Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

     There was a very bright light that didn’t hurt. I didn't have eyes for the light to hurt. Then, slowly and suddenly, I did.

     The light dimmed, and I could see many new things. I had paws, and they were standing on funny-looking rock. I had a nose, and there were so many smells, like cold and fruit and what I later found out were called Endermen. I had fur, but not enough to protect me from the sudden cold. I was confused, a little scared, and COLD. There was warmth though, coming from where the light had come from. I looked up. A man- no, a God, I don’t know how I knew but I did- was floating above me. He had empty eyes and a blank expression, but when I saw his face it told me two things without speaking: “I created you, and I created you for a purpose.” Purpose. I did have a purpose, I knew that. But what was it?

     “Did you just give me a dog??”

     I turned quickly to the voice behind me. It was a man- just a man this time. He was very tall, and very, very tired. He had odd lines covering his skin, messy hair, and wore rock-looking clothes. His face was wet. He had been crying. He smelled like fear and sadness, desperation and longing- many feelings that I didn’t know existed until I saw his face. But when he looked at me, he smiled. He laughed. I could tell it was the first time in a long time he had really laughed. And he did it when he looked at me, like I was a precious gift.

     Oh. This is my purpose, I thought. My tail started to wag.

     The man spoke to the god with a sad smile, and I could tell the god was about to leave. Before he did, my creator looked at me one last time, and his face spoke to me again: “His name is Centross. Take care of him.” Then he was gone.

     I have never seen him since.

     The man- Centross- looked at me again. He seemed a bit more uncomfortable, or confused. Humans feel so many things, I thought. Then, he smiled again, tired but happy.

     “I guess you need a name, huh? I don’t have a name tag or anything though…”

     A name? I get a name like him? Wow, I like this guy, I thought. Centross brought out something… something to eat? It smelled wonderful. I think it was to get me to follow him. He didn’t need to use food (I would have followed him anywhere), but I was excited to eat. He took me inside a very large rock. It was very bright and smelled like fruit and plants. I found out later that they're called glowberries. He would tell me- or someone I couldn’t see, it was hard to tell- that they reminded him of an “Athena”. I wasn’t sure what that was, but it sounded nice. For now, Centross took me inside and fed me from his hand. It tasted SO good. He laughed when I ate. I think I must’ve acted funny. I liked it when he laughed, I still do. I've never heard a better sound.

     I am a very observant girl. I notice many things. Now that I was closer, licking his hand for food, I could smell the funny lines on his skin. They smelled like pain and blood. The word “scars” came to my head, but I don’t know how. Many things come to my head without anyone telling me. I don’t know why. I guess I don’t really need to know. Most of the scars smelled old, but some smelled new. Centross was hurt and sad. I was starting to see why I was needed here. I looked up and saw that he was staring at nothing. That seemed wrong, so I licked his face. He was startled. Then he smiled. Then he stared at me thoughtfully- better than staring at nothing I guess.

     “I think I’ll name you Hope.” Centross said in a voice that was both determined and unsure, like he was very used to being wrong. I blinked and wagged my tail. I had a name now! Cool! But something felt off…

     Hope. Hope meant something, but what? I grunted in frustration. I don't know what that word means! But Centross smiled at me again, and rubbed my head gently- really gently, like he was afraid to touch me. 

     That smile where there was normally sadness… that was hope, right? Yes, that was hope. Something in my belly felt good when I saw that smile, like I had done something right. Something that I was supposed to do.

     I was his hope, and he was my purpose. Centross held my face in his hands, still smiling.

     “Who’s a good girl, Hope?”

Chapter Text

     My name is Hope. I know that because Centross told me. Centross told me many many things in "The End". He talked almost all the time. Sometimes he talked to me, sometimes he talked to people I couldn’t see, and sometimes it was hard to tell which one he was talking to. He talked, and I learned. I’m a very smart dog. He told me so.

     I learned that he was looking for someone he loved- Enderian, he called her. He always smelled funny when he said that name. He smelled happy, sad, and scared at the same time. The scared part made me confused. Why did he love someone he was scared of? 

