The gentle water, flowing downstream.
The relaxing breeze in the air.
The occasional chirping of the birds in the background.
This was his home.
A normal, two room house along the edge of the Land Between the Lakes. A twenty minute drive from his hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.
He spends most of his summer days spending time with his mother, or going shopping to get the necessities needed for them to live.
They were far from rich, but they didn't need money to be happy. All Gavin needed in the world was his mother, and his singular tenor saxophone, sitting in the practice room.
He sat there at the water, his knees against his chest. His chin rested on his forearm. Just watching the water flow.
In just two days begins his final year of school. Final year of studying subjects he didn't enjoy, final year of waking up at the crack of dawn.
Well, scratch that last part. He's a morning person.
Either way, it was his last year living with his mother before moving back into Clarksville to attend the college he wishes to go to. While there's a chance he doesn't have a high enough GPA to get into the University, he's always top student in every class and has been the number 1 student over all since the sixth grade. He wasn't too worried about not getting in.
He yawned, seeing the sun start it's descent into the West, behind the mountains he'd hike in the winter with his mother.
He stood up and stretched, walking back home, where he saw his mother taking a nap on the couch. He smiled and layed a blanket over her, since the house was always a bit cold.
He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his supplies to make some dinner for the two of them.
Grabbing a chopping board, he peeled the outside of an onion off, cutting it into fourths, proceeding to chop each fourth into tiny little pieces. Then he layed a package of hamburger into a pan, sauteing the onion with it.
He knew how to cook an assortment of meals, as his father taught him, but his mothers favorite was always his spaghetti.
Once the hamburger and chopped onion was done, he opened two cans of tomato sauce and poured them into a pot, dumping the hamburger-onion mixture in with it.
After he added the seasonings, he noticed his mother sit up in the living room.
"Do I smell sauce?" She asked, making Gavin laugh lightly.
"Yes, mom," He replied.
It's always just been the two of them. His father died when he was 10 years old, getting into a collision with a drunk driver. He was an only child as well, so the last 8 years has been rather lonely for his mother. He always feels alone in the world outside of his house, but as soon as he sees her face his day gets immediately better.
Gavin's never really had friends. He's always just kind of stuck by his family, and that's by his own choice. Usually people don't want to be alone. They seek love and friends. They don't want to be lonely.
Though Gavin isn't most people. He's alone, but he isn't lonely. He knows how harsh people can be, and he knows if he stays away he can't be hurt. At least that's what he thought until the incident of his father.
After that, his mindset completely shifted. He no longer trusted anyone besides his mother. He spends every day with her, makes sure she knows she isn't alone. When his father died, she spiraled into a deep state of depression. Gavin was seen as too young to be able to help, yet he put a whole new meaning to "seeming older than you are."
Since the age of 10, the boy with the love of music has portrayed himself as a man. A man who loves his mother more than the world itself. He's been cooking her dinner since he could turn on a stove. He's been cleaning the house for her since he knew how to use a broom.
Most importantly, he's been the support beam to her life since he knew what emotions were.
Gavin is a very special person, but only to one human being. The woman that showed him the world.
That's the thought that goes through his head whenever he sees her chocolate brown eyes. Her messy, brunette hair. The way her face lights up any time he walks through the door after a long day of school.
Gavin was a complete replica of his mother. With shaggy dark-brown hair and milk chocolate eyes, he looked exactly like her. The only difference being the height. While she was only 5'6", Gavin stood tall at 6'1".
"I told you before, you don't always have to make me food sweetie," His mother said.
"I know I don't have to," Gavin replied with a bright smile. "Only problem is I want to."
She giggled lightly and stretched as Gavin drained the spaghetti noodles. He pulled two bowls out of the cabinet, mixing the noodles and sauce together, distributing it evenly into the bowls. He opened the fridge and grabbed parmesan cheese, adding it to her moms bowl. Same way she likes it.
He grabbed the bowls and brought them over to where his mother was laying, placing her bowl on the table in front of her.
"You're too kind," She said, sitting up to eat. He smiled and said, "I learned it from you."
The two interacted like this a lot. She always slept during the day, and they talked often during the night. Sometimes they would walk down to the river and skip rocks.
She stopped leaving the house, however. Gavin started going out alone whenever she was asleep. He needed a place to cope after finding out she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.
~~~~~~~~~~
For some unknown reason, that interaction plays in his head every time he thinks about her.
It's been two years since then. He was now graduated, and now lived in Clarksville. The same place she was buried.
His one dream was to become a professional jazz musician. He wanted to be like Charlie Parker. However after his mom's death due to a mistake a certain doctor made, he switched his major in college to becoming a doctor.
Needless to say, the doctor that got his mom killed didn't have the best conversation with Gavin. He's always been able to keep his composure, no matter the situation. Though because his will to live was now gone, so was his ability to hold it together.
He visits the Land Between the Lakes every so often, though most days he just stands at the bridge crossing the river.
He was beginning his second year in college. He was working a night shift at a local bar, having to change his shift around for his college hours. He felt uneasy, knowing sleep would be rare now. Working during the day, making drinks at night.
He currently stood on the bridge, just watching as the river flowed. He had an hour left until he has to go into work, and decided to spend that hour at the river.
It wasn't going to be a good day at work. His boss was actually his new best friend, and he knows all about what today is. Today would've been his mother's 47th birthday.
Gavin was now very social. He went from being the quiet kid who didn't go to prom to having deep conversations with the people coming in to drink their pain away.
His co-workers and boss would often hang out after hours, them being his first official friend group.
While his life seemed better than it used to be, he would change it back to the past in a heart beat. All the conversations, all the laughs, all the good times he has with these people. It's no where near the same amount of joy he got when he'd see his mother when he walked through the door.
He sighed. It was a cold day night, his favorite weather. As he grabbed his bag to head to work, he noticed a group of what looked like seniors in high school walking along. They were all laughing, having a grand old time. Normally he didn't pay attention to it, but they seemed familiar. It almost felt like deja vu.
He shrugged and ignored it, heading to work, where he was greeted by his boss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry if this seemed kinda boring.
Usually when I make books they go by rather fast, but lately I've learned that the more detailed a story gets, the better it can be.
I can't promise fast updates, as I am a very busy man. However I have a lot of faith with this story.
Anyways, thanks for reading! I wish you all a wonderful night!