Too Much Heaven/ A Short Story

Chapter 7 / A MAN WHO COULD WRITE A LOVE SONG

His dad is gone now. The place is immaculate. "I restored the fireplace myself" he bragged. "I also had to do all new plumbing and wiring." He grabs my hand, takes me into the kitchen. "I kept the stove. You can't find em like this anymore" I'm dying inside. I want to say something. I don't even know what it would be, but I want to reach out with more.

"C'mon, we've gotta look at this, it's a kick."

I sit on his couch and he opened our old yearbook next to me. I cringe remembering the one photo of me and Melissa Young in the back of the book. I wore so much eyeliner I looked possessed. He starts showing me funny things that friends wrote in his yearbook. He showed me his photos and we laugh at the thought of it all. He turns to me and says,

"Maya."

I can only imagine what he's going to say.

"I know all about what happened. I know about your mom and dad, your grandma and what happened to cause you to never speak."

I instantly fight the tears. I don't want him to make me his new experiment. The whole topic makes me so nervous, I feel my stomach anchor. I shake my head no in a slightly polite manner and I put my hands together like I'm praying to him from the couch. I'm sad. He can see it. He stops his driving energy and holds up his finger. It reminds me of grandpa. "Maya, It kills me to see you cry. It really does. I would never want to make things worse. I just want to try one thing. One way of..."

He pauses.

"...If you can cooperate with me on this, I promise you, it will help. What I can say is this. It's never about someone's ability to speak when someone has mutism from a situation like yours. It's about your heart Maya, it's about the fear and... Maya, I don't want to sit here and upset you..."

My streaming tears drew a line between his paragraphs. I can't go for this. I definitely have feelings for him, but I feel like he's asking me to sell my soul. Just the thought of digging up everything I've spent years burying. I'm so embarrassed now I just get up to get my jacket.

"Let me start over." he says.

I finish putting on my jacket, I grab my bag and turn to shake his hand goodbye. I mouth the words, it's okay, don't worry, I have to go now. I turn towards the front door and I'm proud of myself for being able to leave. As I walk, he won't let go of my hand. I turn back, tilt my head to let him know to let go. He lifts that same finger.

"One."

"One more thing."

"You whispered to me. You never thought I heard, Maya, but I did. That night we danced, I heard what you said."

He grabbed my bag, set it down by my feet and grabbed my other hand as he moved in.

"Maya, The room was full of noise, music, I know you thought I didn't hear you. But I did. I heard you tell me you were happy. You were happy Maya, and you were able to speak because you were finally happy."

My eyes grew in shock. I never said anything to anyone about this. I thought it was maybe in my head, I thought maybe it didn't happen. I saved the ranch dressing on my shoe so I could believe the next day, but there was no way to save my words. I buried this memory with every hope of ever speaking again, but I was... I was truly happy that night.

"Clinical studies confirm things like this, Maya. I came back to make you happy again, Maya, I came back for us."

I have chills everywhere. I see Spencer like it's the first time. I look into his sincere green eyes, trimmed in jet black lashes. I can see beyond forever. I can see, once and for all, I'm home. He smiles and hugs me, "I'm so glad you're here, Maya." He pulls back saying "I might have burned dinner."

I look up at Spencer and I try and fight the ginormous smile growing on my face. Pressing my lips together the sides rise up, high as my hopes. He heads into the kitchen to handle the smoke. I look higher towards heaven I have nothing I can say out loud. A very big thank you is understood from my heart, but I know, somehow, on this very miracle soil, I will say it out loud soon enough.

Everything we are will never die

Loving's such a beautiful thing

~Bee Gees

I came back for us

~ Spencer Daishee

The End