     Centross told me that he wanted to go back home, to his friends. He talked about his friends more than he talked about anything else. There were days when I thought he wouldn’t stop. I almost didn’t want him to. He looked happy when he did- well, happy-sad. He told me about Athena. Centross wanted to protect him. She was sweet and smart and she liked flowers. They lived together when he lived at home, but only because he lied. I didn’t know what that meant at the time. He smelled guilty when he said that. He always smells guilty. He told me about Rae, his best friend. He was smart and kind too, but different. He talked about Rae a lot. He was worried. Something was wrong, he said. He needed to get back to Rae, to help him, to make sure he was ok. He told me about Galahad, another fighter, warm and strong. He told me about Chaos, funny and comforting to be around ("Like you," he said, laughing a little). He told me about Easton and how smart and fun she was. And he told me about Sherbert- a very good friend. I would hate that name later, but back then it was just another name that made him happy, so it made me happy. I loved listening to him talk.

     Slowly though, he stopped talking.

     Humans need sleep. I knew that somehow. But he couldn’t. I didn’t know why. Something was keeping him from sleeping. He tried to once. He laid on the floor for a long time, closing his eyes and whispering to himself. Then he started crying again. I sat next to him the whole time. I hoped that keeping him warm would help him sleep. It didn’t.

     Centross kept getting worse. He stared off into the dark space where the rock wasn’t. He told me to stay far away from it, but he never did. He farmed, but barely ate. Apparently there was only so much food. I tried giving him mine, but he made sure I ate it. He said he was fine. He says that a lot, even now. I learned pretty quickly that it's almost always a lie.

     He smelled so, so strongly of longing. He missed his friends. He was losing himself, losing his mind. There wasn’t a lot I could do, but I tried my best. I would bite at the Endermen that gave him new scars. He told me to stay inside, but I didn’t. I have scars too now. He gets sad when he looks at them, but I don’t regret it. I just hope it helped. When we were inside his house, I would tug on his clothes until he sat down, laughing a little, and let me sit on his lap. I wanted to keep him warm. A part of me wanted to be warm too, but that was less important. He pet me a lot. He always does. I love him for it. I would bark and jump and roll, anything I could do to make him laugh. I did many things, and all of them worked… but not enough.

     One day, he came to me. He smelled very sad but determined. He told me that we had almost no food left. He fed me a little steak. I wanted to give him the steak, but I knew he wouldn’t take it. He pet me and spoke very quietly. Speaking hurt him, I think. He took me to a different rock outside the house near a weird ball of light. He pet me again, and made me sit.

     “Hopefully someone comes here to get you…” He said softly, staring at the ball of light. Huh? Where are we going? Centross stared at me, crying again. I didn't know a lot about anger, but I felt mad that he cried so much. He shouldn't have to cry. Then he kissed my nose, stood up, and walked away. I was confused. Why was I supposed to stay here if he was going over there? I was worried, but I am a good girl, so I sat. I sat for what felt like forever. 

     Suddenly, something new happened.

     There was a noise at the ball of light. I looked up and saw another human. Holy shit, what?! I had never seen another person before. He was shorter and had nicer clothes, but he was somehow just as tired. He was also very, very scared.

     “Centross??!!” The man screamed, over and over again. He knew Centross... was this one of his friends? The man ran down the rock before suddenly stopping in front of me, panting.

     “Why the hell is there a dog here?...” He said quietly, out of breath. I also didn't know why I was there, to be fair. He quickly rushed off, again screaming for Centross until, suddenly, he stopped.

     I didn’t find out what happened until much later, when Centross told me the story while I laid on his chest, trying to help him breathe. All I knew was that somehow, some way, the new man had saved Centross when I couldn’t. I sat and waited.

     They came back together, smiling and crying and safe. I smelled so many emotions that it overwhelmed me, but I noticed one that I hadn't seen before: relief. Centross got one of his friends back. He was so happy, happier than I could ever remember. This man- Rae, his name was Rae, that’s the name Centross used as he spoke to him- was a friend and… something more. There was love stronger than I had ever seen before between the two of them, like there was something connecting them that I would never be able to see or understand. Still, when I looked up at Rae, I knew that my life was about to change forever.

     My name is Hope, but I'm not Centross’ only hope anymore- and funny enough, I couldn't be happier about it.

Chapter Text

     The Overworld is so fucking cool!!

