AllFreeNovel
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I stand on the desolate shores of the beach; my gaze lingers upon the vastness of the water. The sunset paints the sky in hues of fiery orange and golden yellow, casting a warm glow over the deserted landscape. It’s so quiet, and I feel an overwhelming sense of freedom as if the world has faded away and it’s just me and the beach, entwined in a moment frozen in time.
The waves gently lap against the shore, creating a soothing symphony that lulls my senses. As I watch from a distance, the sea’s vastness reminds me of the boundless potential that exists in my own life, waiting to be explored and embraced.
The beach stretches out before me like a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with the brushstrokes of imagination. Footprints left behind by previous visitors are now erased by the rhythmic movement of the waves, leaving no trace of human presence.
In this desolation, I am free from the expectations and judgments of the world.
My heart aches as I delve into made-up memories of my mother, a younger version of herself before the weight of my existence altered her life forever.
The image of her, vibrant and carefree, sends a tear down my cheek.
I can almost hear her laughter carried by the ocean breeze, see her twirling along the sandy beach, her footsteps imprinting a path of happiness in the sand.
Oh, what I wouldn’t have given to grow up alongside my mother on this very beach, to experience the joy of shared moments, building sandcastles together, running barefoot, and feeling the tickle of the waves caressing our toes.
This beach would have been our sanctuary, a refuge where we laughed, played, and dreamed of endless possibilities.
But fate had other plans, and all the things that happened altered the course of our lives.
My brain moves from that happiness to reflect upon my childhood. A heavy truth settles within me.
The pain, the struggles, and the scars I witnessed etched upon my mother’s soul were not mere accidents of circumstance. They were meant to happen, shaping me in ways I am only beginning to fully understand. Through the darkness that enveloped our lives, I found resilience, compassion, and an unwavering determination to rise above the shadows.
That’s why I’m here.
My namesake Valente not being the only thing strong about me.
Then I think about the letter.
The envelope my mother gave me is stuffed into my back pocket. I haven’t had time to read it in the last few hours.
I reach into my pocket, holding the white envelope in front of me. I turn it around to see the word Xavier in his unmistakable handwriting.
God, I miss him so much.
The curves of the way his pen hit the paper pang me in the chest.
Losing him is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I refused for the longest time to mourn, but here I am years later, crying over his handwriting.
The letters he writes and how he taught me how to make my handwriting legible.
I miss him. Fuck, I miss him so much.
My tears hit the paper and it absorbs them as I stare at the envelope ominously.
I have to open it.
So I do.
Carefully unfolding the worn paper, and there it is his words, I find a piece of him that time cannot erase. No death can erase this letter and his memory is frozen in time when he wrote these words.
The letter is in Portuguese.
To Xavier,
I hope this letter gets to you safely on your thirtieth birthday. It may not, considering that your mother forgets everything.
I laugh. She does forget absolutely everything, but I don’t think she forgot about this one.
