Ethan and Jacob: Wish You Were Here
by SalientLane
What if Ethan stayed in Chicago and never returned to Québec City?
The pain pierces me, but it's nothing compared to the ache in my soul. Cancer consuming, death beckoning, and I welcome it. This apartment, cold and empty like the world, is my tomb. I close my eyes, drift back to a brighter time. Québec City, magical and joyous. When I was thirteen and alive, truly alive. When Jacob was by my side.
My Jacob. Raven-haired and blue-eyed, smile like the sun. We were inseparable, two halves of a whole. Ethan and Jacob, Jacob and Ethan. Best friends, blood brothers, soul mates. Lounging on the grass, his head on my chest, fingers intertwined. Whispering secrets and dreams.
"Someday we'll explore the whole world," he'd say, tracing patterns on my skin. "Go on adventures, just you and me."
I'd laugh and ruffle his hair. "You and me, Jakey. From here on out."
We were untouchable, invincible. Young love, pure and radiant. Stolen kisses in secret places. Hands clasped, hearts entwined. He was my everything.
Now I lie fading, welcoming the end. There's nothing for me here, not anymore. Maybe on the other side, in whatever comes after, I'll find him again. My Jacob. My heart. My home.
I drift, breathe ragged, eyes fluttering shut. Memories dance, flickering, fading. His face, his smile, his touch. "Wait for me," I whisper to the dark. "I'm coming home to you."
The soft strains of "A Pillow of Winds" fill the room, the same record Jacob and I played endlessly in our youth. Each note a memory, a heartstring plucked. I take another sip of wine, the rich liquid soothing my ravaged throat. It won't be long now. I can feel it, the cancer devouring me from within. But the pain seems distant, muted, as if I'm already slipping away.
I close my eyes, letting the music wash over me, and I'm transported. The rough wood of a rowboat beneath me, the gentle rocking of waves. Salt spray on my face, wind whipping through my hair. I look down at my hands, smooth and unblemished, no longer gnarled by age and illness. I'm thirteen again, young and alive and filled with possibility.
And there, on the shore, a figure waits. Lean and graceful, raven hair blowing in the breeze. Jacob. My Jacob. He stands like a sentinel, a prince from a fairy tale, jeans slung low on his hips, bare chest golden in the fading light. The bonfire behind him flickers, casting his features in warmth and shadow.
He reaches out a hand, smiling that smile that always set my heart racing. "Ethan," he calls, voice carried on the wind. "I've been waiting for you."
Tears sting my eyes, a lump rising in my throat. How long have I yearned to hear that voice again, to see that beloved face? "Jacob," I whisper, the name a prayer on my lips.
The boat bumps softly against the shore, and I clamber out on shaky legs. The sand is cool and soft beneath my bare feet as I stumble towards him, vision blurred by tears. And then I'm in his arms, his skin warm against mine, his heartbeat strong and steady. Home. I'm finally home.
He chuckles, as if sensing my thoughts. "About time, slowpoke," he teases, though his eyes shine with unshed tears.
I can't help but smile, unable to resist the pull of our old banter. "You know me, always fashionably late," I retort, smirking up at him.
"Fashionably late, my butt," he scoffs, ruffling my hair playfully. "You were just trying to make a grand entrance, weren't you?"
I feign offense, but I'm grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, a guy's gotta make an impression, right?"
Jacob laughs, and the sound is music to my ears, more beautiful than any symphony. "Come on, troublemaker," he says, tugging me close. "We've got catching up to do."
With our arms slung around each other's shoulders, we walk away from the shore and into the warm, welcoming light of our new home. The weight of years melts away, and for one perfect moment, we're just Ethan and Jacob again, best friends and blood brothers, laughing and joking like we've never been apart.
Side by side, we step into eternity, together forever. And I know, with every fiber of my being, that this time, nothing will ever separate us again.
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