When the morning comes

45 | childly minds

"Zev, take these scissors. I want a long bob."

"What? But-"

"Amore, come on. A long bob. I've always wanted to know how it would fit me. Now is the chance, before it all will turn to dust." Aurora held my cheeks in her warm hands, brushed her thumb over my stubbled skin. "I don't care if it's not straight. Come on, Sole. Please?"

With the kitchen scissors in my hand, I watched how she sat down onto the chair, determined. I noticed now how her once fitting clothes now hung loosely around her thin body. Her skinny fingers, the bones lightly sticking out. Her deep sunken eyes. Her breathing that picked up whenever she would do something little.

"Come on, Amore."

She held a mirror in front of her. I saw our reflections as I stood behind her. I rested my chin upon her shoulder. Kissed her. Not once. Not twice. "Bella vita."

Aurora started laughing. Soft, sweet. A melody I wished my ears could hold onto forever, making it echo through my mind. Flooding along with waves of sadness that would hit me later.

"Agreed, Sole." Aurora turned around, I watched the two of us kissing through the mirror. "But I don't think you meant to say that."

"I said you're beautiful."

"No. You basically said that life is good."

"I mean.. bella Aurora."

She gave me one of those smiles. "Forza, ragazzo. Chop it off."

I watched her hair fall to the ground.

"Ragazzo.."

"Ragazzo.."

The colors of dawn honored the nature beneath her, displaying it with the brightest of orange, pink and golden, waving goodbye to the darkest of night. Warm kisses passed out to the stars, changing shifts, their time to rest so they could take over at night.

Dew. Drops on grass. Mist on the lakes. Clouds low between the mountains. Breeze. Goosebumps. Especially on her bald skin. She lay on my lap. My fingers brushing over skin, wiping away the tears falling. "Why do you have to be so sick? Why couldn't they heal the disease?" I'd asked the question about a million times already that morning.

Aurora tried lifting her head, but her weakness beat her strength. She started singing. "How does one solve a problem like Aurora's?"

"Aurora.." I cried like a kid.

"Sole, the morning will come back." Her strength pushed harder, she sat up. Our eyes met. "Have you not seen it happen for every single day of your life already? No matter what happens, no matter what we go through.. the morning will come."

"I will not see the morning, not without you by my side."

She pushed her fingertip upon the tip of nose. "That's where you're wrong." A kiss. "Sole, have you seen the amount of stars at night? The many planets, the milky way, everything racing past each other? Hasn't it been like that for decades? Nothing can push the sun out of its way. So after your night's sleep, you will see the morning."

"Amore-"

"No, Zev. I mean it." Her arms around my neck. "Will you listen to me? I know things will be hard, they will be so difficult. It pains me, tears me in pieces knowing I have to leave the two boys I love most in life behind, but still, will you remember the dawns we have watched together? The hope it portrays? That no matter how dark the night'd been, the joy is just under the horizon, the sun will come, and the morning will come back for us? For a fresh start? Tons of hope and new chances? Every single day? No matter what yesterday looked like?"