House of Hearts [finished!]

House of Hearts

Simon was laying on his back in the dirt field on the farm. 1940s music was softly playing from the speakers that hung on the outside of the farmhouse. He smiled into the sun that was beating down on him and he closed his eyes. Simon’s long dark curly hair laid on the warm ground around him. 

Simon had a special power. Every time he closes his eyes and rests, he gets transported into a new world. This time, it was a garden full of talking deer and birds; he felt like Snow White and Cinderella. Simon walked through the field and looked around wondering where his powers brought him to this time. What he gathered was that this was a garden with hills and valleys. He continued walking towards the bottom of a hill. He paused, wiped his brows and eyes, then nodded. 

“Okay,” Simom said, squatting and looking down at the ants. “Let’s do this, hmm?” 

Simon stood and took a deep breath, looking over the horizon. Then, he began walking again. He could see a light brown curved triangle roof in the distance as he walked towards the top of another hill. The house was very small and looked like a gingerbread house. Simon enjoyed gingerbread and secretly hoped it was made of gingerbread, like in the fairytale. 

He was making soft steps in the now tall grass and flowers, minding the bugs. Simon tucked his long dark curls behind his ear and skipped down the field. He was breathing heavily as he reached the bottom of the hill, still minding the bugs. He didn’t want to kill any of them. 

Simon stopped and paused, then looked behind him. He smiled. “I knew it was you, Star. I could feel you trudging along behind me,” Simon said, waving at Star, the Goat. 

“I can never sneak up on you, huh, Simon?” Star asked with a laugh. 

Simon shook his head and Star began walking towards him. “No, Star. Not yet. Please don’t. I startle easily. But I do like surprises and this was a nice surprise, Star,” Simon bent down to hug the white creature with gray stripes all over them. 

Simon rubbed Star’s back and walked with him down the field until they reached a path made of cobblestones and a light blue front door with a golden circular handle. It was shiny, the doorknob, and it glistened. 

There were flowers and plants growing in the square shaped patches on both sides of the path leading up to the door and there was a circular golden table and chair set next to the path on the left of the front door. The perimeter, golden, while the area of the table was plexiglass with curvy carvings on the glass and flowers all over it. Simon admired its simple beauty. Star stared at the table. 

“Come on, Star,” Simon said sweetly in a whisper as he walked towards the front door. Star followed nervously. Simon knocked on the blue wooden door. Nobody answered, so Simon knocked again after waiting so,e minutes. 

“Just a minute, doll!” A high chipper voice called. Simon smiled at the door, observing the perfect vertical cracks in the wood. He could see the brown where the blue paint didn’t quite reach. Simon smiled at Star. The door opened a minute later and a smiling woman in a long blue sleep dress and an apron stood before them and Simon’s mouth fell open. Before he could speak, he saw her disappear. Simon stuttered and ran into the house looking all over for her. Star followed him. He found her sitting in a chair in front of a stove in the kitchen. She smiled. Her legs were crossed and she was eating sunflower seeds. 

“Hi, doll,” She said cheerfully. Simon’s eyes went wide and his face went pale. His freckles practically disappeared. “M-mom?” Simon fell to his knees. Star put a paw on Simon’s back. Star looked up at the woman with pleading eyes. 

“Hello, Melinda Marie,” Star said softly, hugging Simon around his neck. 

Simon placed his hands in his lap then clasped his hands together. “Mom,” his voice shook and he was motionless on the ground.  

“Yes, my doll?” She asked warmly. 

Simon stood slowly. “I-I…” he sighed and walked closer to her. “I love you, mom,” he felt like he was saying foreign words even though he’s said them before in his dreams. He started to cry and she stood slowly, placing her seeds on her chair. 

“Awe, my baby,” Melinda exclaimed. She walked towards Simon and he hugged her. “I’m so sorry I’ve been gone,” she said into his shoulder. 

