A thousand Boy Kisses

And this is why I love photography, I thought. It could pull out emotion, raw
emotion, from a split second in time.
Turning off my phone’s camera, I saw the time displayed on the screen.
“Poppymin,” I said quietly, “we have to head home. It’s getting late.”
Poppy nodded. I got to my feet and pulled her upright.
“You heading out?” Judson asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll catch you Monday.”
I threw them all a wave and took hold of Poppy’s hand. We didn’t say much as
we made our way home. When we stopped at Poppy’s door, I took her in my
arms and pulled her to my chest. I placed my hand on the side of her neck.
Poppy looked up. “I’m so proud of you, Poppymin. There’s no doubt that you’ll
get into Julliard. Your dream of playing at Carnegie Hall will come true.”
Poppy smiled brightly and tugged on the camera strap around my neck. “And
you’ll be at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. We’ll be in New York together,
like it was always meant to be. Like we’ve always planned.”
I nodded my head and brushed my lips along her cheek. “Then there would be
no more curfew,” I muttered teasingly. Poppy laughed. Moving to her mouth, I

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pressed a soft kiss to her lips and backed away.
As I let go of her hands, Mr. Litchfield opened the door. He saw me moving
away from his daughter and shook his head, laughing. He knew exactly what
we’d been doing.
“Night, Rune,” he said dryly.
“Night, Mr. Litchfield,” I replied, seeing Poppy blush as her daddy gestured for
her to go inside.
I walked across the grass to my house. I opened the door, walked through to
the living room and found my parents sitting on the couch. They were both
sitting forward in their seats, and they seemed tense.
“Hei,” I said, and my mamma’s head snapped up.
“Hei, baby,” she said.
I frowned. “What’s wrong?” I asked. My mamma shot a glance at my pappa.
She shook her head. “Nothing, baby. Did Poppy play well? Sorry we couldn’t
make it.”
I stared at my parents. They were hiding something, I could tell. When they
didn’t continue, I slowly nodded my head, answering their question. “She was
perfect, as always.”
I thought I glimpsed tears in my mamma’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them
away. Needing to escape the awkwardness, I held up my camera. “I’m going to
develop these then go to bed.”
As I turned to walk away, my pappa said, “We’re going out as a family
tomorrow, Rune.”
I stopped dead. “I can’t come. I’ve planned to spend the day with Poppy.”
My pappa shook his head. “Not tomorrow, Rune.”
“But—” I went to argue, but my pappa cut me off, his voice stern.
“I said no. You’re coming, that’s final. Poppy can see you when we get back.
We won’t be gone all day.”
“What’s really going on?”
My pappa walked to stand before me. He put a hand on my shoulder. “Nothing,

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Rune. I just never see you anymore because of work. I want to change that, so
we’re having a day out at the beach.”
“Well then, can Poppy come with us? She loves the beach. It’s her second-
favorite place to go.”
“Not tomorrow, son.”
I stayed silent, getting pissed, but I could see he wasn’t going to budge. Pappa
sighed. “Go develop your pictures, Rune, and stop worrying.”
Doing as he said, I walked down to the basement and into the small side room
my pappa had converted into a darkroom for me. I still developed film in the old
style instead of using a digital camera. I thought it made for a better result.
After twenty minutes, I stepped back from the line of new pictures. I had also
printed the photo from my phone, of Poppy and me at the field. I picked it up
and carried it to my bedroom. I stuck my head into Alton’s room as I passed,
checking my two-year-old brother was sleeping. He was, curled up tight to his
brown stuffed bear, his messy blond hair spread out over his pillow.
I pushed through my door and turned on my lamp. I looked at the clock,
registering it was near midnight. Running my hand through my hair, I made my
way to the window, and smiled when I saw the Litchfield house in darkness,
save for the dim light from Poppy’s nightlight—Poppy’s sign that the coast was
clear for me to sneak in.
I locked my bedroom door and switched off the lamp. The room was plunged
into darkness. I quickly changed into my sleep pants and shirt. Silently, I lifted
the window and climbed out. I sprinted across the grass between our two houses
and crawled inside Poppy’s room, closing the window as quietly as I could.
Poppy was in bed, tucked under the covers. Her eyes were closed and her
breathing was soft and even. Smiling at how cute she looked with her cheek
resting in her hand, I padded over, placed her present on the nightstand and
climbed in beside her.
I lay beside her, my head dropping to share her pillow.
We’d done this for years. The first night I stayed over was a mistake; I climbed

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into her room, at age twelve, to talk, but I fell asleep. Fortunately, I woke early
enough the next morning to sneak back into my own bedroom unnoticed. But
then the next night, I stayed on purpose, then the night after that, and almost
every night since. Luckily we’d never been found out. I wasn’t too sure Mr.
Litchfield would like me the same if he knew I slept in his daughter’s bed.
But staying beside Poppy in bed was becoming more and more difficult. Now I
was fifteen, I felt differently around her. I saw her differently. And I knew she
did me. We kissed more and more. The kisses were getting deeper, our hands
starting to explore places they shouldn’t. It was getting harder and harder to stop.
I wanted more. I wanted my girl in every possible way.
But we were young. I knew that.
It didn’t make it any less difficult though.
Poppy stirred beside me. “I wondered if you were coming tonight. I waited for
you but you weren’t in your room,” she said sleepily as she pushed my hair from
my face.
Capturing her hand, I kissed her palm. “I had to develop my film, and my
parents were acting weird.”
“Weird? How?” she asked, shuffling closer and kissing my cheek.
I shook my head. “Just … weird. I think something’s going on, but they told
me not to worry.”
Even in the dim light I could see Poppy’s eyebrows were pulled together in
concern. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Remembering the present I’d brought her, I reached behind me and took the
picture from the nightstand. I’d put it in a simple silver frame. I tapped the
flashlight icon on my phone and held it up so Poppy could see better.
She gave a small sigh and I watched as a smile lit up her entire face. She took
hold of the frame and stroked her finger across the glass. “I love this picture,
Rune,” she whispered, then placed it on her nightstand. She gazed at it for a few
moments, then turned back my way.
Poppy lifted the covers and held them high so I could shuffle underneath. I laid

