Flumes Volume 1 Issue 1 | Page 37

who spent her days alone in an asylum. Being an only child, she stayed with her aunt, whom loved to remind her that love came at a cost. She reminded me a lot of myself, since most of her life she had been alone. She would always tell Simon that he was her sunshine, the light in her life that reminded her that everything would be okay. I felt that way too.

I grew fond of Annie.

~~~

They had a child. It was a little boy that they named Noah. He was perfect. A beautiful mixture of the two parents.  His brown hair that curled into beautiful ringlets was a reminder of his father who had the full head of hair. But his smile, so gentle and kind was a reminder of Annie, whose sweet soul could save any broken heart. The small giggles from the boy fueled my light, and I prayed that they would never go. That they would stay here with me. Forever.

~~~

Noah grew up and left home. College is what they called it. He was an extremely smart boy. Simon explained to me, after Annie had gone to bed that he was so proud of him, and that he was planning on being a doctor. I was so proud of him too. Sometimes Simon would cry after Noah left, he missed his boy. I missed Noah too, but I knew he would be back. He wouldn’t leave them for long. He promised to visit us. I wasn’t worried.

~~~

Annie was growing sick. She didn’t climb to the top of me to stare over the vast ocean anymore. She was always home at the base of me, lying in bed.  The doctors had said that it was only a matter of months - that the sickness they called “cancer” was spreading too fast. I wasn’t sure what cancer was, but whatever it was we could easily fight it. We had a love that could cure any disease. I was sure of it.

Simon was worried, I knew. I wanted to reassure him that everything was

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