A thousand Boy Kisses

Poppymin. I know.”
“Good,” I said triumphantly and leaned back against him. My heart clenched
when I saw the dawn beginning to flare on the horizon. Reaching down, I
silently took hold of Rune’s hand and held it in mine.
This sunrise needed no narration. I had told Rune everything I had to say. I
loved him. I wanted him to live. And I knew I would see him again.
My peace was made.
I was ready to let go.
As if sensing the completion in my soul, Rune held me so impossibly tight, as
the crest of the sun broke over the blue waters, chasing the stars away.
My eyelids began to become heavy as I sat so contentedly in Rune’s arms.
“Poppymin?”
“Mm?”
“Have I been enough for you too?” The gruff tone of Rune’s voice caused my
heart to break, but I nodded softly.
“More than anything,” I confirmed and, with a smile, added just for him,
“You’ve been as special as special can be.”
Rune sucked in a breath at my response.
As the sun rose to her place, to watch protectively over the sky, I said, “Rune,
I’m ready to go home.”
Rune squeezed me one last time, then moved to get to his feet. As he moved, I
weakly lifted my hand and held onto his wrist. Rune looked down at me, and
blinked back his tears. “I mean … I’m ready to go home.”
Rune’s eyes closed for a moment. He crouched down and cradled my face in
his hands. When his eyes opened, he nodded. “I know, baby. I felt it the moment
you decided.”
I smiled. I took one last glance at the panoramic view.
It was time.
Rune gently lifted me into his arms, and I watched his beautiful face as he
walked back over the sand. He held my gaze.

---

Turning one more time to face the sun, my eyes dropped to the golden sand.
And then my heart filled with such impossible light when I whispered, “Look,
Rune. Look at your footprints in the sand.”
Rune’s eyes left mine to observe the beach. His breath caught and his gaze
came back to me. Lip quivering, I whispered, “You carried me. In my hardest
times, when I couldn’t walk … you carried me through.”
“Always,” Rune managed to reply hoarsely. “Forever always.”
Taking a deep breath, I laid my head against his chest and hushed out, “Take
me home, baby.”
As Rune drove, chasing the day, I didn’t move my eyes from him once.
I wanted to remember him just like this.
Always.
Until he was back in my arms for good.

---

Rune
It was two days later.
Two days of lying beside Poppy in bed, committing her every feature to
memory. Holding her, kissing her—reaching our nine hundred and ninety-ninth
kiss.
When we returned from the beach, Poppy’s bed had been pulled to the window,
just like in the hospital. With each hour, she weakened, but, just like Poppy, with
each passing minute she was filled with happiness. Her smiles reassuring us all
that she was okay.
I was so damn proud of her.
As I stood at the back of the room, I watched as each of her family members
kissed her goodbye. I listened, as her sisters and DeeDee told her they would see
her again. I stayed strong as her parents held their tears for their girl.
When her mama stepped aside, I saw Poppy’s hand reach out. She was
reaching out for me. Inhaling deeply, I forced my leaden feet to push forward to

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her bed.
She still took my breath away with how beautiful she was. “Hei, Poppymin,” I
said and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Hey, baby,” she replied, her voice now barely above a whisper. I brought my
hand to hers and pressed a kiss to her mouth.
Poppy smiled and melted my heart. A loud gust of wind blew past the window,
whistling against the glass. Poppy inhaled sharply. I turned to see what she was
seeing.
A mass of blossom petals went sailing in the wind.
“They’re leaving…,” she said.
I closed my eyes briefly. It was apt that Poppy left the same day that the cherry
blossoms lost their petals too.
They were guiding her soul home.
Poppy’s breathing hollowed and I leaned forward, knowing this was it. I
pressed my forehead to hers, just one last time. Poppy lifted her soft hand to my
hair. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too, Poppymin.”
As I pulled back, Poppy looked into my eyes and said, “I’ll see you in your
dreams.”
Trying to hold back my emotions, I rasped back, “I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Poppy sighed, a peaceful smile gracing her face. Then Poppy closed her eyes,
tilting her chin up for her final kiss, her hand squeezing mine.
Lowering myself to her mouth, I pressed the softest, most meaningful kiss to
her soft lips. Poppy breathed out through her nose, her sweet scent engulfing me
… and she never breathed again.
Reluctantly pulling back, I opened my eyes, now witnessing Poppy in eternal
sleep. She was as beautiful now as ever she was in life.
But I couldn’t tear myself away, and I pressed another kiss to her cheek. “One
thousand and one,” I whispered aloud. I pressed another, and another. “One
thousand and two, one thousand and three, one thousand and four.” Feeling a

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hand on my arm, I looked up. Mr. Litchfield was shaking his head sadly.
So many emotions rushed around within me that I didn’t know what to do.
Poppy’s now-stilled hand remained in mine and I didn’t want to let go. But when
I looked down, I knew she had returned home.
“Poppymin,” I whispered and looked out the window at the fallen petals racing
by. As I glanced back, I saw her jar of kisses on her shelf, a single blank paper
heart and pen lying beside it. I got to my feet, scooped them all up and rushed
out onto the porch. As soon as the air hit my face, I fell back against the wall,
trying to blink away the tears streaming down my face.
Slumping to the floor, I rested the heart on my knee and wrote: