@exquisitexagony arthur & leo.
The wound of his leaving was so vast and deep that Leo was sure it would never heal. There were nights she lied awake, staring silently at the ceiling, willing the sound of xyr stupid pick-up truck to crunch across the gravel. She’d wait for the sound of his key in the door, for the lock to unbolt and slide. But the creak of the hinges never came. It was silence, night after night.
For a time, she had tried to find him. Tried to stay in contact with Jazzi but she was never willing to give up any information. Even Edie and Peter tried to find xem. Crazy old Pete called and called until the line went dead. Her efforts ramped up after finding out a little *surprise.* A year into it, however, she gave up hope – though she still thumbed through obituaries, unclaimed bodies…
“Come here, baby.” Leo grins as she squats, arms wide open as a chunky little toddler comes barreling towards her. She grins and squeezes her arms around him as tight as she can before lifting him up in the air and spinning him twice before setting him back down. The park is oddly quiet for mid-afternoon, but by now, most of the kids were back in school. She was lucky enough to work from home, doing random things for Peter that he couldn’t manage on his own all from the convenience of her shiny, brand-new laptop.
They’d moved here six months ago. She couldn’t take the memories of the old apartment, the stab of pain she felt in her heart every time she stepped outside and saw the gas station in which they’d met. She moved back in with Edie for a bit until it drove her so insane she was sure one of them would end up murdering the other. This town was quiet. It was safe. She made a few friends that tried to set her up with their friends, but she always shot it down. She’d say she wasn’t ready, or that she just wasn’t interested, but a part of her was always hoping xe’d come back and find her, find them.
As the afternoon winds down, Leo ushers William back over to her side. She’s got him propped on her hip as she fishes a few dollars from her pocket – makes her way to the ice cream parlor on the other side of the street. And then she comes to a total stop, eyes widening and her heart thudding in her chest.
That goddamned blue truck. Still beat to shit. A mirror hanging off it, the paint scraped where it must have hit something. Color drains from her face and she’s got to set her kid down again before her knees give out. William tugs impatiently at her hand, spewing toddler babble as he tries to get her to start walking again. One foot goes in front of the other but she’s barely registering what’s happening. Smoke billows out of the other side of the truck, like a window is cracked…
Pink-ish orange curls. Head bobbing like xe’s listening to something in there. Alone. She thinks – she can’t tell. Her hand unintentionally grips William’s tighter until he whines and she loosens up.
“M… maybe we should get ice cream another d-“ Was xe looking at her? Did xe see her? Did xe see the little boy at her side that was xyr spitting image?
