Page 104 of The Secret to Belonging

he takes your face in his hands

it’s not forever

you moan

listen to me, he says. it’s not forever

California may have been your past, but

going back doesn’t make it your future

this is just one thread

that got all fucked up in the loom

it’s not the whole piece of cloth

you love that he’s using a weaving analogy

comforting you with your own taxonomy

the thing you love

the person you love

and

you want to believe him

you want to believe the impossible

you want your father to call back

say it was just a sick prank

you want to wake up in the dream you were having

before the goddamn telephone rang

you want to travel Europe

you want to leave now

Espen wipes a tear from your cheek

you see your reflection in his eyes

you can come back, he whispers

promise?

with all my heart

i promise

you can come back

you will come back