     The ground has prickly grass or soft wet snow. Tiny pieces of snow fall from the sky- either that or rain. I like the snow better. There is so much food everywhere! Centross likes to keep me inside, away from “mobs” (like Endermen but different), but he usually leaves the door open, so I go outside a lot. I discovered a new instinct: hunting! I hunt rabbits and cows and chickens. I eat ‘em and bring some back for Centross. He eats more now, which is great! And he can sleep now!! I sleep in his bed with him every time he comes home. Beds are so soft, they’re amazing. Chicken tastes really good, but apparently chickens suck. That’s what Centross says anyway. I make sure to kill lots of ‘em when he’s around. He laughs when I do. I like that.

     For some reason, Centross didn’t want to live near Rae. Well, actually, there was a reason. He was afraid his friends would try to kill him because he tried to kill them. I guess that’s fair, but why did we have to live in another cold place! It’s warmer than the End I guess, but still, it’s just- uggggggggh! Also, being wet is weird. I don’t like it, but sometimes I go in the water to get the stuff out of my fur, so that’s nice.

     Centross is a very busy person, so he’s not home a lot. That’s how it’s always been. First he was looking for Enderian, now he’s building something in a cave far from home. It’s a good sign if he’s busy. It means he’s doing well. I still miss him when he’s gone though. He’ll be gone for days sometimes. I don’t think he sleeps if I’m not there, not if he’s not staying somewhere else. But sometimes he stays home for days and farms. When he stayed, I learned. There was a lot to learn.

     There were many new sights and smells and feels in the Overworld. There were also many new things and words that were put in my brain, and my purpose became bigger. Centross was better now, but he still needed to be taken care of. When he stayed home, I would tug at his clothes to remind him to eat and drink and sometimes sleep. I don’t know why, but something in me said I was supposed to. When he wouldn’t listen, because he’s as stubborn as he is nice, I would bark and bark until he did. Sometimes though, all I needed to do was bring him food or water from the chests, and then he would listen. Taking care of himself is hard for him, I think. He needs help doing it sometimes. I think that’s part of my purpose, my instincts, a part I didn’t realize was there until it had to be. He’s not used to being taken care of, I‘m pretty sure, and he’s afraid of new things. He’s gotten used to me though, which is nice.

     Centross sleeps now, which is the best! I’ll sleep right on top of his chest, and he’ll pet and pet me until we both sleep. It’s very nice. I have to take naps though, because he wakes me up a lot. He doesn’t mean to. He calls the things that wake him up “nightmares''. I think they’re like memories, but you can see them in your sleep. He’ll shout and sit up straight, sometimes knocking me over. It was a little bit funny looking back on it- the knocking over part, I mean. Sometimes he’ll panic for a bit, but settle down pretty quick and get up to start working. Sometimes, though, he needs my help. He struggles to breathe a lot. My brain tells me to lay on his chest or his lap and put all my weight there. Or it tells me to lick his face. I don’t question my brain, because what it says always works. It can take a while though. He smells like fear when he wakes up, and it’s really strong. But eventually, he’ll breathe less fast, and start petting me. The petting helps him feel better, but I think it’s also him trying to tell me he’s ok now, when he can’t speak. He smells like guilt when he’s done, more than normal. Or, at least he did. He doesn’t smell like that anymore- well, no, that’s not true. I think he used to feel guilty about me helping him, but he doesn’t anymore. That’s what I mean.

     Centross has a lot of nightmares. When we first came back, it was every night. I think that’s why he avoids sleeping. I had to bark at him a lot to get him to sleep, but he wasn’t home enough for me to do that all the time. When he slept, he would always wake up before he was supposed to. Sometimes he would be silent, just breathing and breathing. Sometimes he started talking. I learned a lot of stories. I’m glad he kept talking a lot after the End. It seems to help him. 

     Centross told me about his family. That was probably the most confusing story. When he talked about them, he smelled scared, happy, longing, angry… I think Centross cares about people that he shouldn’t sometimes. I’m glad he has better friends now.

     Centross didn’t talk about his family much though- he still doesn’t. He mostly talks about the End. He killed a lot of Endermen because Enderian told him to, and sometimes when she didn’t. He tried to kill his friends too. His guilt smells so strong it almost overwhelms even me. He thought he deserved to die, but he doesn’t want to… anymore. He told me that story too. Centross tries to explain why he did bad things sometimes, but none of it makes any sense. He has a hard time with words. I don’t think he really knows why he did that stuff. That bothers him. I hope he figures it out.

     I’ll be here until and after he does.

