When fate plays with love...

“Hey stranger!”

Said a voice from my right side. It was a young man in a white tank top, beach shorts and flip-flops. He had a perfect toothy smile on his handsome face. His long brown hair reached to his shoulders in loose curls.

“Why are you so quiet?” he said.

“Just thinking,” I replied.

“Thinking of what?” he asked again.

“Thinking why I have to be stuck with you of all people, “ I said as I stood up from where we were sitting. I removed the sand from my shorts and started walking away.

“Why? What’s wrong, Jake?” he asked.

“Nothing much,” I said in a whisper, “except that you don’t know the whole truth.”

“What did you say?” he asked again, “I didn’t quite hear it.”

“I said nothing,” I said and walked away from him.

I was pacing on a sandy beach with the tides on my left; the warmth of the setting sun was a soothing presence due to the chill of the sea breeze. I could still hear Gabe calling my name and asking me to explain. I just brushed aside all the noise and continued walking.

You know nothing, Gabe. I thought.

-oOo-

One day ago…

“Jake,” called a woman from a hospital bed, “Come here, I need to tell you something.”

I went to her side and said, “Yes, ma? Do you need anything?”

“No, but I have to ask you one thing,” she said and looked at me intently, “I need you to find the other half of this locket for me.”

She handed me a silver chain with a silver locket in the shape of heart with one wing similar to that of an angel’s. Engraved inside the locket is the name of my dad, “Lucas”.

“Your dad gave this to me when we had you,” she said, “the other half of this locket is with your dad. It has my name on it. I want you to find him for me, please.”

“Great mom,” I said, “we don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

I stood up and started to pace around the room. My mom and dad got separated after having me. He went to serve in the military, or so my mom narrated, and never came back. He never even communicated with us so we presumed he was dead.

“I know you’ll find him,” said my mother.

I didn’t know what came over me right then and there, maybe it was because my mother is dying, or probably due to her hopeful voice, or even yet, because she’s my mother and I can’t really say no to her. So I promised, “I will, Ma. I just don’t know how.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” she said reassuringly.

-oOo-

While lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt someone tackle me down to the sand. I struggled to get free of the body over me. What the fuck? Gabe, I started to think.

“I won’t let you get away without explaining to me what got you so worked up,” he told me while he was pinning me to the ground.

“I told you,” I said while trying to escape, “It’s nothing.”

“You’re my boyfriend, Jake,” he said as he released me from his grip and allowed me to stand, “we told each other never to keep secrets, that we would trust each other no matter what.”

“Yes, I know,” I said, “but this is something I have to figure out for myself.”

“Why can’t you share it with me?” he asked, while staring at me intently, looking hurt, his eyes about to shed some tears.

I felt frustrated. I didn’t know how to tell him. I don’t even know what to do.

“Take out your necklace,” I told him.

“What the--, what’s the necklace got to do with this,” he asked, "you've already seen it. And I told you before, my father gave it to me before he died a few years ago."

“Just take out your god damn necklace, Gabe!” I shouted at him.

Then he removed a silver chain from his neck with a locket: A one-winged heart locket with my mom’s name, Elena.