A Thousand Boy Kisses(66)

“You’re welcome,” she whispered, as she looked away to stare out over the sea.

I hadn’t felt like this in so long. I hadn’t felt this peace inside since before we parted. And I was thankful to Poppy.

More than thankful.

Suddenly a quiet, awed gasp escaped Poppy’s mouth. “Look, Rune,” she whispered pointing into the distance. I wondered what she wanted me to see, then she said, “Our footprints in the sand.” She lifted her head and smiled a beaming smile. “Two sets. Four prints. Just like the poem.”

I pulled my eyebrows down in confusion. Poppy’s hand lay over my bent knee. With her head tucked under the shelter of my arm, she explained. “It’s my favorite poem, Rune. It was my mamaw’s favorite too.”

“What does it say?” I asked, smiling slightly at the tiny size of Poppy’s footprint next to my own.

“It’s beautiful. And it’s spiritual, so I’m not sure what you’ll think of it.” Poppy sent me a teasing look.

“Tell me anyway,” I urged, just to hear her voice. Just to hear that reverence in her tone when she shared something she adored.

“It’s more of a story really. About someone who has a dream. In the dream they are on a beach just like this. But they’re walking beside the Lord.”

My eyes narrowed and Poppy rolled her eyes. “I told you it was spiritual!” she said, laughing.

“You did,” I replied, and nudged her head with my chin. “Keep going.”

Poppy sighed, and with her finger, she traced lazy patterns in the sand. My heart kind of cracked when I saw it was another infinity sign.

“As they’re walking on the beach, in the dark sky above the person’s life is played out for them to see. As each scene is played, like a movie reel, the person notices that two sets of footprints were left in the sand behind them. And as they continued, every new scene brought with it a trail of their footprints.”

Poppy’s attention honed in on our footprints. “When all the scenes had been played, the person looks back on the trail of footprints and notices something strange. They notice that during the saddest, or most despairing times of their life, there was only one set of footprints. For happier times there was always two sets.”

My eyebrows furrowed, wondering where the story was headed. Poppy lifted her chin and blinked in the bright glare of the sun. With watery eyes, she looked at me and continued. “The person is really troubled by this. The Lord said that, when a person dedicates their life to Him, He would walk with them through all the ups and downs. The person then asked the Lord: why, at the worst points of their life, did He abandon them? Why did He leave?”

An expression of deep comfort washed over Poppy’s face. “And what?” I prompted. “What does the Lord say?”

A single tear fell from her eye. “He tells the person that He had walked with them their whole life through. But, He explains, the times where there is only a single set of footprints were not when He walked beside them, but instead, when He carried them.”

Poppy sniffed and said, “I don’t care if you’re not religious, Rune. The poem is not only for the faithful. We all have people who carry us through the worst of times, the saddest of times, the times that seem impossible to break free from. In one way or another, whether it’s through the Lord or a loved one or both, when we feel like we can’t walk on anymore, someone swoops in to help us … someone carries us through.”

Poppy rested her head on my chest, wrapping herself up in my waiting arms.

My eyes got lost in a blurred haze as I stared at our footprints embedded in the sand. At that moment, I wasn’t sure who was helping who. Because as much as Poppy insinuated that it was me who was helping her through her final months, I was beginning to believe that she was somehow saving me.

A single set of footprints on my soul.

Poppy shifted to face me, her cheeks wet with tears. Happy tears. Awed tears … Poppy tears. “Isn’t it beautiful, Rune? Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard?”

I just nodded. Right now wasn’t the time for words. I couldn’t compete with what she’d just recited, so why would I even try?

I let my focus drift around the beach. And I wondered … I wondered if anyone else had just heard something so moving that it rocked their very core? I wondered if the person they loved more than any other on the planet had opened up to them so purely, with such raw emotion?

“Rune?” Poppy said quietly from beside me.

“Yeah, baby?” I replied softly. She turned her pretty face to me and cast me a weak smile. “You okay?” I asked, grazing my hand down her face.

“I’m getting tired,” she admitted, reluctantly. My heart cracked. Over the past week, I had begun to see tiredness gradually creeping into her face when she’d done too much.

And worse still, I could see how much she hated it. Because it prevented her from enjoying all life’s adventures.

“It’s okay to be tired, Poppymin. It’s not a weakness.”

Poppy’s eyes dipped in defeat. “I just hate it. I’ve always been of the opinion that sleep is a waste of time.”

I laughed at the cute pout that had formed on her lips. Poppy watched me, waiting for me to speak. Sobering, I said, “The way I see it, if you sleep when you need to, it means we can do more when you’re strong.” I brushed the tip of my nose over hers and said, “Our adventures will be that much more special. And you know I like you sleeping in my arms. I’ve always thought you look kind of perfect there.”