I Fell in Love with Hope - Lancali

“You didn’t need to be saved,” I say, kissing her nose just below the
bridge of her glasses. “You just needed to be reminded that you
aren’t fighting alone.” I press my lips to her shoulder as the elevator
rises.
“In the end,” I whisper into her hair, “You eradicated my loneliness.”
“Because you eradicated mine.”
“With my rude, affectionate arms?”
“With your tomorrows.”
I want to savor this moment. This little blip in time when she is mine,
and I am hers, and the rest of the world outside of us may as well not
exist.
“Are you alright, my Yorick?” Hikari asks, dragging her fingers
tenderly down my face.
“I have something to give you.”
The elevator doors open with a ding. I take Hikari’s hands in mine,
walking her up our stale, concrete stairwell.
“Another grand gesture?” she asks.
I glance over my shoulder at her. “Not quite.”
A creak and a gust of wind welcome us to the rooftop, our meeting
place, our graveyard, and our ledge. Only it isn’t barren and gray
tonight.
Tonight, string lights adorn the walls, a yellow blanket at the center
set up like a picnic. Atop it, a familiar cardboard box with
memorabilia sits, its crown a little succulent that no longer needs my
care.