rachel
I laughed too loudly in the empty house, stumbling over beer cans that clinked on the rotted floorboards. You turned into me, tried to quiet me with your body. I shut up as I tasted the metal on your tongue.
The lanterns blew steadily in the breeze, bright rainbow colors against the black of the sky. It was the one day of the year Lia was excited for. The Lantern Festival.
"The president of his senior class, Henry will be dearly missed."
That was the caption under his class picture, that's all. Just, "dearly missed". No word about how he'd changed a life, saved a life. No word about how I cry every night. No word. Not one word.