A thousand Boy Kisses

and I’ll miss you too.”
She held her hand up in a small wave, and Rune met my eyes.
“Ready?”
I nodded, then he placed me in my chair and took me from the hall. When he
had placed me in my seat and gotten into the car, he looked over to me.
“Where are we going, Poppymin?”
Sighing in complete happiness, I revealed, “The beach. Let me see the sunrise
from the beach.”
“Our beach?” Rune queried as he started up the car. “It’ll take us a while to get
there and it’s already late.”
“I don’t care,” I replied, “As long as we make it before the sun.” I sat back,
taking Rune’s hand in my own as we began our ultimate adventure to the coast.
* * *
By the time we arrived at the beach, the night had drawn on. Sunrise was only a
couple of hours away. And I was content with that.
I wanted this time with Rune.
As we pulled into a parking spot, Rune looked over to me. “Do you want to sit
on the sand?”
“Yes,” I said hastily, staring up at the bright stars in the sky.
He paused. “It might be cold for you.”
“I have you,” I replied and watched as his expression softened.
“Wait here.” Rune slipped out of the car, and I heard him taking things from
the trunk. The beach was dark, lit only by the bright moon above. In the
moonbeams, I saw Rune laying a blanket on the sand, a few extra blankets from

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the trunk beside him.
As he walked back, he reached up and undid his bowtie, then snapped open
several buttons of his shirt. As I stared at Rune, I asked myself how I had gotten
so lucky. I was loved by this boy, loved so fiercely that other loves paled in
comparison.
Though my life had been short, I had loved long. And in the end, this was
enough.
Rune opened the car door, and reaching in, he took me in his strong arms. I
giggled as he cradled me. “Am I heavy?” I asked as he shut the car door.
Rune met my eyes. “Not at all, Poppymin. I’ve got you.”
Smiling, I pressed a kiss to his cheek and laid my head on his chest as he
walked us to the blanket. The sound of crashing waves filled the night air, a
gentle warm breeze blew through my hair.
When we arrived at the blanket, Rune dropped to his knees and gently laid me
down. I closed my eyes and inhaled the salty air, filling my lungs.
The sensation of wool covering my shoulders made me open my eyes; Rune
was wrapping me up warm in the blankets. I tipped my head back, watching him
behind me. Noticing my smile, he kissed the tip of my nose. I giggled, suddenly
finding myself held tightly in Rune’s protective arms.
Rune’s legs straightened to box me in. My head fell back to rest against his
chest. I let myself relax.
Rune pressed kisses to my cheek. “Are you okay, Poppymin?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’m perfect,” I replied.
Rune’s hand pushed the hair back from my face. “Are you tired?”
I went to shake my head, but wanting to be honest, I answered, “Yes. I’m tired,
Rune.”
I felt as well as heard his deep sigh. “You made it, baby,” he said proudly.
“The blossom trees, the prom…”
“All that’s left are our kisses,” I finished for him. I felt him nod against me.
“Rune?” I said, needing him to hear me.

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“Ja?”
Closing my eyes, I lifted my hand to my lips. “Remember, the one thousandth
kiss is to be when I go home.” Rune tensed against me. Holding his arm tighter
around me, I asked, “Is that still okay?”
“Anything,” Rune replied. But I could tell by the hoarseness of his voice that
the request had hit him hard.
“I can’t imagine a more peaceful and beautiful send-off than your lips on mine.
The end of our adventure. The adventure we’ve been on for nine years.”
Looking back at him, I held his intense eyes and smiled. “And I want you to
know that I’ve never regretted a day, Rune. Everything about you and me has
been perfect.” Gripping his hand, I said, “I want you to know how much I have
loved you.”
I turned my shoulder so I was staring Rune straight in the eye. “Promise me
that you’ll go on adventures around the world. Visit other countries and
experience life.”
Rune nodded. I waited, waited for the sound of his voice.
“I promise,” he replied.
Nodding, I released a pent-up breath and rested my head against his chest.
Minutes and minutes passed in silence. I watched the stars as they twinkled in
the sky. Living this moment.
“Poppymin?”
“Yes, baby?” I replied.
“Have you been happy? Have you…” He cleared his throat. “Have you loved
your life?”
Answering with one hundred percent honesty, I said, “I’ve loved my life.
Everything. And I’ve loved you. As clichéd as this sounds, it was always
enough. You were always the best part of my every day. You were the reason for
my every smile.”
I closed my eyes and replayed our lives in my mind. I remembered the times I
hugged him and he hugged me harder. I remembered how I kissed him and he

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kissed me deeper. And best of all, I remembered how I would love him and he
would always strive to love me more.
“Yes, Rune,” I said with complete certainty. “I’ve loved my life.”
Rune exhaled a breath, as if my answer had freed a burden from his heart.
“Me too,” Rune agreed.
My eyebrows pulled down. Looking back at him, I said, “Rune, your life isn’t
over.”
“Poppy, I—”
I cut short whatever Rune was about to say with a gesture of my hand. “No,
Rune. Listen to me.” I drew in a deep breath. “You may feel you’ll lose half of
your heart when I go, but that doesn’t give you permission to live half of a life.
And half your heart will not be gone. Because I’ll always be walking beside you.
I’ll always be holding your hand. I’m woven into the fabric of who you are—just
as you will always be attached to my soul. You’ll love and laugh and explore …
for both of us.”
I held Rune’s hand, imploring him to listen. He glanced away, then turned to
look into my eyes, as I wanted. “Always say yes, Rune. Always say yes to new
adventures.”
Rune’s lip hooked up in the corner, as I stared at him with hard eyes. He ran his
finger down my face. “Okay, Poppymin. I will.”
I smiled at his amusement, but then said, in all seriousness, “You have so much
to offer the world, Rune. You’re the boy who gave me kisses, made real my last
wishes. That boy doesn’t stop because he suffers loss. Instead, he rises, just as
sure as the sun rises each new day.” I sighed. “Weather the storm, Rune. Then
remember one thing.”
“What?” he asked.
Losing my frustration, I smiled and said, “Moonbeam hearts and sunshine
smiles.”
Unsuccessfully holding back his laughter, Rune set it free … and it was
beautiful. I closed my eyes as the rich baritone washed over me. “I know,

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