On the Mountain

by Riley Hart

Sometimes it was scary how easy it was to fake it, to pretend you were happy and life was great. Most people didn’t take the time to look, not really, because if they did, they would see most of us were barely hanging on.

“For someone who’s been alone for over ten years, you sure do know how to use your heart better than anyone I’ve ever known.”

“She called me her sun—like sunshine. It’s why she named me Cyrus. It means sun, and she said her world was dark before me and I brought light into her life.”

“No one has ever been this nice to me. No one has ever made me feel like I matter. I’ve always been something people can throw away. I don’t know how to deserve this.”

“I keep painting because they never turn out as beautiful as you are.”

“You are my sun too. My life was darkness until you gave me your light.”