#every time i'd get a response for one thing there'd quickly be a message about the other

[youhearstatic]

lovesick

(Hanahaki preview/prologue scene)

Marlena pulled the door to her brother’s room shut behind her, the latch catching with a soft click. She sagged against the door frame, exhausted.

“Mom?”

Jerking her head up, she saw her son peering out of his doorway, rubbing sleepy eyes. “Go back to bed, sweetheart, it’s late.”

“Is Uncle Darian gonna be okay?”

Marlena sighed. She’d been trying to avoid this topic in her own head but now, at 4 o’clock in the morning, it seemed she was going to have the conversation with her six year old.

“Let’s get you tucked back in bed and we’ll talk about it.” She crossed the hall and pushed the door wide, letting the light from the hallway illuminate the bedroom rather than turning on the light.

Barry climbed into bed and she helped him arrange the blankets again. Then she sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed the hair back from his worried forehead.

“Uncle Darry is really sick,” she told him honestly. “And he’s not going to get better.”

“The flowers are hurting him?”

Marlena nodded. “The flowers are… Uncle Darian loves someone very much, someone who doesn’t love him back and…”

“Why not?”

“Why not what?”

“Why don’t they love him back? Can’t we ask? Make them?”

“Oh, sweetie... Well, sometimes people just don’t. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s not that man’s fault that he doesn’t love Darian and it’s not Darian’s fault for loving him. He just does and… well, it’s like his body doesn’t know what to do with all this love. So it makes flowers. But there’s too many and… they make it hard to breathe. And eventually he won’t be able to at all.”

“Like he’s swimming?”

“Yeah, like he’s underwater,” she agreed. “But for now he’s still here and we can love him and spend time with him.” She ruffled his hair and added, “And draw him pictures. And tell him about cool frogs.”

“And read my space book to him?”

“Absolutely, he’d love that. He’s the one that bought it for you.”

“I’ll read it to him tomorrow!” Barry’s smile was overtaken by a yawn. He turned over on his side and pulled the covers up to his chin.

“G’night, sweetie.”

“‘Night, momma,” he answered, voice already softened by sleepiness.

Marlena smoothed the blanket over his shoulder. Barry was so much like his uncle. They both loved so enthusiastically, throwing their whole hearts into it. She hoped when Barry found love it came back to him.