June 8, 2018
Having you gently resting on my shoulder and Julia sleeping in tranquility in her bassinet nearby turned my thoughts to our youthful, mellow afternoons we would share together. I remember spending those days on the front porch of your house, rocking peacefully on the bench. There were days when I couldn't help trace the broad and defined creases embedded on your soft palms. Every now and then, I would pretend I was your personal fortune-teller. Do you remember that game of ours? I remember tracing your love, life, and the other major lines, eventually conjuring a fortune after much divination. No matter how many times we played this silly game, I always ended up using the same hand again and again. However, the premonitions revealed weren't as consistent as the lines in your palm.
Some days were blessed with great fortune, longevity, and ease in your life. With these, your green eyes grew brighter, your smile wider, and your laughter so rich with joy, eagerly anticipating the future. These fortunes made you happy, spending the rest of the day daydreaming of a life so different from the one you're in. Some days, however, were cursed - your life ravaged in poverty, hardship, and a precocious end to your life. With these, your eyes would lose their luster and become marred with subtle tears. You would edge closer, inexorably clinging onto my arm. Sometimes, you'd plant a soft kiss on my cheek. These omens never frustrated you at all. They unfortunately filled your heart with a deep sadness, knowing that our time together is finite. No words are exchanged - only the faint buzzing of cars in the distance fills the empty space between us.
With you nestled calmly on my chest, I cautiously fidget, trying to reach your hand. For a quick moment I thought I had provoked you, but you simply shifted your weight, and it became much easier to hold your hand. Like I did years before, I began to trace those very same lines of your smooth palm, conjuring new fortunes that I'm hoping to share with you when you're awake. You smile and softly giggle, as though you're aware of your hand being played with. You shift your weight again, and your arms tightly embrace me. I lean over gently and plant a small, palpable kiss on your cheek. With that, I return your warm embrace and peacefully doze off.
With a love that will never have a bad fortune,
Your Lover
Dearly Beloved,
I can't recall the last time we relaxed, having that rare moment of peace, when we simply let the world gently pass us by. Unfortunately, our dear beautiful baby, Julia (didn't I say it was the perfect name?), has been inexorably demanding since we brought her from the hospital six months ago. We've been taking turns tending to her, desperate to assuage her piercing cries for attention or food. I can't tell which is which anymore. The blurs of night and day, the demands of life, and the insanity that weighs heavily on our minds, desperately fighting to not be overwhelmed by it, almost reached its climax. Until it all receded. Little Julia somehow managed to find solace in our circus known as our family, and sweet relief extinguishes all the frustrations that have cascaded over the lengthy months.
Having you gently resting on my shoulder and Julia sleeping in tranquility in her bassinet nearby turned my thoughts to our youthful, mellow afternoons we would share together. I remember spending those days on the front porch of your house, rocking peacefully on the bench. There were days when I couldn't help trace the broad and defined creases embedded on your soft palms. Every now and then, I would pretend I was your personal fortune-teller. Do you remember that game of ours? I remember tracing your love, life, and the other major lines, eventually conjuring a fortune after much divination. No matter how many times we played this silly game, I always ended up using the same hand again and again. However, the premonitions revealed weren't as consistent as the lines in your palm.
Some days were blessed with great fortune, longevity, and ease in your life. With these, your green eyes grew brighter, your smile wider, and your laughter so rich with joy, eagerly anticipating the future. These fortunes made you happy, spending the rest of the day daydreaming of a life so different from the one you're in. Some days, however, were cursed - your life ravaged in poverty, hardship, and a precocious end to your life. With these, your eyes would lose their luster and become marred with subtle tears. You would edge closer, inexorably clinging onto my arm. Sometimes, you'd plant a soft kiss on my cheek. These omens never frustrated you at all. They unfortunately filled your heart with a deep sadness, knowing that our time together is finite. No words are exchanged - only the faint buzzing of cars in the distance fills the empty space between us.
With you nestled calmly on my chest, I cautiously fidget, trying to reach your hand. For a quick moment I thought I had provoked you, but you simply shifted your weight, and it became much easier to hold your hand. Like I did years before, I began to trace those very same lines of your smooth palm, conjuring new fortunes that I'm hoping to share with you when you're awake. You smile and softly giggle, as though you're aware of your hand being played with. You shift your weight again, and your arms tightly embrace me. I lean over gently and plant a small, palpable kiss on your cheek. With that, I return your warm embrace and peacefully doze off.
With a love that will never have a bad fortune,
Your Lover
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