     Centross has this one nightmare that happens over and over again. He’s in the dark, he can’t move, can’t see, but he can feel the dark trapping and crushing him. He can barely hear himself screaming, and he knows no one else will ever hear him. He’s alone, trapped, and scared. I think, out of everything, being trapped in the End more than once has scared him the most.

     I wish I had been here before, but I can’t really change that. But I was there in the End, and I am now. I stay on his chest until he can breathe again. I lick his face until he smiles. I chase the chickens until he laughs. I remind him to take care of himself, and drag him to bed when he refuses. I have, and always will, show him every bit of love I can until he believes he deserves it. I do it because it’s my purpose… well, that’s not all the way true. He has so much love in him, and he shows it to me all the time. The smell of it is so strong sometimes it blocks out everything else. How can I not love him? When my brain tells me how to help him, how can I not help? 

     Centross is more than my purpose. He is my home, just as much as this place is his.

     I wish I had been more prepared to lose it.

Chapter Text

     I don’t feel guilt most of the time. I’m a very good girl, after all. Centross says so. But there is one thing, one regret, that makes me feel so bad I don’t think I’ll ever stop. 

     I regret not keeping him from leaving that day.

     I didn’t understand why he smelled so afraid when he said he needed to talk to Sherbert. He had smelled a bit nervous when he went to visit his other friends, even Rae, but it was nothing like this. He said he would be back soon, over and over, like he was trying to get himself to believe it. He said… I think I remember it. He said : “I might come home with a new scar, but I’ll be back. And if I’m not… well, Rae knows where I live now. He’ll take care of you.” I would have been happy thinking about Rae’s visit any other time, but I was scared. Really, really scared. But Centross fed me steak, called me a good girl, and made me sit as he left. I knew he wanted me to stay, so I stayed. He said Sherbert was a friend. I trusted that Sherbert was a friend.

     I was a fool, and Centross paid the price.

     It was days before anyone came to the house. I tried to hunt things, to distract myself, but my tummy felt worse and worse the longer I was alone. I’m used to being alone, but this time was different. Dangerous. Still, I waited. I knew, I knew that Centross could kill anyone who tried to hurt him. I thought he would be fine. I hoped he would be fine. So much for hope.

     Finally, after some days, I was laying on the bed when Rae landed outside the house, calling for Centross just as he had when we first met. Only, this time, they didn’t find each other. I remember so clearly, that the second I heard Rae’s voice, something in me shattered. 

     Centross was dead. He had to be. He would have come back if he wasn’t.

     Rae finally came inside. He was crying, but tried to smile at me. I would have cried if I could. He took a rope from a chest and tied it to my collar- the one Centross got me when we first came home. He had looked so proud of himself when he was finally able to give me a name tag. I whined at the memory. Rae pet my head.

     “It’s ok girl. He abandoned both of us. I won’t abandon you.” Rae tugged at the leash, leading me to a place that I knew was far away from home.

     Wait, abandoned?

     As we walked, my brain slowly put together what was happening. Centross wouldn’t have left everyone again. It had almost made him insane when he was alone in the End. Plus, all he ever talked about was trying to help his friends. He wouldn’t have left. Sherbert must have lied. Of course they would have. If they killed Centross, of course they lied about it too! They made everyone think Centross abandoned them. I growled quietly. Sherbert was a threat. I was gonna kill them, like I helped kill the Endermen. I was gonna rip their head off their throat with one bite or die trying. I… I…

     No. No, I couldn’t do that. Centross said that Sherbert was friends with a lot of people. He cared about those people. He wanted them to be happy. If I killed Sherbert, or tried to tell the others what they had done, Centross’ friends would have to mourn two people instead of one. It would be better for them to believe that Centross was alive somewhere, and that Sherbert was still their friend. Right?

     I was a fool, and Centross paid the price.

     As I realized all of this, Rae led me through the snow. He cried the whole way home. He smelled angry, confused, and sad. Just like Centross. As we walked, I noticed many things about Rae that were the same as… as him. The tired eyes. The messy hair. The sad smile, one that was supposed to make me feel better. The love inside him was even stronger- smelling than I was used to. And something about him, something inside him felt the same, like they were connected in a way I couldn’t really see. 

     This was Rae. This was the man Centross cared about more than anyone in the entire world. But he wasn’t here to care for him, or any of his friends… or me, anymore.