He nodded. “I love you…. well, that doesn’t mean that you don’t love …. I do, though. I do! I love my grandparents and dad, too. I don’t hate it at the farm and I just… I-I want you to know that I love the people I live with, but Gods, my Gods, do I  miss your presence,” 

A moment passed where both Melinda and Simon were hugging and Star, failing to hold back his tears, began to cry.  Melinda pulled away from Simon. “You’re melting my heart, my love. You sweet sweet ball of humanity,” She was looking into his brown eyes and held his shoulders with her hands. “I cooked, by the way,” Melinda looked at Star and clicked her tongue. “Y-you guys hungry? We can do anything you want,” 

Simon looked at Star who was now sitting on his butt. He began rubbing his belly and Simon looked back at his mom. 

“Let’s eat!” Simon exclaimed. 

She smiled.

Star got up from the floor and sat at the table in the kitchen. 

“My hungry hungry hippo,” she exclaimed. “Always growing,” Melinda cupped Simon’s cheek with her hand and their eyes met. 

“I used to love that game when I was little,” Simon said and Melinda laughed. 

“I know you did. I loved playing it with you,” Melinda laughed. “My baby. Always curious, always learning, always maturing, always growing,” 

“Mom!” Simon whined. Melinda smiled. 

“Alright. Let me show you what I’ve created. Come on, Star,” She began walking over to the stove, which was off. She opened it and smiled. This morning, my little ones, I made a new dish called ‘broccoli magic’,” she placed the glass pan on the stove while Simon and Star sat in small wooden chairs that surrounded a wooden table that was right next to the chair Melinda was sitting in. 

“I really hope you enjoy it and it fuels your morning!” she said excitedly. “You are going to do great things,” Melinda started as she took out some plates and scooped the meal onto them. “...even if the only great thing you do is breathe,” she looked at Simon. “I mean it,” Simon looked down. She knew. 

“Hey!” Melinda placed a finger under his chin and lifted it. “Nothing to be ashamed of--Nothing!”

Simon smiled and looked at Star. “Nothing,” Simon whispered and Star touched his hand. 

“Exactly!” Star said. He had this goofy little smile that made Simon cheer up without fail. It didn’t cure him but it made him feel better, and he was always grateful for these moments, even if they were temporary. 

Melinda clapped her hands together. “Alright! What would we like to drink?” 

“Oh, water, please!” Simon and Star said simultaneously. 

She smiled and gave them a clean placemat and put their plate down on top. Then, she placed their ice water on the corner of the mat.  

“Thank you, Ma,”  Simon said. 

He was moving his plate to look at the placemat. There was an evergreen tree with snow drizzled on top of it. There were lights wrapped around the street lamps. There were lights hanging from and across an apartment building. It was so bright you could see the whole outline of the building. The sky was dark and a million stars shined in the sky as people from the town of Penelope were hanging out in front of the building on Cherub avenue. All the people were hugging and laughing, having a good time dressed in puffy jackets, yarn hats, and winter gloves. They were all looking at the evergreen tree. Simon loved everything. He yearned to be part of such a beautiful scene. The placemat was soft, knitted, and handmade. His fingers ran over the ridges from the yarn where each piece connects to another. Slowly. Slowly. 

Melinda knew that he loved everything. She watched as he admired it. “We’re going to go there someday,” she said softly and Simon looked at her. 

“W-you… we will?!” Simon exclaimed in surprise. 

“Of course, bug..of course,” Melinda put a hand on Simon’s and squeezed. 

Things began to fade for Simon. He closed his eyes tightly. “Am I tired?” He whispered to himself, very confused. 

Everyone continued eating. “I love you, ma. I can’t wait to spend more time with you, here. Everywhere,” Simon closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. “Anywhere, anywhere,” Simon whispered and Melinda just smiled as she took another bite. 

She nodded. “I love that you decided to grow out your hair, Sim. The curls are beautiful, baby,”

Simon took a sip of water, his teeth smiling against the glass. “Thank y�"wait. How did you kno�"?”

“You look much happier. Oh, how do I know? I heard your yearnings of growing your hair out but feared the opinions of others,”

Simon nodded. How did she hear them? Can she see them? He wondered. 

