Jebediah and Tamara sat side by side on the park bench, watching as the guardian knelt at the edge of the pond a short distance away, carefully tipping some of the seeds from the brown paper bag into her open hands, cupping her own hand under Luna’s, catching any falling seeds.

Tamara watched as the guardian encouraged Luna to lean down then so the ducks could reach the seeds, holding the paper bag closed in her hands now.

‘I love her very much’ Tamara voiced then, eyes distant as she watched her daughter. ‘But I feel so alienated from her.’

‘Its understandable’ Jebediah mumbled. ‘Its something you lived through.’

‘I…’ Tamara spoke then, half-turning to face him, but not quite meeting his eyes, she hesitated then, before a smile tweaked at the edges of her lips, before lifting her eyes to meet his at last. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’

‘No problem’ Jebediah replied, leaning forwards on his knees, holding his hands together.

‘I…I struggle in school’ Tamara told him. ‘I think of my daughter often, though I never talk about it. I want to be with her. I do badly in school, I cannot concentrate on my lessons.’

Jebediah stared at her silently.

‘I would love to live alone with my daughter, but they won’t let me have her, not the way things are now. I still suffer trauma and see…. I have nightmares and suffer flashbacks. They are vivid.’ She swallowed then. ‘I don’t know how I feel about this decision. But I don’t have custody over my own daughter. They say, if I am able to live alone, not with my own family, with so many siblings and chaos…’ she swallowed again, ‘if I could live alone closer to the city where the hospital is…and my therapist…’ she broke off, hand going to her head then as she scratched feebly at her scalp. ‘Things are just complicated. Especially with a child.’ She swallowed again, letting out a sigh. ‘My father would be in jail by now.’

‘Don’t think too much on it’ Jebediah said to her. ‘Just take each day as it comes.’

‘Do you think about life and death?’ Tamara asked him suddenly, tensing slightly as she turned to face him.

‘Um…’ Jebediah clenched his jaw then. ‘Yes, I do. Though I don’t like to admit it’ he laughed awkwardly.

‘Do you fear death?’ Tamara asked him. ‘Do you believe…that there may be an afterlife?’

‘I don’t know’ Jebediah mumbled. ‘I guess I do fear death, I don’t try to think about it though. I would rather just push those thoughts away. And as for an afterlife?’ he fell silent in thought then, ‘I do believe in an afterlife’ he finished at last.

‘If you believe in an afterlife’ Tamara began, ‘then why do you fear death?’

‘Because of all the things I will be leaving behind’ Jebediah replied.

‘But….you keep to yourself mostly’ Tamara replied. ‘You have few friends and family.’

‘There are still people I love and care about, and if I were to leave this world’ Jebediah said, ‘then she would be….my mother would be very sad, Carl would be very sad, and you….’ He looked to her. ‘How would you feel if I suddenly died?’

‘I would be devastated.’

They held each other’s gaze for several moments, before looking away.

‘Why do you shut yourself off from people?’ Tamara asked them.

‘You know why.’

Tamara swallowed again. ‘I’m sorry to bring this up.’

‘It’s ok.’

‘I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live with your condition, but…I still feel sometimes that I don’t have long to live.’

‘What do you mean?’ Jebediah asked seriously.

Tamara pursed his lips then, gripping the edge of the bench and turning away to glance towards her daughter and the guardian as they continued to feed the ducks. ‘I fear for my own safety’ Tamara said, ‘but… and I don’t like talking about this, but I suffer from depression.’

‘You have told me that before.’

‘I get suicidal thoughts sometimes’ Tamara uttered then, hunching her shoulders and bowing her head. ‘I….sometimes wonder how long I have left to live.’

Jebediah stared at her in shock for a second, before moving closer, wrapping his arms around her slowly.

Her eyes widened in surprise as he held her, resting his chin upon her shoulder gently.

‘They say that a twenty second hug can work wonders’ Jebediah spoke calmly, still holding her, ‘hugging someone you know and trust, lowers your anxiety and blood pressure, and makes you happier.’ Jebediah smiled then, continuing to hold her. In his moment of silence, Tamara raised her arms, holding Jebediah back. ‘Never forget’ Jebediah whispered in her ear, ‘there are always people who love and care for you, and if you were to vanish, then you would be leaving a hole in the hearts of people who know and love you.’

Tamara stared over his shoulder calmly, eyes relaxed, blinking slowly.

A few moments passed, and they still held each other.

‘Has it been twenty seconds yet?’ Jebediah smiled.

‘I don’t care’ Tamara laughed quietly. ‘I love this moment.’

Jebediah squeezed her tighter one last time, before letting her go. Tamara released him, leaning back again.

‘Do you feel better now?’ Jebediah asked her softly.

‘Yeah’ Tamara smiled, wiping tears away from her eyes. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’s my pleasure.’

‘I’m glad we met’ Tamara voiced then.

‘Yeah’ Jebediah mumbled, ‘me too.’