Niles picks up the the small box. Too light to contain its original contents, but not empty. As he does, his fingers brush over its companion. The larger, wooden box. Adorned only with a small plate with a boy's initials. His fingers brush over it and it was like finding that jagged piece of memory with bare skin. He flinched away from it, not wanting to touch it again. Not wanting to even look at it.
Box in hand, he shoved the drawer shut. He knew Gabe was there. He'd heard him. But he didn't acknowledge him. He just moved over to the bed, sitting down as though he weighed twice what he did. Heavy and without grace.
"I found Connor, in New York," as if Gabe hadn't been there with him. As if he hadn't told the story several times already. "It had been...what? Ten years since we'd seen him? I wanted to...congratulate him. For all he'd accomplished. To thank him for..." Niles swallowed hard, trying to force past the lump in his throat. "...for what he did for me. For us. But it was like...he didn't know me. Like that day had never happened. I was no more than some guy who just happened to be at his school. He was confused that someone who was almost a stranger would give him something so....so precious. A remnant of the old world." He ran his hand over the box, staring at it. "I found this later. He'd just...tossed it aside. Thrown it away after taking the watch. I don't think he would have known my name if I hadn't..."
But his words failed him finally. And after a few moments, unsteady hands slowly pulled the box open. Nestled inside, where a watch should have been displayed, was a small lock of hair. Dark strands tied into a knot by the unskilled hands of a teenager. Still kept all this time.
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Box in hand, he shoved the drawer shut. He knew Gabe was there. He'd heard him. But he didn't acknowledge him. He just moved over to the bed, sitting down as though he weighed twice what he did. Heavy and without grace.
"I found Connor, in New York," as if Gabe hadn't been there with him. As if he hadn't told the story several times already. "It had been...what? Ten years since we'd seen him? I wanted to...congratulate him. For all he'd accomplished. To thank him for..." Niles swallowed hard, trying to force past the lump in his throat. "...for what he did for me. For us. But it was like...he didn't know me. Like that day had never happened. I was no more than some guy who just happened to be at his school. He was confused that someone who was almost a stranger would give him something so....so precious. A remnant of the old world." He ran his hand over the box, staring at it. "I found this later. He'd just...tossed it aside. Thrown it away after taking the watch. I don't think he would have known my name if I hadn't..."
But his words failed him finally. And after a few moments, unsteady hands slowly pulled the box open. Nestled inside, where a watch should have been displayed, was a small lock of hair. Dark strands tied into a knot by the unskilled hands of a teenager. Still kept all this time.