Between Hello and Goodbye

by Emma Scott

The internet is a hoax.” “A hoax.” I arched a brow. “Tell me more.” “It isn’t real. At best, it’s a bunch of people showing off filtered photos of their lives and pretending they’re happier than they actually are. At worst, it’s a virtual townhall to bitch and moan and treat opinions like facts instead of the polished turds that they are.”

“It sounds stupid or cheesy, but I feel connected to something bigger when I sit with the ocean. Like I’m a part of something old and deep.” Asher grasped a handful of sand and let it sift through his fingers. “I felt untethered to anything real or permanent when I was a kid. Maybe this is me making up for it. But I’m grateful, and I think it’s the gratitude that makes me feel connected. I’m grateful to the ocean just for being here.”

“That’s a strange side-effect of addiction. Closes distances. Like we’re members of a secret club and we all know the password.”

I have a feeling a lot of the misery we go through is because of the story we tell ourselves.” I shrugged. “You rewrite the story, and you get a different ending.”

It's not about that phone call, it’s about what to do with life after it. To survive and thrive and to know that our capacity to love doesn’t diminish with loss. The single candle can light a thousand more, and we find our way out of the dark again.