⋆.˚ 𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ⋆.˚
Some of us fill our lives with a multitude of friends, surrounding ourselves with a circle that sings of loyalty and support. They pledge to stand by us through thick and thin, but where are they when life throws its harshest blows at us? Most of them vanish like whispers in the wind, leaving you to wonder what true friendship even means.
When I think of what friendship really is, I think of Abby and Manny. Their friendship is built on trust that has been shaped and solidified by the trials of loss and sorrow. They were just kids, young Fireflies with hopeful hearts when tragedy tore through their lives. Manny was there, in the same room, when Abby discovered the lifeless body of her father. Having a close bond with his own father, he didn't just witness her pain, he felt it. He watched the light drain from his friend's eyes, saw her transform from a hopeful girl into a woman consumed by grief and rage. It was the kind of pain that changes a person from the inside out, a silent, internal death.
Every day, Manny watched his best friend fade away, not physically, but emotionally. Yet, he never once wavered. He didn't question her or doubt her path. Instead, he became her pillar, sharing her pain and carrying a piece of her grief on his own shoulders. He made her sorrow his own.
When they were in Jackson, many of us were shocked when Manny spat on Joel, but I understand it. He wasn't just angry for himself, he was angry for Abby. He saw firsthand how Joel's actions had slowly, painfully, consumed his best friend's life for years, and when you love someone, whether platonically or romantically, their pain becomes yours. Manny's anger was an extension of his love for his best friend.
He was the one who tried to bridge the gap between Abby and Mel after Jackson, seeing how they had drifted apart. He just wanted his friends to mend their broken bond, to leave the past in the past and foster a future where they could heal together.
Their friendship isn’t about big gestures, it’s about showing up for each other. When Abby was heading out on her own mission to find Owen, she thanked Manny for helping her sneak out. "Hey, thanks," she said. And his response, "For this?" showed he saw it as just a normal part of being a friend. Her reply, "Yeah... and other stuff, you know?" held the weight of their history. It was her way of saying thank you for the countless times he was her rock, for sharing her burdens, and for a loyalty that never once gave out. It was a powerful, silent acknowledgment of a bond that needed no more explanation.
It’s soul crushing to think that was one of their very last, small moments together. A simple, quiet exchange, a shared breath of thanks and understanding before all of it was ripped away in the blink of an eye, before Manny’s life was gone in a flash the next time they saw each other.
And even then, when they saw each other again, when he pulled Abby back from the brink of Tommy’s rifle, he didn’t question her motives, even though she was meant to stand beside him, leading the first wave into the chaos of the Seraphite island. When Abby insisted she needed one of those boats at the marina, he simply asked "Why?" And her response, "Ask me later" was enough. Manny didn’t need an explanation. His only question was how he could stand by her. "Then I guess you're gonna help me take this guy out," he said. And with her simple reply, "Let's do it," they were a team again for a very brief moment of time.
It’s a heartbreaking comfort to believe that Manny is still by Abby’s side. She can no longer hear his voice or banter with him like they used to, but the absence doesn't mean he's gone. He's there in the quiet spaces, watching over her and supporting her in the same way her father does, and Owen, and Yara, and everyone she has lost. Physically, they're not there, but their love still is. They are the ghosts that guide her, the proof that her pain is real, and the reason she keeps fighting for herself and especially for Lev. And so, in the wreckage of all she has lost, she finds a foundation built on their memory, a reminder that even when the light fades, the warmth of those who loved you can still guide you home.
Credits to the wonderful @strangergraphics for the gorgeous divider <3