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my arm over Poppy’s waist and moved closer to her face, peppering soft kisses
over her cheeks and neck.
When I kissed the spot just below her ear, Poppy began to giggle and pulled
away. “Rune!” she whispered, “that tickles!”
I drew back and threaded my hand through hers.
“So,” Poppy asked, lifting her other hand to play with a long strand of my hair,
“what are we doing tomorrow?”
Rolling my eyes, I replied, “We’re not, my pappa is making us go out as a
family for the day. To the beach.”
Poppy sat up excitedly. “Really? I love the beach!”
My stomach dropped. “He said we have to go alone, Poppymin. Just the
family.”
“Oh,” Poppy said, sounding disappointed. She lay back down on the bed.
“Have I done something wrong? Your pappa always invites me along with
y’all.”
“No,” I assured her. “It’s what I was saying before. They’re acting strange. He
said he wants us to spend the day as a family, but I think there’s something else.”
“Okay,” Poppy said, but I could hear the sad tone in her voice.
I cupped her head in my hand and promised, “I’ll be back for dinner. We’ll
spend tomorrow night together.”
She took hold of my wrist. “Good.”
Poppy stared at me, her green eyes wide in the dull light. I stroked my hand
along her hair. “You’re so beautiful, Poppymin.”
I didn’t need the light to see the blush coating her cheeks. I closed the small
space between us and crushed my lips against hers. Poppy sighed as I pushed my
tongue into her mouth, her hands moving to grip onto my hair.
It felt too good, Poppy’s mouth growing hotter and hotter the more we kissed,
my hands dropping to run down her bare arms and down over her waist.
Poppy shifted onto her back as my hand slipped down to touch her leg. I
followed and moved above her, Poppy snapping her mouth from mine with a

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gasp. But I didn’t stop kissing her. I dragged my lips over her jaw to kiss along
her neck, my hand moving beneath her nightdress to stroke the soft skin of her
waist.
Poppy’s fingers pulled at my hair, and her leg lifted to wrap around the back of
my thigh. I groaned against her throat, moving back up to take her mouth with
mine. As my tongue slid against hers, I traced my fingers further up her body.
Poppy broke from the kiss.
“Rune…”
I dropped my head to the crook between her neck and shoulder, breathing
deeply. I wanted her so much it was almost too much to take.
I breathed in and out as Poppy dropped her hand to stroke up and down my
back. I focused on the rhythm of her fingers, forcing myself to calm down.
Minutes and minutes passed, but I didn’t move. I was content lying over
Poppy, breathing in her delicate scent, my hand pressing against her soft
stomach.
“Rune?” Poppy whispered. I lifted my head.
Poppy’s hand was immediately on my cheek. “Baby?” she whispered, and I
could hear the worry in her voice.
“I’m okay,” I whispered back, keeping my voice as quiet as possible so as not
to disturb her parents. I looked deep into her eyes. “I just want you so damn
much.” I dropped my forehead to hers and added, “When we’re like this, when
we let it get this far, I kind of lose my mind.”
Poppy’s fingers threaded through my hair and I closed my eyes, loving her
touch. “I’m sorry, I—”
“No,” I said forcefully, a little louder than intended. I shifted back. Poppy’s
eyes were huge. “Don’t. Don’t ever apologize for this, for stopping me. It’s
never something you have to be sorry for.”
Poppy parted her kiss-swollen lips and let out a long sigh. “Thank you,” she
whispered. I moved my hand and lowered my fingers to link them through hers.
Shifting to the side, I opened my arm and flicked my head for her to come to

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me. She laid her head on my chest. I closed my eyes and just worked on
breathing.
Eventually, sleep began to take me. Poppy’s finger traced up and down my
stomach. I had almost drifted off when Poppy whispered, “You’re my
everything, Rune Kristiansen, I hope you know that.”
My eyes snapped open at her words, my chest feeling full. Placing my finger
under her chin, I tipped her head upward. Her mouth was waiting for my kiss.
I kissed her gently, softly, and slowly withdrew. Poppy’s eyes remained closed
as she smiled. Feeling like my chest would explode at the contented look on her
face, I whispered, “For infinity.”
Poppy snuggled back into my chest and whispered back, “Forever always.”
And we both fell asleep.

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Rune
“Rune, we need to talk to you,” my pappa said, as we ate our lunch in the
restaurant overlooking the beach.
“Are you getting divorced?”
Pappa’s face paled. “God, no, Rune,” he assured me quickly and took hold of
my mamma’s hand for emphasis. My mamma smiled at me, but I could see the
tears building in her eyes.
“Then what?” I asked. My pappa slowly leaned back in his chair.
“Your mamma has been upset with my job, Rune, not with me.” I was
completely confused, until he said, “They’re transferring me back to Oslo, Rune.
The company has hit a glitch there and I’m being sent back to fix it.”
“How long for?” I asked. “When will you be back?”
My pappa ran his hand through his thick, short blond hair, just the way I did.
“Here’s the thing, Rune,” he said cautiously. “It could be years. It could be
months.” He sighed. “Realistically, anything from one to three years.”

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My eyes widened. “You’re leaving us here in Georgia for that long?”
My mamma reached out her hand and covered mine with hers. I stared blankly
at it. Then the true consequences of what Pappa was saying began seeping into
my brain. “No,” I said under my breath, knowing he wouldn’t do this to me.