The people we need, we get. Have we needed it?

Nora woke up on the couch. She tried to move to sit up, but her whole body ached. She knew that he had thrown some punches at her, but she didn’t realize how bad it was till now. Nora looked around in the dark and saw a figure sleeping at the table; it was Milo’s mother; how long had Nora been out, and how long had she been taking care of her? Nora felt horrible. She had her own family to care for, yet she cared for Nora; tears welled up as she tried hard to get up, but her body wouldn’t let her. So, as the tears kept falling down her face, all she could feel was helpless, like it was her fault that she was weak and that her world was crumbling. She was trying hard to be a good person, but the world hated her, and maybe that was for the best.

Nora tried so hard to wipe the tears from her wet face, but her heart was shattering, and there was nothing she could do; she couldn’t breathe, and her lungs felt like they Would collapse. If they did, would she die from no longer being able to breathe? She now felt something small in her hand. It was playing music she knew from the vibration and the way the speaker base felt in her hand; she looked up. He looked tired, but once again, there was Milo; he had her hands cupped with his, holding a speaker. There were no words, but she could tell that instruments were playing the rhythm of the music; she felt how smooth the base felt in her hand and how calm it made her feel; it soothed the sorrow in her heart and soul for now.

Nora noticed Milo get up and head over to where his mother laid her head on the table asleep; he scooted the chair out, picked her up, and then vanished. Nora assumed that he was putting her to bed to get a good night's rest. When he returned, he had a blanket and a pillow with him; he grabbed the remote from the end table and turned on the TV; the bright light shined into Nora’s eyes as she moved her hand to her face to block out the brightness. Milo took the speaker from her, turned it off, and sat on the couch. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. Nora went to sign to let him know the pain was mild and would fade away soon. But before she could sign, Milo had her hands in his; he shook his head to let her know that she didn’t need to say or explain anything at this time. His hands and presence were always so warm and comforting. He turned on Hamilton with captions, and they sat silently, watching the musical and enjoying each other’s company.

The following day, Kaya Milo’s mother woke up. The house was quiet, and her heart melted as she entered the living room dressed in light blue pajamas. Laying upward and head on his shoulder were Milo and Nora. On the TV was the little mermaid two. They must have stayed up late watching different movies. She smiled as she brushed his hair from his face. She whispered, “I’m so proud of you, Milo, and the man you have become.” She saw him smile as he opened his eyes. “Great parents raised me; that is why I am the way I am. Suppose you and Dad hadn’t done what you did to raise me the right way. I don’t think I would be the man I am today,” he stated as he gently moved Nora so she could lie on the couch. He then wrapped his mom in a big hug.

“You are a fantastic mother, and I can be my authentic self because of you. I can live without regret, cry without shame, and be myself without self-hate.” He said as he let her go. He turned to head to the kitchen.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Milo”

“Mom, we talked about this. I didn’t do anything Inappropriate last night. We stayed up watching movies. We both fell asleep around 5 am, that is all.” he stated, taking out a pan and some eggs. His mother entered the kitchen, grabbed another pan with some bacon and sausage, and opened it up to cook breakfast with Milo.

“Milo, I wasn’t thinking that or anything like that. I was going to tell you that she is good for you.” She now flipped the bacon and placed some sausage into the pan. He put scrambled eggs on a plate and then cracked some eggs into the same pan to start cooking.

“What do you mean?” he questioned, unsure of her statement, for his mother had never told him that someone was good for him. She knew what kind of people tried to befriend her son, but she wasn’t a fan of them.

“I see the change in you, Milo, the way you are with her, the way you help her when she is lost, the way you aren’t afraid to comfort her when she is sad, the way she is growing into someone who is not just beautiful on the inside but outside as well. She laughed with so much joy, and he cried with so much hurt, but you work through it with her when she hurts. When she struggled, you dust the fog from her eyes. You found the perfect best friend, Milo, and yes, I was hard on her at first. But I just wanted you safe and not hurt.” She said, taking the bacon out of the pan with the sausage and placing more into it.

Milo smiled. “I don’t want to fight her battles or her demons, Mom. No, I want to help her, but I want her to find her voice. When she is ready, she will. But for now, I will be there for her, but I won’t fix her. I’ve told you that she doesn’t need to be fixed because she isn’t broken. She is just lost. And even someone lost can be found given the time.” Milo said, taking the pan off the stove to cool. He then went and put bread in the toaster and grabbed some Plates from the cupboard. After that, he took the pan from the stove and turned on some water to start washing it

. “Society pings women as weak; that is how the world has always seen them. But that isn’t how I see them.” He said in deep thought as he washed the pan.

“Women are resilient, including Nora. Yes, she is down right now, and she has been beaten physically and emotionally, but I believe that in time, those hardships will turn into sunshine given the time. But that’s the beauty of women; they can go through so much shit and still come out victorious. Nora is no different. She will win this fight, I have no doubt.” he said, turning off the water and then grabbing a dish towel to dry it.

“What if she doesn’t, Milo? What if you're wrong, and she never gets to that light? “His mom questioned.

Milo put the dish down and vanished into his room. When he comes back, he has a small box in his hand. He kissed his mom on the cheek. Then he headed over to where Nora was, her body slowly waking up.

“That isn’t an option for Nora, Mom, for she is a fighter. Yes, she is down right now and might have many more fights ahead of her. Yet she won’t let that stop her from getting back up. She will win this fight and all the others. Well, I know she will. So, it isn’t if? It is when?” he stated, gently taking Nora’s hand and placing the small box into it. She opened her eyes and looked at Milo, smiling.

“Merry Christmas, Nora," he signed as she opened the box inside—a small but very detailed four-leaf clover bracelet.

Authors note.

This is edited to the best of my abilities. Please don't leave negative comments; if you don't like my story, move along. If you have advice, you are always welcome to advise.