. "You're foolish to leave what makes you smile. Very foolish."
Oscar wants to tell her that he did this for her, but did he do this for him?
Streaks of violet and orange peak from the horizons. The sun is slowly crawling up.
"I can hear your thoughts," she admits. She pats her flowery dress and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm no longer here, Oscar. He is."
"You're always with me and Al," he tells her. "You told me that."
She offers a side smile. "You know what I mean."
"He's just a boy," Oscar tells her, looking away so she doesn't notice the glaze over his eyes. "We are too young to be in love and expect a future after our high school years are over."
"You worry about the future too much," she says. "Who are you to say he won't be there? Theo can be there with you, keeping you company as the years go on if you let him."
A tear rolls down his cheek. Ever since he had Al, the future was all that mattered to him. He wasn't only thinking about his, but his daughter's too.
Although he hated it, he always compared his life to Theo's. While Theo studied to keep getting straight As, Oscar would skip school and fail courses to work extra hours to pay overdue bills. While Theo read books and wrote stories, Oscar would sit on his front porch and smoke a cigarette. While Theo worried about what college to attend, Oscar worried about where he would find his next job jig. How could there be a future where the two could interconnect? It's a mismatch.
Would it be selfish of him to settle Theo into his life acknowledging those differences?
"Don't make that decision for him," she tells him. "Let him into your life if he makes you happy."
The dark sky is now becoming a light blue.
"Will you let him, Oscar?"
Before he can reply, she is already gone, taking the night with her and replacing it with the morning sun. And as he stares at her empty place, the tree behind gets blown by the wind, unleashing a purple flower that takes over her absence.
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A\N: Like and comment for more! I know I take my time to publish new chapters, so forgive me.
:)