     Well, if he can’t then I will, I thought. He would’ve wanted that.

     I was his good girl. I can be theirs too.

Chapter Text

     Other dogs are weird.

     I only realized how different I was from other dogs after I met Atlas… and Nana, and many others. Mostly Atlas though. She’s a very good girl, don’t get me wrong, but… she talks funny. Like, she shortens all her sentences. Like this:

     “Hi new dog!”

     “Um… hi. I’m Hope. Who are you?”

     “Atlas! You smell sad. Why sad?”

     “Uh, my owner died. It kinda fucking sucks.”

     “... What’s ‘fucking’?”

     See what I mean?

     Atlas has helped me a lot though. She licks my face when I start crying at night. It’s nice, even if it reminded me of what I used to do… Rae doesn’t need that from me. I’ve tried. Besides, Atlas takes care of most of that. She takes care of me too. Something in my brain says that this is what having a mom would have been like if I was born normal. I like it. She tried to get me to play with her. I wish I had played with her more, but I just couldn't. There were too many thoughts that took up all my energy and made me feel so tired after.

     Rae didn’t need me. The others didn’t either. I met a ghost, an axe, a bear, and Athena. I remembered Athena from the stories. The bear can understand my talking. Their name is Jamie. I think Atlas brought them to the room a lot to help me, but it just made it worse. They just kept talking about Centross “running away”, even if they wanted to help, and I couldn’t tell them the truth! It just made the hurting worse, so I tried to stay away from Jamie. I hope I wasn’t mean, but I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t even tell Atlas because… well, I don’t think she really understood what was going on. She wouldn’t keep the secret. The other dogs didn’t get it either. Atlas was the only one I talked to for a while.

     I mostly focused on Rae. He had the saddest smell. I didn’t know how to help him though. He was different from… what I was used to. He cried a lot. I really wanted to tell him: “Don’t cry, people love you, I can smell it on all of them, one of them loved you so much he made me love you too, please don’t cry....” But I couldn’t, so I would sit nearby until he stopped pacing and lay down beside him. Or I would just get Atlas. I learned getting other people wasn’t a good idea. Rae hates people seeing him cry.

     He really is so similar…

     I tried to help, but my purpose was gone. Fuck that, my world was gone. My person was gone. He was supposed to mine and I should have been his but a friend who failed us took that away! I was angry, I was helpless, and I was so, so lost. It almost felt like when I first started, when the bright light went away and suddenly I had a body and a heart that I didn’t know what to do with. Or when I came to the Overworld, and there were too many smells and sights and feels to understand. But both of those times, I had him to make it better. Now he would never come back, to pet me or comfort me or need me. Never again.

     Or so I thought.

Chapter Text

     I was laying in the corner of Rae’s room. Atlas was on the dog bed. I didn’t want to cuddle. I heard footsteps walking strangely. Something in me perked up, a bit concerned, but the rest of me was too tired to care.

     Until I heard his voice.

     “Hope?”

     And there he was, standing at the door, bent over and grabbing at a large wound in his chest. He was covered in blood and bruises, sweat and tears. He smelled like desperation and relief. I almost didn’t recognize him. He stumbled toward me, and I turned my face away, overwhelmed and confused. He was dead, he was supposed to be dead. This couldn’t be him… right?

     “Hi Hope.” The gentle voice cracked, but it was him. 

     He came back.

     He was alive .

     “Centross!!” I barked, knowing he would understand. I licked and licked him and he pet and pet me. We held each other like our lives depended on it. It could have. He smelled like death. I didn’t care. He wasn’t dead yet. Somehow, he was alive. 

     Hope meant something after all.

     “I’m sorry, Hope. I think it’s time to go home.” Home in the cold, home with him, home and loved again. Centross stood shakily and walked toward the door. I looked at Atlas. She smiled at me. Even she knew what was happening. I smiled back.

     “Come here girl!” His voice sounded strained. I ran toward the door, except instead of Centross there was Rae.

     Rae, my second home, with tears covering his face.

     I sat and waited. 

     Rae healed him. They hugged and cried. I’m ashamed to say it, but when Rae punched him (with a smile, so I assume it was friendly), I lunged and bit at his ankle. Instincts, I guess. Protect, attack, protect, attack, was what consumed my thoughts. Centross pulled me back by my scruff, held my face, and gently sat me down again. I stared at the floor, embarrassed but still on edge. I didn’t pay much attention to the conversation after that ( he’s alive he’s alive he’s alive HE’S ALIVE- ).

