The Oath We Give (Hollow Boys, #5)

by Monty Jay

“Hey Silas?” Her voice is a whisper now, the in-between place of flowers starting to fade. The cold is returning to my body and as much as I want Rosie to be happy, I want to go back. I want to go back to Coraline because I can't leave her alone. I'm her curse breaker. I can't be another person she loses. I want to be the person who proves that she can be loved, loudly and endlessly, without it killing me. “Yeah?” I ask. Rosemary's head tilts, a sleepy smile tugs at the corner of her fading face. Drifting off to a place of peace. “Can you carry me one last time?” I wanted to go back, but this? This was the goodbye I never got to say to the person who showed me kindness above all else. This was closure with a person who showed me how to love so that I had it down by the time I met Coraline. Who taught me so much about myself before I even knew who I was. This was a goodbye to my guilt, for not being there. So, I look her one last time, knowing that as long as I live, I'll carry the love Rosemary Donahue and I shared forever. As a testament to her memory, a thank-you for all she did. She died knowing she was loved by many and that’s all any of us can ask for at the end of our days. “Always, Rosie Girl.”

STOP RN