Lover | Richie Tozier

Chapter 68.

May, 1989 - 5 months later

The leaves kissed the trees again as quickly as they had left them. They held deeper hues of emerald this time, no longer the brittle sheets of scarlet and cinnamon that they once were.

January came to shield over the skyline with its icy greatness and a promise of warmer weather to come after that fateful night in the remaining minutes of 1988. February brought lovers closer together as it usually does, whether they ever remembered admitting it to each other not. Some said their first I Love You's on Valentine's Day, and others wondered if they should ever say it again. When March swept in to return everything that the Winter months had stolen, every single day that passed in the changing canvass of Derry grew a little warmer. Spring wildflowers had risen from the earth again, dancing out of the after-rain soil with so much vibrant joy. April brought waves of gentle precipitation that only added to the gardens of tulips and carnations that spent every waking moment basking in the sun that was gradually becoming uncovered by the clouds.

With the gloomy days becoming less and less frequent, so did the sadness that buried away from the cold in the hearts of hurt people. For the first time in a long time, things were becoming warmer rather than colder. Every single ray of ultraviolet light that broke over the horizon in the mornings were met with splashes of flourishing hope. Maybe it was the unspoken confessions from months before, or maybe it was simply just the seasons changing as they normally do. Either way, things felt a little better. A little lighter. A little more hopeful.

There were no dramatic fallouts between the unrequited group of friends that had knitted their ties together in unimaginable knots. They remained as they always had been - unbreakable. They didn't shatter or melt along with the last amounts of ice left from the diminishing wintertide. Bottles of alcohol remained under the counter, left to collect dust around the glass that Richie once believed could numb him. It wasn't until later that night that he found out he couldn't numb himself. Some things aren't meant to be anesthetic. Some things are meant to be felt with all of the force in the world. That's why they're called feelings.

May overpowered every previous month with new amounts of heat, assisting in the flourishing of lavender tides and marigold orange trees. The meadow on the uncovered portion of town regained its fresh scent of sea breeze cotton rather than the previously dead, frigid lemongrass. Everything was coming back to life again.

But most importantly, the three words that were exchanged in December were never reiterated from the time that they were originally spoken. However, they were never forgotten. Neither of them were even sure if they had happened, and that was partially the reason that they were never whispered again. It all felt like some hazy dream after they'd both fallen asleep that night in Bills living room. Then they'd wake up in the mornings when the light was barely diffusing and realize that it wasn't a dream. It wasn't just something that happened in a place where time and space doesn't exist, it was real. They were in love. Love doesn't go anywhere. But life does, and that's exactly why Elle was in her room reading the note that she was.

Between her fingers in a finely printed font were the words that built the bridge between her and everything that she wanted her future to be. Her eyes scanned over the letter repeatedly, letting it soak right into her radiant soul. Her past-self rejoiced while her present-self was wondering if she had already met her future. Either way, her hard work had paid off and elation poured into all chambers of her heart. The letter that she continuously glanced at was proof of that. This was her element.

Elowynn-Lively Harlow,

I am delighted to inform you that the Committee of Admissions has admitted you to the paid summer internship program here at SIP. In addition, you have been entered into our synonymous program with the State University this upcoming Fall semester. Please accept my personal congratulations on your outstanding achievements in literature and creative writing.

We look foreword to having you participate in our company, formally beginning on May 26th, 1989. We are thrilled to have you join us.

- Your friends at Seattle Independent Publishing, in partnership with Washington State University

Seattle, Washington.