     When I finally started listening, Athena gently whispered one small phrase:

     “You can stay.”

     I looked up at Centross. He was still crying, but he smelled happy. My tail wagged harder than before. We could stay! I could play with Atlas! I could make friends with Jamie! I have a new home! I dashed back into the room and jumped on top of Atlas.

     “Did you see? Did you see?!”

     “Yes, yes! Your home is back!”

     “Not just that. I can stay! This is home now!” Atlas stood up, knocking me off the dog bed.

     “You stay?” Atlas said quietly. She never said anything quietly. I nodded. She grinned.

     Suddenly, I heard Centross loudly snoring from the other room. I almost felt offended. All this time apart, and he went to sleep without me?!

     “Oop, Centross is sleeping. Gotta go!” Without giving Atlas a chance to respond, I sprinted to the middle room. Pickaxe and Cetus were crawling up the edge of the pool, curious about the new guest. They saw me and waved. I grinned in response.

     As I came up to the couch, the smell of blood reminded me of… well everything. His chest, while it looked better than before, was still hurting. I would not be sleeping there tonight.

     Sherbert did this. Sherbert didn’t kill him, but did something far worse. Even now, I could tell there would be many more nightmares, flashbacks, and who knew what else. And I knew that, if Sherbert wasn’t already dead, then Centross wouldn’t want me to kill them. And I’m a good girl, so I wouldn’t.

     But I promised myself then that, if Sherbert ever came near him, I would tear open their throat. Being a good girl would never again keep me from my purpose.

     Then I licked his hand and curled up beside him, ready for the nightmares that would come… and the love that I was determined to never lose again.

Chapter Text

     "But yeah, some stuff has happened since then. We did actually move away from Rae's place, but the new house is closer to here than our old one... and way less cold." Hope barked with a grin. "Plus, Centross always forgets to close the door, so I can visit Atlas and Jamie and whoever whenever I want."

     Timmy munched on his grass thoughtfully. Hope had been talking for a while now. She had a lot of interesting stories, to be fair, but it was a lot for someone he'd just met. Though, in all honesty, he'd heard crazier stories from Jamie. Timmy swallowed his meal, trying to ignore the odd feeling in his chest.

     "Are you ok? You smell kinda... annoyed, I guess."

     Damn, she was good at this.

     "I mean... I don't know. It must be nice having a purpose, I guess..." Timmy glanced up to see Hope staring at him sadly. He didn't like that. Timmy pawed at the dirt, the earthy smells helping him relax.

     "I mean, I don't know. It's a lot of pressure sometimes." Hope stared at her paws.

     "Yeah, but at least you weren't created by accident." That might have come out a bit harsher than he meant it to. Whoops.

     Hope rested her head on her paws, seemingly deep in thought. Timmy continued to nervously chew the grass. The winter was finally letting up and the spring grass was going to come in soon. He was very excited. Wheat's good and all, but grass. Like, GRASS. You know? Suddenly, Hope's quiet voice pulled Timmy from his thoughts.

     "I don't think I'm happy because of my purpose. I'm happy 'cause of my person... and my friends." Hope looked up at Timmy sheepishly (pun not intended). Awww, Timmy thought, smiling despite himself.

     "You seem to like your friends, right?"

     Timmy paused in his chewing and glanced around the pasture. Martin and Impossible Whopper were sunbathing and sleeping in the corner, curled in together with their noses gently touching. Timmy smiled. Stupid gay idiots. Jamie, surprisingly enough, had not stopped visiting since moving out of the house. They mostly spoke to Martin, but Timmy had never been much of a talker, so that was fine. He liked the kid, they had good vibes and a lot of energy and... it did feel nice to nuzzle up against their legs when they got sad. He liked making Jamie smile. Impossible Whopper was SUCH a drama queen, but always funny to be around. Timmy and Martin, when he could get the cow away from his boyfriend for five seconds, would often chew the grass in a comfortable silence, occasionally trading stories or gossip.

     They were his best friends, and Jamie was his person. It was nice. Boring sometimes, but nice.

     "Yeah, I do."

     Timmy and Hope settled onto the grass, thinking of their loved ones until eventually drifting off into a calm, contented sleep.