Page 46 of We May Be Fractured

The Note

[Now playing ? If You Want Love—NF]

A aron stood there, back at Aunt Olivia’s, his hand hovering a few inches from the cover of Peter Pan . He only needed to stretch a bit more to grab it, but he froze. The memories linked to that book overwhelmed him; Tori had read it to him so often he knew parts of it by heart.

He was so close, though, his fingertips nearly brushing against the spine. Then, a sudden knock on the door made him jump back.

“Unless you’ve been honing your Jedi skills in the months you’ve been away, I don’t think the book is going to move with the Force,” came Aunt Olivia’s voice, tinged with humour.

Aaron turned to find her leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, a smug look on her face. He managed a half-smile in response.

“Why not join me for breakfast?” she suggested cheerfully. “A full stomach might help you think more clearly.”

Aaron trailed after her without a word. He sat at the table, facing the kitchen, and watched as Aunt Olivia skilfully managed the chaos of breakfast-making—measuring cups, pans, and pancake batter—all in fluid motion.

When she opened the cabinet to grab the usual peppermint tea bag, Aaron stopped her.

“Could you make me a cappuccino instead?” he asked, surprising both her and himself with the request.

Aunt Olivia didn’t question it. She popped two capsules into the coffee machine and went back to flipping pancakes. Once everything was ready, she joined him at the table, sliding a plate and the steaming cup in front of him.

Aaron inhaled the coffee’s aroma, his mind drifting to the memory of the cappuccino Landon had made him after their first kiss.

“When did you start liking coffee?” Olivia asked, pouring maple syrup over her pancakes.

“I don’t really like it. It’s just the smell.”

She wrinkled her forehead and took a bite of her pancakes. “So… who is it?”

“Who is who?”

“The person who’s got you changing your mind about things.”

Aaron hesitated. “There’s no one.”

“Uh-huh.” She didn’t seem convinced but kept up her amused gaze. “And what about the hoodie? Not your style.”

“Can’t a guy change his style?”

“Sure, it’s possible. But we both know how stubborn you can be. Change usually needs a reason. Something big, or… someone special.”

Silence stretched between them as Aaron gripped his coffee mug a little tighter.

“You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”

Aaron quickly took another bite of his breakfast, his eyes firmly on his plate, trying to dodge the incoming questions.

“I’m happy for you, you know.”

“Why do you think it’s someone?” Aaron asked, still avoiding her gaze.

“You’ve been wrapped up in that hoodie and miles away in your thoughts since you came back.”

Aaron gaped. Had he been so obvious?

“So, what’s, uh…their name?”

He sighed and took a long sip of his coffee, wishing he could avoid talking about his love life—or lack thereof. But the weight of her curious gaze was too much hard to ignore.

“It’s Landon,” he finally answered. “His name is Landon.”

Aunt Olivia’s face lit up. “And what’s he like? Is he a decent guy? Handsome? Any photos?”

Slightly taken aback by her enthusiasm, Aaron pulled out his phone and opened Landon’s Instagram profile, filled more with artsy London shots, Kat, and tattoos than personal pictures.

Landon rarely showed his face full-on in his few photos.

Still, Aaron hoped it might give her a glimpse into who he was.

She leaned in to get a better look. “He’s got an edgy vibe. Is he older than you?”

“Just by a few years, he’s twenty-two.”

“Hmm…and he’s a tattoo artist?”

“Yeah, an apprentice for now, but he’s super talented.” Aaron kept scrolling, pointing at some of Landon’s sketches on the screen. “Look at these. He should definitely have his own studio.”

She nodded in agreement, then looked up at Aaron with a more serious expression. “Have you slept with him?”

Aaron cheeks started to burn. He barely stifled a nervous laugh. He wasn’t sure how to answer, especially since he and Landon’s sex life had been far from straightforward.

“I’m not asking out of curiosity or to stick my nose into your business. It’s only…I want to understand where you two stand.”

“Why does that matter? People hook up all the time.”

“But that’s not you ,” she replied softly, understanding in her eyes.

Aaron raised an eyebrow, surprised and relieved by how well she could read him. She knew him better than he wanted to admit.

“So, what’s going on with you two?”

“Nothing. Or at least, nothing serious. It’s over now anyway.” He took another sip of his coffee and focused on finishing breakfast.

“It is serious ,” Aunt Olivia countered, pounding her fists on the table. “Even if he doesn’t feel the same way, your feelings matter.”

He sighed and pulled the hood over his head. Leaning forward, he rested his head on his arms, wishing he could disappear along with all the confusing emotions inside him.

“Have you fallen in love, Aarie?”

“No,” he replied, the word muffled against his sleeves and the table. Then he lifted his head. “I don’t know. Maybe. If feeling miserable is what love is…then yeah, probably.”

Aunt Olivia chuckled. “Considering you’re practically living in his hoodie, I have a hard time believing he doesn’t feel something for you too.”

“I was just a distraction for him. He told me as much. Plus, we both knew it wouldn’t last.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m leaving for Sydney in a few months. Tom sorted me a winter job at a wildlife park.”

Aunt Olivia let out an exaggerated sigh. “Still on about this, are we?”

