Out of the smoke (Patreon)

We visit my boyfriend's parents quite often, and often go have a little fire at their backyard, with my partner's little brother joining us. I'm quite fond of the little guy.

He wasn't wary of me the first time I visited his parents. I remember thinking I'll want to get to know this kid as much as I can before the spark goes out and he shuts off from the world. For a few years I thought it's any minute now, any minute now before the light is gone and he stops talking. He's 14 now and that hasn't happened. That kid is still just as chatty and cheery as he ever was.

It has started to occur to me that maybe that's not going to happen. That maybe that's not something that's supposed to happen, that everyone goes through. That maybe all of a sudden completely losing your will to live, and having to claw it back with your bleeding teeth isn't just a normal and expected part of growing up.