what could have been { martelo }
Martin had always loved kids, loved playing with them and telling stories, dreaming of one day having his own little ones. He’d never found anyone that made him envision a long life together, with kids and grandkids and pets, not until he met Gael. Even before they got married, Martin frequently found himself daydreaming of growing old beside him, losing sleep because all he could think of was the house they might one day live in, the kids they could have, all the possibilities in store for their life together. Of course, he tried not to get his hopes up too much, as to avoid heartbreak and disappointment, but something, deep in his gut, told him Gael would never hurt him. Later he found out his gut was absolutely right. The problem now was with the world, in the state it was in, it made it extremely difficult for them to have kids, unless they found someone willing to do something improvised. He always saw the little kids running around the camp, and as much as it filled him with joy, it also pained him, for those kids had to grow up in an even colder and harsher world than the one he’d grown up with (not that his parents’ mansion wasn’t as dark and scary as the end of the world). There was so much those kids wouldn’t be able to have, and all he could hope for was that one day the world would be rebuilt, better than the last. But there was also another pain that came from seeing those happy faces playing and just living, living as if monsters weren’t right outside their walls, a much more selfish pain: he so longed for one of those kids to be one of his, to see his own image, or Gael’s, reflected on an innocent face that could bring an improved world to life in the years to come. Martin didn’t like the feeling, but he envied couples with kids, or couples that could have kids. The only sad part about being in a same-sex relationship, in Martin’s opinion, was that it made having kids a little harder.
As he stood at his window, contemplating once again his desires, he realized he and Gael had never actually spoken about it. Before the world went to hell, their marriage was too recent for such a conversation to be appropriate, and then, being apart in different camps, made it impossible. Martin was brought back to the real world when he heard the door open, a soft smile appearing on his lips when he saw Gael, who always made him smile, no matter what. He walked over to the man, taking his good hand in his, “Hey, honey. How was your day?” Martin asked as he kissed Gael’s knuckles, looking at him fondly. Oh, Martin never knew he could love this way, but it was a wonderful feeling, to be in love every minute of the day, to have someone who’s mere presence can make everything better. But his pain, his longing, was still there, and there was only one thing that could make it go away.