“It’s the path I’ve chosen.”

“You mean it’s the story you keep telling yourself.”

Fiddling with the pendant around his neck, Aaron’s whispered, “I promised her.”

Aunt Olivia rubbed a hand over her face. “Look, Aaron, I want what’s best for you. If you truly believe that going to Sydney is the right thing, I won’t stop you. But you deserve so much more than what you’ve had. You deserve a real shot at life, at happiness.”

Aaron didn’t say anything. Could he really?

“I understand it’s hard for you. The nightmares, the ‘what-ifs’…but things will get better. I promise. You think leaving is the right choice, but I honestly believe you should stay.”

“But I have to—”

“Tori loved you, and you loved her. Your bond was special. No one is ever going to change that. But you’re losing yourself in her dream instead of living your own.”

“I want to finish what she couldn’t.”

“That’s beautiful. But she wanted you to be happy. Have you forgotten what she last told you?”

A wave of vertigo overtook Aaron. He gripped the table, trying to steady himself. His head pounded, matching the rhythm of Tori’s distorted words echoing within.

“ If you ever feel stuck or lost, ” she had told him, “ try to look in here to find your way home. ”

“Of course, I remember. She told me to read that stupid children’s book when I felt lost. But I know exactly where I’m going. I’ve got my plan.”

Aunt Olivia shook her head. “No, Tori told you to look in that book.”

Aaron studied her, confused and shocked. He hadn’t thought about Tori’s exact words, but now it hit him. It wasn’t about reading the book; it was about looking into it.

With a sudden burst of energy, he released his grip on the table and rushed towards the stairs. He felt dizzy but pushed through, climbing the stairs two at a time.

Rushing into his room, Aaron went straight to the shelf and grabbed his dusty copy of Peter Pan . His heart thudded faster as he flipped through the pages, finally stopping at the map of Neverland. There, hidden in the folds, he found a small sticky note.

Neverland isn’t a faraway place you can reach. It’s a state of mind.

Find your happy thought.

Aaron froze, his fingers trembling on the paper.

“Aarie…” Aunt Olivia tried to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away.

“You knew,” he accused her, his voice quivering. “You knew all along.”

His eyes stung as he fought back the tears threatening to spill. How could she have kept this from him for so long?

“Of course, I knew,” she confirmed, calm and steady, a stark contrast to the tempest raging within him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I needed you to find it yourself when you were ready.”

Aaron collapsed to the floor, the book open in his lap. He read the words on the sticky note over and over, each time feeling like a fresh wound, until his vision blurred with tears.

Aunt Olivia sat beside him, her arms wrapping around him. She tried to comfort him as best as she could, holding him close as he grappled with the flood of emotions.

“I miss her,” he choked out between sobs. “I miss her so much.”

Olivia’s eyes filled with tears too. “Me too, Aarie. I miss her too.”

They sat there for a while, crying together, sharing their grief. Somehow, crying seemed liberating, making him feel a little less heavy.

“I don’t want to forget her,” he said shakily. “I don’t want to stop missing her.”

Aunt Olivia wiped his cheek with her thumb. “Remembering and missing her is part of moving forward. You should embrace those memories and think about what it is you miss most about her. Maybe it’s something you two shared, something you can find again with someone else.”

Aaron’s gaze drifted away, considering the possibility.

“Grief’s strange,” Aunt Olivia added. “Sometimes, it’s less about the person and more about the void they left.

It’s okay to feel that way. But also think about the people who are still here in your life.

What makes them special? Why do you keep them around?

Maybe you’ll see that what you miss about Tori might be something you can find in someone who’s still here with you. ”

Aaron’s thoughts drifted to Landon, to the effortless understanding they had. But then, his mind expanded to include the others.

He thought of Nyle, so flamboyant and direct, brave in being himself, always managing to make the world seem less dull with his jokes, playful teasing, and those quirky mugs Aaron had grown to appreciate.

And Ria, so passionate about what she believed in, constantly challenging others’ opinions.

She’d been a huge help in making him feel more comfortable with his sexuality, guiding him to feel accepted, not broken.

And Fell—an alternate-universe version of Aunt Olivia, with his wise words and impeccable music taste that always seemed to set the right mood.

Maeve, with her boundless energy, added a certain spice to their group, even though she could be too much sometimes. Lastly, he thought of Cliff, his only friend during school, the one who’d helped him forget about his dull world, even if just for a while.

Each of them had carved out their own special place in his life, turning his world into something richer and more…colourful.

“This changes everything,” Aaron murmured, holding the book to his chest.

“It only changes things if you let it.” Olivia held out her phone. “There’s more you need to know.”

Confused, Aaron peered at the screen, his tears still clouding his vision. Unlike Tori’s note, this message left no room for misinterpretation: a bank account page in his name with more money than he thought he had. Still, it raised so many questions.

Aaron’s gaze shifted from the phone to the note, then to the map of Neverland, and back to Aunt Olivia, silently asking if he’d understood it right.

She nodded, her smile a tiny light in the dim room. “Are you ready to live your life?”

He took a deep, shaky breath. “I’m ready.”