"Just stare into space

Picture my face in your hands

Live for each second

Without hesitation

And never forget I’m your man"

"It’s gonna be all right Shane." Kian shook his head. Heck, he was talking to an old shell! But it had felt different today. As if Shane had asked him for help. Kian shook his head again. Maybe he was turning crazy too?

He looked down at the shell in his hands. He wasn’t crazy, was he? He knew what he knew. He knew that he loved Shane. He knew they were soul mates. Because they were, weren’t they? How come he was the only one Shane trusted otherwise?

He stared straight ahead of him. It was scary how vivid Shane was in his memory. He could almost see him. Not even almost. He could see him. Could imagine Shane’s smiling face right in front of him

He reached out his hand. Touching nothing but air. "I will help you Shane. I don’t know how yet, but I will. I promise."

---

"Hey babe." Kian almost bit his tongue off as he walked into the little room. Did Shane hear that?

"Hi…" Shane seemed distant. The breakfast tray was standing at his bedside and didn’t seem to have been touched.

Kian sat down. "Is something up?"

Shane shrugged. "Kian, would you answer anything honestly?"

"Depends, question?"

"Aoife… she… she won’t come see me, will she? She doesn’t want to see me, does she? She’s left, hasn’t she?"

Kian didn’t know what to answer. He knew Shane was right, heck Aoife was about to move in with another man, but he wasn’t sure he should tell Shane now.

"Kian?"

Kian nodded slowly with a sigh. "She won’t be coming back to you."

"Ok. I guess she thinks I’m nuts."

"Shane, she never said that. She just… she’s met someone else. She’s…. been with him for a few months. Since before what happened so…"

"Oh, all right. I kinda… I suppose I already knew. She didn’t seem to love me anymore. I don’t think she ever did."

Kian shrugged. He hadn’t thought so either but he never confronted Shane about it. It was his life, wasn’t it?

"So, how’re everyone else?"

"Everyone are fine. Happy you’re moving to the Sligo clinic. You’ll have so many visitors."

"I suppose." Shane didn’t seem enthusiastic.

"Shane, give them a chance. They all want to help, you know."

"I know, they all keep telling me. I just… I dunno, I want you here, but everyone else…"

Kian embraced him and rocked him for a while. "You’ll get used to it. You’ll get better and you’ll want people there. Everything will be fine."

Shane nodded. He hoped so too.

"And, anyway, at least I’ll be able to come and see you every day in Sligo. That’s good, isn’t it?"

Shane nodded again. Of course that was a good thing. He wanted Kian there all the time.

Chapter 9 >>