A thousand Boy Kisses

parted. And I was thankful to Poppy.
More than thankful.
Suddenly a quiet, awed gasp escaped Poppy’s mouth. “Look, Rune,” she
whispered pointing into the distance. I wondered what she wanted me to see,
then she said, “Our footprints in the sand.” She lifted her head and smiled a
beaming smile. “Two sets. Four prints. Just like the poem.”
I pulled my eyebrows down in confusion. Poppy’s hand lay over my bent knee.
With her head tucked under the shelter of my arm, she explained. “It’s my
favorite poem, Rune. It was my mamaw’s favorite too.”
“What does it say?” I asked, smiling slightly at the tiny size of Poppy’s
footprint next to my own.
“It’s beautiful. And it’s spiritual, so I’m not sure what you’ll think of it.” Poppy
sent me a teasing look.

---

“Tell me anyway,” I urged, just to hear her voice. Just to hear that reverence in
her tone when she shared something she adored.
“It’s more of a story really. About someone who has a dream. In the dream
they are on a beach just like this. But they’re walking beside the Lord.”
My eyes narrowed and Poppy rolled her eyes. “I told you it was spiritual!” she
said, laughing.
“You did,” I replied, and nudged her head with my chin. “Keep going.”
Poppy sighed, and with her finger, she traced lazy patterns in the sand. My
heart kind of cracked when I saw it was another infinity sign.
“As they’re walking on the beach, in the dark sky above the person’s life is
played out for them to see. As each scene is played, like a movie reel, the person
notices that two sets of footprints were left in the sand behind them. And as they
continued, every new scene brought with it a trail of their footprints.”
Poppy’s attention honed in on our footprints. “When all the scenes had been
played, the person looks back on the trail of footprints and notices something
strange. They notice that during the saddest, or most despairing times of their
life, there was only one set of footprints. For happier times there was always two
sets.”
My eyebrows furrowed, wondering where the story was headed. Poppy lifted
her chin and blinked in the bright glare of the sun. With watery eyes, she looked
at me and continued. “The person is really troubled by this. The Lord said that,
when a person dedicates their life to Him, He would walk with them through all
the ups and downs. The person then asked the Lord: why, at the worst points of
their life, did He abandon them? Why did He leave?”
An expression of deep comfort washed over Poppy’s face. “And what?” I
prompted. “What does the Lord say?”
A single tear fell from her eye. “He tells the person that He had walked with
them their whole life through. But, He explains, the times where there is only a
single set of footprints were not when He walked beside them, but instead, when
He carried them.”

---

Poppy sniffed and said, “I don’t care if you’re not religious, Rune. The poem is
not only for the faithful. We all have people who carry us through the worst of
times, the saddest of times, the times that seem impossible to break free from. In
one way or another, whether it’s through the Lord or a loved one or both, when
we feel like we can’t walk on anymore, someone swoops in to help us …
someone carries us through.”
Poppy rested her head on my chest, wrapping herself up in my waiting arms.
My eyes got lost in a blurred haze as I stared at our footprints embedded in the
sand. At that moment, I wasn’t sure who was helping who. Because as much as
Poppy insinuated that it was me who was helping her through her final months, I
was beginning to believe that she was somehow saving me.
A single set of footprints on my soul.
Poppy shifted to face me, her cheeks wet with tears. Happy tears. Awed tears
… Poppy tears. “Isn’t it beautiful, Rune? Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve
ever heard?”
I just nodded. Right now wasn’t the time for words. I couldn’t compete with
what she’d just recited, so why would I even try?
I let my focus drift around the beach. And I wondered … I wondered if anyone
else had just heard something so moving that it rocked their very core? I
wondered if the person they loved more than any other on the planet had opened
up to them so purely, with such raw emotion?
“Rune?” Poppy said quietly from beside me.
“Yeah, baby?” I replied softly. She turned her pretty face to me and cast me a
weak smile. “You okay?” I asked, grazing my hand down her face.
“I’m getting tired,” she admitted, reluctantly. My heart cracked. Over the past
week, I had begun to see tiredness gradually creeping into her face when she’d
done too much.
And worse still, I could see how much she hated it. Because it prevented her
from enjoying all life’s adventures.
“It’s okay to be tired, Poppymin. It’s not a weakness.”

---

Poppy’s eyes dipped in defeat. “I just hate it. I’ve always been of the opinion
that sleep is a waste of time.”
I laughed at the cute pout that had formed on her lips. Poppy watched me,
waiting for me to speak. Sobering, I said, “The way I see it, if you sleep when
you need to, it means we can do more when you’re strong.” I brushed the tip of
my nose over hers and said, “Our adventures will be that much more special.
And you know I like you sleeping in my arms. I’ve always thought you look
kind of perfect there.”
Poppy sighed, and with one last glance at the sea, whispered, “Only you, Rune
Kristiansen. Only you could give reason to my biggest hate so beautifully.”
Kissing her warm cheek, I stood and gathered our things. When everything was
packed, I looked over my shoulder at the pier, then back at Poppy. Holding out
my hand, I said, “Come on, sleepyhead. For old times’ sake?”
Poppy looked at the pier and an unrestrained giggle leapt from her throat. I
pulled her to standing, and we walked slowly, hand in hand, underneath the pier.
The hypnotic sounds of the soft waves crashing against the old wooden beams
cocooned where we stood.
Without wasting any time, I crowded Poppy back against the wooden post,
cupping her cheeks and bringing our lips together. My eyes closed as the warm
skin of her cheeks heated up under my palms. My chest heaved, breathless, as
our lips kissed, slow and deep, while the cooling breeze rushed through Poppy’s
hair.
Pulling away, I rolled my lips, savoring the taste of sun and cherries bursting
on my mouth.
Poppy’s eyes fluttered open. Seeing how tired she appeared, I whispered for
her, “Kiss four hundred and thirty-three. With Poppymin under the pier.” Poppy
smiled shyly, waiting for what had to come next. “My heart almost burst.” The
hint of teeth showing under her smile almost did make it burst, making it the
perfect time to add, “Because I love her. I love her more than I could ever
explain. My single set of footprints in the sand.”

