Fraser City, October 2019

Ring, ring, ring!

Iñigo startled himself into consciousness, letting out a scream into the air. His heart was pounding from within his chest. Taking in his surroundings, Iñigo let out a sigh. Though this wasn’t the first time, he didn’t think that dreaming about his breakup with Kenji would be an ongoing recurrence.

Having jolted himself awake, Iñigo sat up and turned his head toward the early morning window, muttering a soft, heartfelt prayer under his breath, stifling away the memories of his relationship with Kenji from twenty years prior.

He thought about how he married Esther shortly after his break-up with Kenji. Esther had grown to be a fixture in his life, and Iñigo felt grateful to have her in his life.

From the day of their wedding her parents had arranged for them, Iñigo always told her how glad he was to marry one of his dearest friends. But as much as he wanted to cherish her as much as he did Kenji, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. It was a big shame of his, not being able to love Esther as much as she deserved to be loved, but Esther was nonetheless always supportive of Iñigo’s feelings.

He used to wonder if she would have wanted to marry Alexander’s birth father instead and create a happy family with him. But Esther insisted that she would always remain Iñigo’s, for he had been with her through thick and thin. She gave up too much for his sake, Iñigo thought. But he nonetheless stuck with her from that moment on until her untimely death.

From then on, Iñigo dedicated his whole being to raising Alexander. It was only right, Iñigo convinced himself, for Alexander was the only light in this dark world of his. He would die for him.

But even so, from time to time, he thought about Kenji and what he was doing, where he was living, and what kind of life he led ever since Iñigo broke up with him. He had never spoken to Kenji again since that day. If, on the day of his wedding with Esther, Kenji came to make some big objection and proclaim his undying love for him, Iñigo couldn’t lie, he might have taken him back. But he didn’t, and the two ex-lovers went their separate ways

Now, Iñigo was content with his life without Kenji. If he were to come again and ask him to start anew, Iñigo wouldn’t bat him an eye. Alexander was the most important person in his life right now.

Soon after, Iñigo got himself changed and ready for work. Making his way out his bedroom door, he saw Javier hobbling up the stairs at the end of the hallway. Keeping watch of Javier’s gait, he noticed how he swayed from side to side, the scent of alcohol from the man’s breath becoming more apparent the closer Iñigo got. Concerned, Iñigo took a good look at Javier’s face. Had he been crying?

All too suddenly, Javier took Iñigo into his arms and held him tightly. Iñigo felt his shoulder becoming moist from Javier’s tears as he nuzzled up against his neck. Iñigo wrapped his arms around Javier’s soft, yet thin frame, and soon he began to slump into Iñigo’s embrace.

“Don’t leave me…” Javier muttered as he drifted off to sleep. Iñigo patted his brother-in-law on the back of his head, ruffling the hair resting atop his nape, and gave a soft smile.

“Of course,” Iñigo reassured the man who at this point was completely asleep. “I’ll never leave you.”