Memories Of Paris

𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

Six weeks has passed since Alex left back to Michigan and their last conversation was still hunting him. He kept repeating his words, that question and what it all meant.

Although very unnecessary now, it was the only thing that still gave him some kind of hope of getting Alex back. Still, he had also tried to move on by going on dates. Some were arranged by Élise while others he met online because that's what his life had come to. How pathetic.

Since he was still very single, it was clear that those dates hadn't meant anything. It would be a lie to say that they were horrible or that there was anything wrong with those men.

No, he had even gone on second and even third dates with some of them before ending it. It wouldn't be fair to any of them if he started dating them while still thinking about his ex-boyfriend.

Gabriel had slept with some of them, though, and had even liked it. Although not even the physical intimacy made him change his mind because he was still unable to take his mind off Alex.

"Bonjour chéri!" (Good morning darling) he smiled and sat down.

Today wasn't the time to think about any of that though. It was all about Cece and nothing would take his thoughts away from her. No Alex, no stupid dates... nothing.

It was January 27th which was the day she had died three years ago. While it felt more like thirteen years, sometimes he still imagined that it was yesterday when he got that one call from his husband that he still had nightmares about.

Leo hadn't been able to talk at first. No, he was crying, sobbing so much that he had to calm him down at first. It took him at least ten minutes until he was able to breathe and say those words.

That there was an accident. Car accident. And that Cece hadn't listened to him when he told her to stop running. That the driver was drunk, and that the police and the ambulance were on their way. That it was too late. That their daughter had already died.

After that followed a horrible, miserable year where neither of them was happy. And how could they be? They had just lost one of, if not the most important person in their lives.

They hadn't known how to deal with the pain, nightmares, anxiety or depression that followed the accident. Instead of healing together and getting strength from each other, the two spouses had made each other miserable.
The fact that it all led to Leo getting addicted to alcohol was only the icing on the cake.

About six months after her death Gabriel had been close to losing his mind and was having a really hard time especially with his mental health. That was when he had contracted a local therapist who, despite the expenses, had helped him with it.

In fact, she had been a great help, along with Élise, to get him to divorce a man who had become so toxic to him. But he hadn't done that immediately.

Even after starting therapy, Gabriel tried to get Leo to come with him, start therapy on his own or even try a couple's therapy together. That was when he was still convinced that they still had a chance.

That was, until the abuse wasn't only emotional anymore. It only took Gabriel using the word alcoholic that made Leo hit him the first time. He was a fool and desperate not to lose another family member so while he was shocked and afraid of Leo for the first time in his life, he had forgiven him.

When it happened again less than a month later, he got out of the once-happy house full of laughter and decided to go through the divorce. Although Leo wasn't himself anymore, he let him go and agreed without too much of a fight. It was easy to see that he hated himself just as much as he did.