---

Poppy’s beautiful green eyes widened at my confession. They immediately
shimmered, and tears spilled over and tracked down her cheeks. I tried to brush
them away with my fingers as my heart pounded in my chest. But Poppy gripped
my hand, softly nuzzling her cheek into my palm. Keeping my hand in place, she
met my eyes and whispered back, “I love you too, Rune Kristiansen. I never,
ever stopped.” She rose on tiptoes and brought my face down to stay opposite
hers. “My soul mate. My heart…”
A calmness settled over me. A restfulness, as Poppy fell into my arms, her light
breathing seeping through my shirt.
I held her. I held her close, embracing this new feeling, until Poppy yawned. I
tilted her head up to mine and said, “Let’s get you home, beautiful.”
Poppy nodded and, folding herself to my side, let me walk her back to our
things, then up to the car. Reaching into the pocket of her purse, I took the car
keys and opened the passenger-side door.
Placing both hands on her waist, I lifted her to the seat, reaching across her to
click the seatbelt into the socket. As I pulled back, I placed a gentle kiss on
Poppy’s head. I heard her breathing hitch at my touch. I went to straighten up,
when Poppy took hold of my arm, and with thick tears on her cheeks, whispered,
“I’m sorry, Rune. I’m so sorry.”
“What for, baby?” I asked, my voice breaking at how sad she sounded.
I pushed her hair back from her face, as she said, “For pushing you away.”
My stomach hollowed out. Poppy’s eyes searched for something in mine,
before her face contorted in pain. Fat tears poured down her paling face and her
chest shuddered as she fought to calm her suddenly erratic breathing.
“Hey,” I said, planting my hands on her cheeks.
Poppy looked up at me. “We could have been like this if I hadn’t been silly.
We could have found a way for you to come back. You could have been with me
the whole time. With me. Holding me … loving me. You loving me and me
loving you so fiercely.” Her voice stuttered, but she managed to finish. “I’m a
thief. I stole our precious time—two years of you and me—for nothing.”

---

It felt like my heart physically tore as Poppy cried, gripping tightly to my arm
as if frightened I would turn away. How had she not realized by now that
nothing could tear me away?
“Shh,” I soothed, moving my head to rest against hers. “Breathe, baby,” I said
softly. I placed Poppy’s hand over my heart, as she locked her gaze on mine.
“Breathe,” I repeated and smiled as she followed the rhythm of my heart to calm
herself.
I wiped her damp cheeks with my hands, melting when she sniffed, her chest
jerking every so often through the sobs she’d set free. Seeing I had her attention,
I said, “I won’t take the apology, because there’s nothing to apologize for. You
told me that the past no longer matters. That it’s these moments that are
important now.” I steeled my emotions, to say, “Our final adventure. Me, giving
you chest-bursting kisses to complete your jar. And you … you just being you.
Loving me. Me loving you. For infinity…” I trailed off.
I stared intently and patiently into Poppy’s eyes, smiling wide when she added,
“Forever always.”
I closed my eyes, knowing I’d broken through her pain. Then when my eyes
opened, Poppy giggled hoarsely.
“There she is.” I pressed one kiss onto each of the apples of her cheeks.
“Here I am,” she echoed, “so completely in love with you.”
Poppy lifted her head and kissed me. When she lay back in the seat, her eyes
closed, called by sleep. I watched her for a second, before moving to shut the
door. Just as the door closed, I caught Poppy whispering, “Kiss four hundred and
thirty-four, with my Rune at the beach … when his love came home.”
I could see through the window that Poppy had already drifted to sleep. Her
cheeks were red from crying but, even in sleep, her lips were tilted upward,
giving the appearance of a smile.
I wasn’t sure how someone so perfect even existed.
Moving around to the hood of the car, I pulled my smokes out of the back
pocket of my jeans and struck the lighter. I inhaled a much-needed drag. I closed

---

my eyes as the hit of nicotine calmed me down.
I opened my eyes and stared at the sunset. The sun was fading on the horizon,
flashes of orange and pink in its wake. The beach was almost empty but for the
old couple I had seen before.
Only this time when I watched them, still so in love after all these years, I
didn’t let myself feel grief. As I glanced back at Poppy sleeping in the car, I felt
a … happiness. Me. I felt happy. I let myself feel happy even through all this
hurt. Because … here I am … so completely in love with you…
She loved me.