Lost Love

"I don't know, Baby. He might be home in a few days, but it could still be a few weeks instead."

The mother addressed the child's concern with no hints of drained patience. Even after his fourth volley of the same question within the same hour.

Now, she's forced to watch as the five-year-old swivels his head back to the door from a sudden scuffling of leaves in the wind. As if the door itself was some sort of time travelling portal that the awaited man of the hour was inbound by. Though not even a silent clutch of his breath in the moment was enough to bring his dreams to reality. His disappointment painted a sour expression across his face with furled brows. Just as he begun to simmer, his mother was struck with a grand idea.

She took a few seconds to stop her rocking-chair and position her book on a small table with a black lamp fixed on top; coincidentally illuminating the title, 'Your Greatest Short Story." She then patted her thigh which instantly drew the little one's attention, coughed to the side into her elbow, and waited for him to climb onto her lap, taking a deep breath. Exhaling a moment later. Then another breath to prepare for her own story.

"You know when, all of a sudden, someone just pops! Into your thoughts?"

The mother displays an exaggerated dazzle of her hands to show how quirky the occasion may feel. This poked at the boy's grumpiness, releasing his wrinkled guise.

"Yes..."

"Well, this is because that someone just so happens to be thinking of you, Baby."

"Really?!"

He stretched his neck back to peer up into his mother's eyes in awe. And a second later encounters the warmest of gazes that the world has ever known.

"Of course."

"But why?"

His mother felt her smile widen, uncontrollably at his thought for what may have been the thousandth time in her life. Imagining the child's curiosity to forever reach every inch of the Earth. A gentle cuddle was in order for such an adventurous spirit. Outstretched arms wrapping around his tiny body with the love of two generations.

"Baby, a long long long time ago, people who loved each other wanted a way to be closer than how they already were. So they began taking strings and tying knots in them to show people how inseparable their love was from one another. When they tied a knot, they tie it with their feelings in mind. People did this all over the world to show how much everyone cared for the people they loved and how close they were. Until one day, someone tied a knot without needing a string anymore."

The boy tilted his head in confusion.

"How did they do that, Mommy?"

"Well, the people started noticing that they were experiencing moments of exactly the same emotions no matter how far apart they were! So they practiced feeling their knots, thinking and thinking and thinking without making a real knot. They practiced feeling their own emotions and then practiced feeling their loved one's emotions.

Then, people realized that someone they loved would pop into their head so randomly that it couldn't be their own thoughts, it had to be their loved ones! So ever since then, children would be taught that when you really love someone, they'll know it because they can feel you in their hearts.

You'll never be alone; Daddy will always be with you in your special knot. And he knows you're waiting so so patiently for him to return. Please keep giving him your good feelings and thoughts so he doesn't ever get lonely while he's gone-"

That is when they both turned their heads, sharply to hear the moments of hurried footsteps followed by the door being thrown wide open. But it was someone next door, muffled voices playing out soon after.

The child's heart sank but recalling his mother's words, he spun his frown around and thought good thoughts. So many good thoughts that it became no reoccurring dream when he watched his front door finally open minutes later.