@unclover said: this wasn’t enough to make up for everything, perhaps it’ll never be — but it was better than nothing. there’s warmth at the lit candles from the cake & a smile to greet rose. the familiar bouquet of roses & humble card in his hand was to ask if he remembered; to say trey never forgot. “ happy birthday, rose. i hope you’re happy today. ” finally, a gentle kiss to the forehead, stroking the stray locks. “ i love you. ”
it’s nothing but another day… that’s what he’s been told his whole life to believe in. when in truth it should have been something special. something every child deserves growing up; a chance to feel special. at least for one day a year. but that wasn’t something gifted in the rosehearts family. that wasn’t something allowed for rose…
these are things that he thinks about as he wonders what to do today. how to keep himself busy. to distract. those are the easiest solutions. he stares at the coffee table, legs & arms crossed as he continues to stare at essentially… nothing.
but suddenly? trey is coming into his room first thing; he looks a little tired, shaggy, did he spend the whole night awake? the second thing he notices is the cake; quick to be placed before him. the coffee table now decorated with something delightful. because that’s everything that trey makes; those hands create something beautiful & warm… like a sliver of his heart pouring into everything he makes.
already his cheeks are flushed. if this is what he thinks it is then he wonders when he remembered, if he remembered this whole time, or if he recalled what their promise was a long time ago. the longer he stares at the cake — the more he realizes that trey never forgot. that little promise of a strawberry cake, with strawberry icing with cherries decorated around it & wonderful vanilla cream between the layers. that was the dream cake he wanted as a child…
“ t-trey… ” with trembling hands he takes the flowers & the card. too emotional to read it, too scared to read it, because if this is a dream he doesn’t want to wake up from it. not this time; please, for the love of whatever is out there, don’t let him wake up this time. not when his lips feel so warm against his forehead, & that touch feels safe.
“ i… ” he smiles, tears spilling but not out of negative emotions but something good. rose doesn’t know how else to react. even if he did? he would not have been able to stop this. this overwhelming feeling; this sincerity of all of this, the love, the warmth, it’s all he’s ever dreamed of, wanted, & now it’s right here in front of him. on his birthday, no less.
he doesn’t mean to drop the flowers, or the card, but he does in exchange to pull trey in close. to cling onto him, hug him, because maybe deep down inside he’s still terrified he’ll vanish again. that he’ll slip right through his fingers & disappear all over again to never be found, to never return, not out of sheer chance & luck again.
“ i love you… please stay? i want that more than anything today. ”