“I’m glad you have no fear. It’s also valid if you did,” She took a drink of her water. 

“I have shed some but I’m still scared…” Simon started. 

“Scared of what?” Melinda asked softly, frowning ever so slightly. 

“I love you, mom! I just wanted you to know that. Before everything changes. Before everything goes away. Before everything goes back to the way it was. Before. Before. I love you. I like the way things are but I miss you and I want to see you again. I want to see you, always,”

“Oh, my darling,” she put a hand on Simon's cheek and rubbed gently. “I know you love your grandparents, the farm, the animals… but you seem happy here too. And that’s okay to admit. I love you, too, and that’s okay to admit, too. It’s okay to admit you love people in whatever way that is. But, mi amor, you know you can always visit me in your dreams. You are made of love and just because I’m not on Earth anymore, doesn’t mean we can’t still be together. It just happens in a … little bit of a different way,” 

Simon smiled, but there were tears in his eyes. He hugged her and she squeezed him hard. 

Star cleared her throat. “You’ll see me in your dreams too. You are so sweet, kind, and gentle. I love you, Simon,”

Simon smiled at Star, then turned to Melinda slowly as he opened his mouth to speak. “You’re not on Earth anymore?” Simon started crying and Star joined the hug that formed. 

“What else are you scared of?” Melinda asked, her chin on his shoulder. She was having a feeling he forgot to answer from before. 

“I�"” Melinda was cut off. Suddenly everything went blurry. 

“Simon? My love? Wake up,” a soft and light voice slowly got louder. Simon was still lying on his back on the dirt floor, but this time, the sun was being blocked by Simon's grandma, Margie. 

“Hon?” She said a little bit louder. 

Simon began to open his eyes. “Hi, grandma,” Simon said softly with a smile. 

He waved and she took a deep breath. A breath of relief. “I thought something happened. Are you okay? Why are you out here like this? The sun�"”

Simon felt warm hands on his. He was helped up to a sitting position by his grandma Margie and struggling to keep his eyes open. “There you go,” she said gently. 

He rubbed his forehead and his eyes. “I’m okay, really,”

Simon hugged Margie who was sitting across from him. They stayed there for a while. Margie could feel all his thoughts and worries. She could see his dreams, too. 

“I see. Star and Melinda…does it hurt?” Simon cried on her shoulder. “O�"okay. Just let it out, my love, let it out,”

They stayed there for a while, the sun, the clouds, and the birds listening to the rhythmic sounds of Simon's sobs. 

Sometime soon, they started to quiet. “Deep breaths, my love. Deep breaths,”

Simon listened and nodded his head. He backed away from her shoulder. 

The back door to the kitchen was open, as was the window. The smell of eggs with lettuce and tomato, cinnamon French toast, and orange juice slowly made its way to Simons senses, until it was overwhelming and he smiled. 

“Mm,” Simon inhaled. “Oh, woah! Mm, smells good!”

Margie smiled. “Yeah! Grandpa Rick and his husband, Randy, are both cooking breakfast,” she took a deep shuddering and panicked breath. “W-well, we couldn’t find you, so I came looking and they started breakfast saying they’d come help look for you after it was done if I couldn’t find you,” she hugged Simon real tight. “I’m so so happy I found you. Are you ready?”

Simon took a deep breath. “Mm, mhm, I think so,”

“I love you. And your grandparents are here to listen to you, okay? We believe you, okay?”

Simon nodded. “Thank you!” He put his fingers to his mouth in relief and happiness. 

They both stood and Margie put an arm around Simon’s shoulder. “I wonder what Star and Melinda are doing right now,”

Simon looked up at Margie and she smiled. “Tending to the garden. Baking for their community. Making art at the art center. Eating their gingerbread house. Feeding her animals. Talking about their feelings at the community center’s therapy room. Being kind…”

Simon smiled and gave her a squeezy hug, leaning his head on her shoulder, and they began walking towards the back door to eat breakfast with their family. The sun continued shining down on Simon and Margie, some of the Gods’ favorite angels. 

~Fin~

Author's Note

How did you like it? Let me know ❤️