Beacon.
“With this ring, Will, I thee wed,” he said, slipping it onto his man’s finger.
The space around them wavered.
They were back in their house.
They were back where love lived, suffered, and died.
Will tried one more time.
“You can love again, Corby. I didn’t know we wouldn’t make it, but had I, I would have told you to find someone that was special and live. I hate seeing you like this.”
He wanted to weep.
All of this was slowly killing him.
“I can’t,” he whispered. “You dying killed my heart,” he whispered over and over again, like it was a mantra to save him from the sleep that wouldn’t let go.
“You have to, Corbin. We aren’t meant to mindlessly fuck our way through life, not making attachments. You need to find another half to make a whole.”
Corbin couldn’t do that.
“No one will be you, Will. No one will love me like you did.”
He touched his face.
Corbin was wrong there for one reason, and only one reason.
“No, but they will love you like they can. You can love more than one person, Corbin. You can open your heart. Running won’t save you. Running won’t make it easier. It’ll make it harder. Take a chance. You don’t want to be empty anymore. I’m giving you my permission as your husband to find love again. When your time comes, I’ll welcome you and your new love to me. I can love your new person along with you.”
He started crying.
He couldn’t let go.
If he did, there would be nothing.
At least now, he had something. Being alone…he didn’t do well, and he knew it.
“Please find love again.”
Corbin wanted out.
He wanted to wake up.
With all he had, he pulled away, trying to force himself to wake up.
He began screaming into the darkness, trying to escape this dream. Corbin began backing up from Will, and everything he was telling him.
Find love?
HOW?
He couldn’t keep it the first time. In all of his life, he’d only loved one person.
WILL.
Turning, he ran out the door, and all around it there was nothing but darkness.
