“Have you been happy? Have you…” He cleared his throat. “Have you loved your life?”
Answering with one hundred percent honesty, I said, “I’ve loved my life. Everything. And I’ve loved you. As clichéd as this sounds, it was always enough. You were always the best part of my every day. You were the reason for my every smile.”
I closed my eyes and replayed our lives in my mind. I remembered the times I hugged him and he hugged me harder. I remembered how I kissed him and he kissed me deeper. And best of all, I remembered how I would love him and he would always strive to love me more.
“Yes, Rune,” I said with complete certainty. “I’ve loved my life.”
Rune exhaled a breath, as if my answer had freed a burden from his heart.
“Me too,” Rune agreed.
My eyebrows pulled down. Looking back at him, I said, “Rune, your life isn’t over.”
“Poppy, I—”
I cut short whatever Rune was about to say with a gesture of my hand. “No, Rune. Listen to me.” I drew in a deep breath. “You may feel you’ll lose half of your heart when I go, but that doesn’t give you permission to live half of a life. And half your heart will not be gone. Because I’ll always be walking beside you. I’ll always be holding your hand. I’m woven into the fabric of who you are—just as you will always be attached to my soul. You’ll love and laugh and explore … for both of us.”
I held Rune’s hand, imploring him to listen. He glanced away, then turned to look into my eyes, as I wanted. “Always say yes, Rune. Always say yes to new adventures.”
Rune’s lip hooked up in the corner, as I stared at him with hard eyes. He ran his finger down my face. “Okay, Poppymin. I will.”
I smiled at his amusement, but then said, in all seriousness, “You have so much to offer the world, Rune. You’re the boy who gave me kisses, made real my last wishes. That boy doesn’t stop because he suffers loss. Instead, he rises, just as sure as the sun rises each new day.” I sighed. “Weather the storm, Rune. Then remember one thing.”
“What?” he asked.
Losing my frustration, I smiled and said, “Moonbeam hearts and sunshine smiles.”
Unsuccessfully holding back his laughter, Rune set it free … and it was beautiful. I closed my eyes as the rich baritone washed over me. “I know, Poppymin. I know.”
“Good,” I said triumphantly and leaned back against him. My heart clenched when I saw the dawn beginning to flare on the horizon. Reaching down, I silently took hold of Rune’s hand and held it in mine.
This sunrise needed no narration. I had told Rune everything I had to say. I loved him. I wanted him to live. And I knew I would see him again.
My peace was made.
I was ready to let go.
As if sensing the completion in my soul, Rune held me so impossibly tight, as the crest of the sun broke over the blue waters, chasing the stars away.
My eyelids began to become heavy as I sat so contentedly in Rune’s arms.
“Poppymin?”
“Mm?”
“Have I been enough for you too?” The gruff tone of Rune’s voice caused my heart to break, but I nodded softly.
“More than anything,” I confirmed and, with a smile, added just for him, “You’ve been as special as special can be.”
Rune sucked in a breath at my response.
As the sun rose to her place, to watch protectively over the sky, I said, “Rune, I’m ready to go home.”
Rune squeezed me one last time, then moved to get to his feet. As he moved, I weakly lifted my hand and held onto his wrist. Rune looked down at me, and blinked back his tears. “I mean … I’m ready to go home.”
Rune’s eyes closed for a moment. He crouched down and cradled my face in his hands. When his eyes opened, he nodded. “I know, baby. I felt it the moment you decided.”
I smiled. I took one last glance at the panoramic view.
It was time.
Rune gently lifted me into his arms, and I watched his beautiful face as he walked back over the sand. He held my gaze.
Turning one more time to face the sun, my eyes dropped to the golden sand. And then my heart filled with such impossible light when I whispered, “Look, Rune. Look at your footprints in the sand.”
Rune’s eyes left mine to observe the beach. His breath caught and his gaze came back to me. Lip quivering, I whispered, “You carried me. In my hardest times, when I couldn’t walk … you carried me through.”
“Always,” Rune managed to reply hoarsely. “Forever always.”
Taking a deep breath, I laid my head against his chest and hushed out, “Take me home, baby.”
As Rune drove, chasing the day, I didn’t move my eyes from him once.
I wanted to remember him just like this.
Always.
Until he was back in my arms for good.
Rune
It was two days later.
Two days of lying beside Poppy in bed, committing her every feature to memory. Holding her, kissing her—reaching our nine hundred and ninety-ninth kiss.