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Under the canopy of a starry night, the crackling flames of the campfire danced, casting a warm glow. It illuminated across the campsite. S'more, sitting beside Cannoli, enjoying a cozy camping trip. Cannoli was roasting marshmallows to get it just right, but she continued to burn the marshmallows into a charcoal shell.
“Ugh! I can never get this marshmallow to not burn in flames” Cannoli sounded irritated. S'more gently chuckled before giving Cannoli a new rod with a fluffy white marshmallow.
“Have patience, Cannoli.” S'more smile, “Roasting marshmallows takes a lot of patience and precision. You don't want it to get too close to the fire or else it burns up, but you also don't want to be too far away where it takes forever to be roasted.”
He lightly held a grasp on Cannoli’s hand and guided them to a position to roast the marshmallow, “Here should be a good spot. Now keep it steady.”
“Thank you, S’more.” Cannoli smiled, feeling a bit more confident with herself. Then she wondered, where did he learn all this stuff? He remembered when he told her a story of his first time camping and how he got lost. She wondered how he improved from that, “Just out of curiosity… where did you learn how to be a better camper from your first camping trip?”
S'more gave a playful giggle, “My dad taught me how to camp.”
He couldn't help but smile. His fater had played a huge role in shaping the cookie he is now.
"My dad taught me lots of things." S'more said, his eyes glinting with nostalgia, “He taught me how to set up a tent correctly, how to create fire, how to roast a marshmallow perfectly, how to use a compass in case I get lost… again.”
Cannoli, genuinely moved by the sweetness of S'more's sentiments, smiled appreciatively. "Sounds like you have an amazing dad.”
“He is, I thank him for what he has done for me” S'more smiled before putting a marshmallow close to the fire. Cannoli enjoyed hearing about S'more's dad and she got a bit more curious. She wondered what his mother was like.
“What about your mother? I haven't heard from her yet.” Cannoli asked. The jovial ambiance shifted, replaced by a solemn hush as S'more's gaze turned distant, memories of an absent mother casting a shadow over his heas. The atmosphere took an unexpected turn when Cannoli mentioned the topic of S'more's mother.
“My mother…” was all he could muster up. He didn't know how to respond. He was deep in his thoughts, lost in his mind so much that his marshmallow began to burn up into a crisp. All that was going through his head was her absence. Cannoli, sensing the gravity of the situation, chose her words carefully. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. I don't want to force anything out of you."
S'more didn't respond and looked down before blowing out the flamed marshmallow. The rest of the night remained uneventful until they both headed off the tents to sleep. The fire was put out leaving the two of them in the dark, wondering what's going to come tomorrow.
As the night remained active, Cannoli was in her tent trying to get some sleep. She can't help but feel uneasy about what happened early. She felt bad for bringing up his mother to S'more. Of course, she didn't know about him and his mother having a not so positive relationship. Then, she heard echoes of sobs reached Cannoli's ears. Concern etched across her face, she followed the sound to S'more's tent. A flicker of uncertainty crossed her mind, but empathy fueled her resolve to check on her friend.
Cannoli got out of her tent and crept up to S'more’s tent. She can sobs coming from there. She gently unzipped and parted the tent flaps, Cannoli found S'more curled up, tears glistening in the moonlight as they poured down his face. "S'more, are you okay?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.
S'more looked up, his eyes reflecting a mix of pain and sorrow. "I just wanted her to love me."
Cannoli, her heart ached for S'more. She now understands why he is so upset, but wanted to know more to fully grasp what he's feeling. She stepped into the tent and lit up a lantern. The lantern illuminated the tent giving it a warm orangey hue. She wanted to provide a safe space where vulnerability could be shared without judgment.
"Hey, hey… Tell me, what's wrong?." Cannoli scoot herself closer to him and offer him the shoulder to lean on. S'more quietly just leaned against her and quietly sobbed in her shoulder. Cannoli listened, giving him her undivided attention.
"My mother was never there for me. She was never around and always busy with her own life. Anything she does shows up, she distances herself from me." S'more said, his voice trembling, "It's like I'm invisible to her, but when she does notice me, she thinks I'm a burden or a parasite. She said that about me when she was arguing with my dad..”
“How can your mother be so cruel to you? You're literally one of the most sweetest cookies I've ever met.” Cannoli said. She was very upset when S’more said his mother had mentioned such awful things about him.
“I do not know. I just wanted my mother to love me. I tried everything I could but no matter what I did she just hated me. No matter what I do, it's like I am never enough.” S'more cried. Tears were pouring down his face as he did his best to wipe them off.
Cannoli sat there in horror, realizing what the poor guy had been through. She collected her thoughts, choosing her words carefully before she spoke, "Sometimes, we can't change the people in our lives, especially those who should have been there for us, but what you can control is how you respond to it. You don't need to cling on to someone who doesn't care for you.”
“You deserve love, and that love should come from people who genuinely care for you, S'more. You have your dad, your friends, heck you got me who cares about you very deeply.”
Cannoli whispered to him was she patted his back as a way to ease him, “People don't understand what they have until it's gone, and if they try to come back in your lives trying to gain something out of you, that's when you start blocking them.”
S'more absorbed Cannoli's words as the lantern's glow reflected in his eyes. He still felt a sense of hesitance, "I just don't know how to let go of this feeling, Cannoli. It's like a constant weight on my chest.”
"Letting go doesn't mean forgetting or dismissing your feelings. It means accepting that you can't change the past or your mother. What you can do is focus on the love that surrounds you now. You're not defined by your mother's actions, S'more. Especially someone who keeps pushing you away.”
Cannoli's words wrapped around S'more like a soothing warm blanket, providing a sense of security amid the vulnerability he poured. He felt the heavy weight that was on his chest finally be lifted. Grateful for the comfort Cannoli provided, S'more expressed a weak smile on his face "I appreciate you being here, Cannoli. I never really talk to anyone about my emotional baggage. Not even my dad."
“No problem. I really do care about you, S'more. I owe you so much especially with the amount of patience you've given me. No one in my family was able to give me that. You are truly the kindest cookie I've ever known.” Cannoli said, wiping his tears away.
Cannoli leaned in slightly, maintaining the closeness that had become a source of warmth, “You know, you're not alone in this. I understand what you're going through. My parents never cared or loved me. In fact most of my family thinks I am annoying. You were the only one who showed a lot of care for me.”
“Really? I didn't expect that since you're so excited most of the time.” Smore said, with a surprise look. Cannoli nodded her head, “I know I appear that way but I do hide a lot of my insecurities and mistakes deep down. My parents scolded me if I had them.”
Without thinking, S'more gently grabbed her hand, “but it's perfectly normal to feel that way.”
“I know…” Cannoli looked at her hand that S'more held on to. She gently squeezed it, “It wasn't until I met you I realized that.”
S'more looked up at Cannoli to see a faint smile on her face. S'more smiled at her back. To share a moment of vulnerability with each other. They both share struggles, but they're there for each other. The two sat in a companionable silence, the flickering shadows cast by the lantern illuminating inside the tent. The atmosphere was now charged with a comforting warmth with unspoken words. S'more enjoyed Cannoli’s embrace. It was like being by a campfire… Warm.
As they lay side by side, the tent became a safe place, shielding them from the dangers beyond the tent. Cannoli, with a tender touch, gently stroked S'more's silky hair. It made him feel a little sleepy. It was the middle of the night after all. Without hesitation, S'more nuzzles closer to Cannoli’s embrace, wrapping himself in a cocoon of warmth. Cannoli lightly chuckled before wrapping her arms around him. The flickering lantern continues to illuminate a soft glow on their faces as they drift into a peaceful slumber.