Liminal Space | A Stardew Valley FanFiction

"Epilogue" - Seb

She looked frail, as though she might crumble once I let go. At my hesitation, Harvey shot me a look that screamed any day now!, and my saliva thickened at the thought. A heavy quiet settled over the lobby, and he wore an expression that felt unfamiliar; I could see Callie's shoulders tense in anticipation for the worst. I imagined I looked about the same.

I wanted to stay, I wanted to shield her from whatever the hell Harvey was about to say, the bomb he was about to drop. I knew as I let go of her—the stagnant chill of the hospital enveloping me—that she would never be the same, and neither would I. I cherished the feeling of her skin on mine; I memorized the way my fingers felt wrapped around her shoulders and the way her curls tickled my neck when she nestled too close.

I rounded the corner and was faced with a dual perspective, and for a moment, I felt both god-like and disastrously human: I could see the color drain from Callie's face to my left and my mom fast asleep on her hospital bed in the opposite direction, but I had no ability to intervene. I was the see-er of all and the helper of none, paralyzed by my powerlessness to change fate as it unfolded in front of me.

"Randall is—well, he—he's not doing well, Callie."

"Sebastian," a hollow voice called from the corridor. I met Randall's eye as I shuffled closer, the growing distance from Callie tugging on my bones like a 200-pound-weight. My bones cracked under the pressure.

"Hey, Grandpa," I said quietly, peering one more time at the tense conversation in the waiting room. "You doing alright?"

"Listen," he said sternly, immediately snapping my attention into place. I'd never heard him use that tone of voice. "I—I've not got long, Sebastian. I have learned—I've learned a few things in this life, and I need you to really hear me."

I nodded as he choked out the words, struggling to form each syllable.

"Callista doesn't get—she doesn't get too close," he murmured, squeezing his eyes shut. "To be loved by her is a privilege, Sebastian, and you—you are. I don't think I've ever—ever seen that kind of love, the kind that you two have—so young, too. Don't waste it, boy."

"What do you mean?" I squeaked out, my feet frozen to the floor.

"Tomorrow isn't guaranteed," he rasped. "I didn't—I didn't expect to die today."

"You aren't going to die," I whispered, taking his outstretched hand into mine. "You aren't."

"You can't change fate," he replied sleepily. "Tell Callista you love her, tell her that I love her. Can you—can you do that?"

"Yes," I gasped, the room suddenly suffocating. "Yes, of course,"

"You honor her, Sebastian," he said, nodding off. "Don't you ever let go, you promise?"

"I promise," I said as he gave my hand one last squeeze. Tears pooled in my eyes, threatening to fall and never stop.

"She—she's tough," he laughed. "And she is scared. But you can give her the life that she deserves, I—I just know it. I have spent my life doing—trying to do that—now I pass that torch to you. That's my last dying wish."

As though the universe had spoken to him, the monitor began to flatline. I spoke again, wondering if he would even hear.

"I will honor her."

THE END

AHH, we have reached the finale of my favorite project yet. If you are reading this, thank you SO much for your love and support; reading your comments and knowing you are here has made this experience so much more full.

In honor (hehe see what I did there) of The End™️, here are a few of my favorite comments (this was an impossible pick):

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User BirdieLouWho on AO3: "Fuck.... oh I should be asleep but like.... one more chapter"

User InsertACatchyPennameHere on AO3: "WOOOOOO HOT DAMN I KNEW I ALREADY RELATED TO THIS CHARACTER ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL BUT THIS LINE REALLY DID HIT ME LIKE A BULLET TRAIN"

User camcam46 on AO3 (this one GUTTED me): "When a loved one dies, you spend the rest of your life searching for tiny reminders that they once existed, and in turn you ignore the people that are still around."

User DiscombobulatedYeti on AO3: "There's this video of a dog eating a bean burrito in one bite without swallowing and that's what I want to do with everything you post on here."

User StrawberrieSarah on AO3: "aghdgaha this fic is a roller-coaster, so well written, I cant wait for those two idiots to finally make up (and makeout) after some more drama"

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HAHAHA I love you all so much, thank you for being here. Let me know who I should hyperfixate on for the next six months and create a universe around 👀

Til next time <3

pfd