It was one of those nights when the silence echoes in every corner of Mack's apartment. It was one of those nights when he'll clutch the blanket tightly while crying himself to sleep. It was one of those nights when he fights with his demons. It was one of those nights that he can easily call her and then he'll be alright.
Mack, with his hands shaking after being awakened by his dream, stood up to turn on the lights and walk towards a cabinet in his room. He cross-leggedly sat on the floor, opened the cabinet, took out a yellow box. The ennui filled the room while Mack scavange through all the letters and photos that are inside it. It was one of those nights when he doesn't even have the energy or the purpose to smile. The only one who can make him is the one he can't even call. But even though it felt like it was so hard to smile that night, he immediately smiled when he found the first letter along with a photo she gave 2 years ago.
He run his fingers on her beautiful handwriting. He quickly pitied himself.
The photo was him, sitting on a bridge in side view. It was dark but it was clearly him. He can see his legs dangling off the edge by the bridge, the sea complements the color of his shirt that day. His boots matches the color of midnight, that's why it wasn't clear in the photo, but it was definitely him. Mack can't even remember the last time he saw that photo, it's not like he looked at it twice. But now, he might. He might look at the photos in a daily basis. She's even the one who writes letters and take pictures of them and not him. Even in the first days of their relationship, he was the subtle one.
When he flipped the photo to the other side, t'was written with words. It was her handwriting again, with a heart sign at the end. Slowly, he read it.
The first time I figured it wasn't only attraction.
Despite of it being two years ago, somehow, Mack still remembers what happened on that night. It was also one of those nights that he's fighting with his demons, so he left the house to get some fresh air. He wasn't needing any company that night, but he had one. He was looking at the sea in front of him that he didn't notice earlier that there was a girl, taking a picture of him while he's lost in his train of thoughts. She wasn't a stranger. They know each other because she's on theater at school, while he's the one in charge to write the fictional plays they do. That's why when she suddenly sat beside him and began with the words, "You know, I used to dream that someday, I will be a mermaid," He was puzzled.
Mack looked at her, doesn't even know if she's talking to him or talking to herself. She was just looking at the sea, and he was just looking at her. When their eyes met, he looked away.
"Because I have always wanted to be taken away by the ocean. I want to know what it feels like to live in the ocean, and what is it look like," she whispered, as they both looked at the waves quietly sitting next to each other. "But then again, that was just me. The 10 year old me. What about you? What was your dream 10 years ago?"
Mack sighed, doesn't even want to answer her question. He wanted to leave, but she might think he's an asshole and Mack doesn't want to explain himself to other people if it'll spread out. He just wanted to be alone that night. He doesn't even think he wants any company from other people for the rest of his life. But a night is just a night. After the sun rises, he'll come back from his usual self again. And he wouldn't want to think he'll be the worst version of himself when the sun sets.
"A superhero?" He might've the dumbest answer from that specific question. Yet, the quiet place was filled with laughter from her. His ears felt like it has been filled with magic dust.
He took another photo that has the number on the upper side of the photo, 2, and stared at every single detail of a picture of his that she took.
It was a picture of his wardrobe that is filled with shirts and polos that resembles the color of the sky in daytime, the sea everytime, and also the color of her eyes. When he flipped it over, it says: I like your weird obsession with the color that resembles the color of the ocean and also the color of my eyes. I'd like to think that you often wear this color because of my eyes, but then again, it probably is. Don't even deny it.
