This story is a work of fiction. The characters, names, incidents, dialogue, and plot are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

Seattle Rain

Part VI

My memories of Caleb are as lucid now as they were then. The final moments we spent together had a sentimental feeling to them. I scolded myself for thinking that way. We were cousins, not friends parting their separate ways.

Still, I couldn't help but feel a huge pang of sadness when their car pulled out of the driveway.

He never took his eyes off of me. As they backed out, and even when they continued down the road, I could feel his eyes. Before he and his mom had gotten in the car, my mom and aunt had hugged, leaving me and Caleb in the same situation as we were when we had first met each other.

Only this time there was no awkwardness. He looked at me for a split second before diving into my arms. Our embrace probably lasted for around thirty seconds. He finally let go, and not much longer afterwards, they were in the car.

They turned off our street, my hand still waving in the air. My mom put her arms around my shoulders from behind. "You guys are quite a pair. I didn't expect you two to get along so well."

Rain began to fall. "Better get inside. Looks like rain again," she murmured.

I followed her inside as the rain softly came down.

Sometimes I still sit outside on the same bench where Caleb had rested his body against mine during the rain. I haven't forgotten what his body felt like in the time that's passed. It was always warm and comforting, despite the fact he dressed like we were in Arizona.

The first week that passed without Caleb was hard for me. I wondered if I'd ever adjust to my life as it had been. Although I'd like to say I got over it quickly, that would be a lie. The memories I had of him were always around. Every time rain fell, he entered my mind.

I didn't figure out why everything seemed so empty until nearly three weeks after they'd left. The thought just kind of pushed its way into my head, the same way it had when I first realized I was attracted to him.

It had been a loving relationship. So did I love him as I would love someone in a romance relationship? I hadn't thought so at first, but I did.

My mom didn't quite pick that part up. I had to have been acting strange, but she never seemed to notice. The comforting thought was that Caleb must have felt similar feelings for me.

His eyes were the best part of him. I had grown to love everything about him in the short time we were together, but the feature that kept repeating in my thoughts was his eyes.

I can't say the urge to introduce him to other things didn't occur to me. But, as I eventually figured out, our relationship was not about sex, but rather about love. I would've enjoyed trying different things on his body, but the risk of making him feel uncomfortable seemed too dangerous to take.

Caleb was everything I could've asked him to be and more. On that Tuesday their car pulled into our driveway, I had no way of knowing that the nine year old getting out of the car would become such a huge part of my life.

He was still taking in the world, like I was. His eyes had always caught my attention, and about the same time I understood my real feelings about him, I realized I loved his eyes because they were innocent. And the greatest feeling of all was that he left with that same innocence he came with, only now more love was added to it.

SLowe@go.com