Saving Rain

by Kelsey Kingsley

And that was when I realized that it didn’t always matter what tree the apple fell from. Sometimes, it was just rotten.

But, man, when you dug a hole that deep, how the hell were you supposed to climb your way back out if you hadn’t thought to bring a ladder down with you?

“You know, Soldier … the thing about the past is, it isn’t always up for speculation. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to simply accept that what’s happened has already happened and move on.”

there’s nothing anybody can do about what has already happened. The only thing any of us have any control over is what’s happening right now, in this moment, and all we can do is our best to not let the bad shit happen again.”

“I know what to do with pain, Ray,” I said, keeping my tone barely above a whisper. “Give yours to me. Let me carry it, so you don’t have to anymore.”

And she had to know now that there was nothing I wouldn’t do. I’d mark my entire body if I had to. I’d lay down my life. I’d run to hell on my bare feet, harness the Devil, and force him to kneel in submission. All to be certain that the bogeyman she knew and feared never laid a hand on her or her son again.

“Well, that’s the cool thing about books, right? Like, you don’t have to leave the house to be transported somewhere else.”

“Whatever’s on your mind, it won’t last forever. And before you know it, it’ll be just another memory.”

“You did all this,” he said, nodding with approval and satisfaction and a bunch of other good shit I couldn’t put my finger on. “You defeated the odds, son. I can safely say, looking at this life you’ve built for yourself, you’ve actually won.”