Lost, Yet Found

A Story by Sadie

Six months. Six horrible months since his beautiful Elle passed away. She was half of him- no, all of him. He lived, ate, and slept for her. Damn cancer, it took her dignity first, then her body. That was the worst, watch her fade away. People say you don't miss people until their gone. It's not true. When you watch them disappear, their soul slip away, leaving only the shell of a hollowed out creature, you begin to wish that it would just take them and get it over with. The devil is not a sympathetic creature, if it's a quick death, you have no time to say goodbye, but a slow painful death, you watch them wither away until He comes to clean them up. But as he walked down Main Street, he passed the girl. Red hair, just like her. Big brown eyes, just like her. Instead of being the kind person who emptied her pockets for every bloke on the street like Elle, she was the one with the cardboard sign, the beanie placed in a shameful position, begging for a chance. He tried to hurry past, but saw Elle in her, too much. Would Elle walk away? No. Elle would stop, and try to help the poor kid out. No matter what the child's choices had been, or what her parents thought, she just would have done everything she could for that kid. Halfway up the block, he cycled around, waving his cane to and fro, moving pedestrians out of his way, then coming to stand in front of the girl.

"Hi." He creaked simply. Then, abruptly tried to lower himself to the ground next to her, but his old joints strained under the effort, and as he struggled, her arms wrapped under his stained pits and lowered him to the ground.

"What's a girl like you doin' out alone here?" He questions.

"My parent's... decided I couldn't live with them, because they caught me with my... my girlfriend." She choked out. "What about you?" She turns to look away, appearing indifferent, but he catches the glistening tears in her eyes.

"You remind me of someone, someone lost to me." He drifts off. She turns to gaze upon his elderly face, curious. "Lost, now found." His voice softens from it's usual gruffness. She breathes in the chilly air, and gives into the sobs that wrack her tired body, shaky breaths few and far between. He joins in and they cry together mourning all that is lost, and all that is found, in the strangest of places. Neither know of the future, or the other's past, but share so many connections, one's that will never leave the two as they forge into the future, together. What becomes of the two remains unknown, but neither shall leave the other's side ever again, the strongest of ties holding the two together, hope.