Setting Suns | A Coania Short Story

14 | Lifelong Promises

Desiderium

(n.) an ardent desire or longing (a feeling of loss or grief for something lost).

Cole was dressed to impress, which sent a chill up his spine just thinking about it, but nevertheless, he wore his good suit and tie for the night's events.

For some people, celebrating random dates on the calendar would have seemed odd at first until they learned the significance of that number to other people. In Cole's case, the 13th day of every month held a large value.

Perhaps he was being ironic for calling the unluckiest number the one that he treasured the most but it wasn't like anything bad was going to happen on a day like this—not that Cole was jinxing it, of course.

He bent down on one knee, moving away the scrapes of dirt that had gathered in front of the stone. "Hey, Mom." Cole whispered, soft like the gentle breeze of the autumn weather. "It's your son, Cole. You probably don't remember me anymore but I like to think you do."

It had been a long time since he last visited his mother's grave, and a long time since he'd last cried about her. It felt weird now, coming back to talk to her with the biggest news he could probably give.

"I found you a daughter in-law." He chuckled, tracing the engravement of her name in the stone with a single finger. Cole looked up at the sky. "God, you would have loved her. She's beautiful, and joyous, and it's like having a ray of sunshine next to you every single day."

There was more to Vania than words could ever say, and frankly, Cole knew there weren't enough adjectives to describe her entire being. But if he had to choose one word, it would be: sunshine.

He set down the flowers he'd worked all week in the cafe to pay for. A bouquet of lilies, in honor of his mother's name. They were bright and blooming despite the coming of the harsh weather.

Cole sat down beside her grave, bringing his legs close to his chest but he wasn't crying into them, not this time. He crossed his arms on top of his knees and stared out into the setting sun in the distance.

It was his mother that taught him about the beauty of sunsets and how they served as a promise for another day to come. From then on, Cole only visited her during the late hours to watch the sunset from the view of the graveyard, as if she was right beside him the whole time.

"Vania is fond of asking about topics that not many people want to talk about. Does that sound familiar?" Another chuckle escaped his lips, which brought him surprise as to how he had managed to even smile when his mother was right beside him. "It turns out we have a lot more in common than I thought."

From a different point of view, they didn't seem like the type of people to get together. Even the way they dress was the complete opposite of each other, not to mention their entire personalities.

But Cole supposed there was an advantage to that.

Because in his life, he knew there would always be a bright side to the dark corners of the night. A smile to every frown. A laugh for every cry. An answer for every question.

Being opposites meant it would be an adventure to find out the things they had in common.

And Cole was already a few steps ahead.

"I miss you, Mom." He whispered, planting his palm on top of the stone. "I need you here, now more than ever." The last of the sunlight kissed his cheeks with a warm peck and brightened the darkness in his eyes.

The rustle of fallen leaves sounded from beside him, a bird flew circles above him before landing onto the branch of a nearby tree. His mother was always connected with the earth. No matter why or how, nature always had a way of speaking to her in ways he didn't understand.