Free In My Dreams by Cameo Renae

heart,
    Michael
    ………………..
    I hugged the card tightly to my heart and wept. Every part of my being ached for him. “I love you too, Michael” I whispered, wishing he could hear me.
    I laid the card next to me on the bed and picked up the box. My stomach twisted, knowing he wasn’t here to see me open it. I carefully untied the bow and slowly slid the lid off.
    I choked. My tears switched to auto pilot as I stared at the beautiful, sparkling gift. It was a promise ring, a petite white-gold band with a butterfly mounted on the top. The head of the butterfly was a diamond, and there was an inscription inside the band which read 4ever In My Heart . It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
    Michael knew how much I loved butterflies. It couldn’t have been more perfect. I carefully pulled the ring from its case and slid it on my finger. A perfect fit. How could Michael have known my ring size? I wasn’t even sure what it was. But that was Michael. He always had a way of knowing. I think he knew me better than I knew myself.
    I slid the ring off of my finger, carefully placed it back into the box, and tucked it into my pocket. Then, I reached back, grabbed his pillow, and pulled it to my face, trying to breathe in any remaining scent of him. I pressed it harder to my face and wept; the pillow muffling my cries of agony.
    It’s not fair. It’s just not fair!
    I knew his parents were probably wondering how I was doing, so I didn’t want to take too long, so I tried to pull most parts of my scattered self together. Before I left, I glanced back at his room, one last time, taking mental pictures to treasure always in the back of my mind. I promised myself that I’d never forget.
    Leaving his room and shutting the door, ripped out an even larger piece of my heart. I didn’t know it would have affected me the way it did. It felt like I was shutting the door on him, on us. My legs became weak and gave in. I dropped to the floor outside of his room, and couldn’t contain myself. I wasn’t sure if his parents could hear me, but right now I didn’t care.
    They never came up to check, but after a while I eventually made my way back down to them. I knew my eyes were red and swollen, but they would know why. The dining table had been cleared and his parents were sitting at the kitchen counter in silence, sipping coffee. I walked up to them and placed the box on the counter.
    “I can’t take this,” I said sadly.
    “Elizabeth, Michael wanted you to have this. It’s yours. Please. We want you to take it,” Mr. Young said, sliding the box back to me.
    “Yes, sweetheart. He intended for you to have it, and was so excited to give it to you. It was all he talked about the other day,” Mrs. Young agreed. I noticed a tear stream down her cheek.
    “Did you see it?” I asked through teary eyes.
    “Yes, he asked me to go with him to the jewelry shop, but he found it himself, and he couldn’t wait to come home to show his dad. He practically knocked down the front door,” she answered. She gave Mr. Young a weak smile, while tears streamed down her frail cheeks. He grabbed her and pulled her close, hugging her gently. She buried her face in his chest and wept. This was extremely hard for all of us, and I didn’t know how we were all going to make it.
    I gave them a moment before I said my goodbyes and gave them each a hug.
    “Thank you so much for including me.”
    “We wouldn’t have it any other way, Lizzy. You are a part of our family and will always be. Please remember that. And please don’t stay away,” Mrs. Young expressed, while Mr. Young agreed.
    They stood on the front porch with their arms wrapped around each other. At least they still had each other to hold on to. Michael was so lucky to have grown up with such loving parents. It was something I’d longed for. Whatever I did remember, memories of when my parents were together, seemed like a hazy dream.
    The cold air felt good on my face, and on my