Amore Mio ✓

Parallel World: What's Meant to Be

What happens if...Neilson and Alice were the same age.

Neilson woke up wasted in sudden heat. He took a sharp breath as the sweats moist his skin.

"Neilson?" He looks forward to seeing his momma's face. His eyes scattered around, only to notice a young boy to his right immerses in the Gameboy. His sight drifted back to the woman in front of him. "We're almost there," she said.

"Oh," he responds. Neilson ran a hand up to his sweaty forehead.

"What's wrong?" His momma unclicks her belt and leans back.

"Be careful," a man said.

Neilson looked over, and he noticed the man staring at the rearview mirror. It was his step-father, a man his mother recently wedded. At first, Neilson opposed the idea, but each time he saw his momma's smile and knew it was the plain man who made it happened; he warmed up to the idea of his momma's remarriage.

His momma ran her cold palm up to his forehead, "You don't have a fever or anything," she mumbles. "Dear, pull over so we can take a breather."

Neilson tilts his head, "I'm fine, momma."

Neilson's step-father nodded and pulled over to the nearest gas station.

"Are we there?" his step-brother question. Neilson wasn't fond of getting a step-brother, but the young man held quite a calming presence compared to the males he grew up with.

"No, we're just taking a break," his step-father responds.

Neilson's momma got out of the car, and so did everyone else. Neilson stretches his limbs. At the pure age of sixteen, it was difficult to adjust his ever-growing body. He felt as if his limbs stretched out more and more each day.

His momma dabs a napkin all over his face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The wind blew across his tanned features, and he could feel the cool sweat. "I'm fine, momma. I just had this weird dream."

Nightmare.

"Are you sure?" His momma looks at the gas station that her new husband and son entered. "I don't want you to feel stress about all of this and hold it in."

Neilson scratches his neck, "I mean, it is weird that I'm not spending half of my year in Italy. But I'm fine with this. You're happy."

"It's not all about my happiness. I want you to be happy too."

"I'm happy."

His momma releases a faint breath and rests on the car beside him. "What's this dream?"

Neilson scratches his head, "It's this-" His words somehow caught in his throat.

"Come on. We promise to share everything, right?"

"I don't know. I-" Neilson closes his eyes, attempting to recall the dream, but it was a blurry mess. "I just feel like-" He looks down towards the ground.

"Like what?"

"Like I lost something?"

His mamma gave him a faint smile and ran her fingers through his hair. Neilson had surpassed her height when he was fourteen, but he will always be her little boy. "It's just a dream."

Neilson's gaze drifts in the horizon, "Yeah."

Once they re-filled the gas and snacks, they continued their journey. Neilson exhales faintly as the sun sets until darkness consumes all around. The large truck was still behind them, carrying all that's left of their old lives.