*****

As we sat on the sofa, Kisa pulled out a book to read, and I watched her eyes racing along the sentences, an excited smile on her lips.

“How long do you think our fathers will be in there?” I asked, wanting her to look at me, to pay me attention, not the damn book.

Kisa glanced at me over the page and shrugged. “Don’t know. Papa always takes a long time when he’s doing business.”

I nodded but never took my eyes from her face. Kisa dropped her head and blushed. I was nine now, she was eight, and I couldn’t stop staring at her face every time I saw her. She was so pretty.

Kisa began reading again, and I shuffled closer to her until our arms brushed. She glanced sideward at me and started chewing on her lip.

I tried to sit back against the couch, but I couldn’t stop watching Kisa-Anna. My hand started to twitch and I wanted to reach out and touch her. She was my best friend, and best friends should touch, I thought.

Without thinking it through, I reached out and took her hand in mine, wrapping our fingers around each other’s.

Kisa gasped and said, “Luka, what are you doing?”

I shrugged. “Holding your hand.”

“Why?” Kisa whispered, staring at my thumb stroking her skin. She was so soft.

“Because I have to,” I answered honestly, and she seemed to stop breathing for several minutes before exhaling, her long eyelashes fluttering when she looked at me.

“Okay,” she whispered, and something warm spread in my chest and down to my stomach. “I… I like it.”

I smiled and Kisa blushed again. “Me too. I’m going to hold your hand all the time now. I’m never going to let go.”

“I don’t ever want you to,” she said shyly, and I pulled her to rest back against the couch, her side tucked next to mine, our hands still fused together.

“Read to me,” I said and closed my eyes.

Kisa took a deep breath and started her story from the beginning.

“They were always meant to be together, one boy and one girl, two hearts split into two, sent to far-off lands on their own. For God wanted to see if true love could be tested. He wanted to see if two halves of one soul could find each other again, even against the odds. Years would pass, they would both be hurt, they would both be sad, but one day, when they least expected it, they would stumble into each other’s paths. The question is: would they recognize each other’s soul? Would they find their way back to love…?”

*****

“We would hold hands,” I said, my vision snapping back into focus, almost like I had no control of the memories rushing into my mind like a waterfall. “You would read to me. I would hold your hand and you would read to me.”

Kisa nodded frantically and tears slipped out of the sides of her eyes onto the blanket. Her left hand raked through my hair, and my eyes squeezed shut, more images almost drowning me…

“I love your hair, Luka… It looks like gold and feels like silk,” Kisa’s young self had said as I lay on the grass in a park.

“Mmm… don’t stop. I love it when you play with my hair.”

I gasped at the images in my head, and concentrated on feeling her hand in mine. “You would stroke my hair in the park,” I said, my voice increasing in both volume and speed as more memories came racing back.

“Yes.” Kisa sobbed, her bottom lip trembling, but her blue eyes shone like she wanted more and more. “Yes, I would.”

*****

“Kisa, quickly, follow me. Father Kruschev isn’t looking!” I took Kisa’s hand and we ran out of the church onto the steps, where I pulled Kisa to my lap and pulled her in for a kiss.

“Mmm… Luka.” Kisa moaned and gripped the collar of my shirt.

“I fucking hate church, it’s boring,” I whispered against her mouth, and Kisa pulled away, laughing at my confession.

“You can’t say that! God is watching!” Kisa hissed, and I tucked my head into her neck, just breathing her in.

“Nah, he’s already given me you. He obviously loves me enough to give me a free pass to sneak out of the service and kiss my girl.”

Kisa pulled me to face her, and I could see how much I meant to her in that one look. “Luka…” She trailed off and pushed her lips against mine. “Then he loves me enough too, because he knew I could only ever want you.”

*****

“Church,” I choked out, my straining arms holding me above Kisa, now beginning to shake. “Us on the steps.”

“Yes! Yes, Raze! More, please remember more,” Kisa begged, and I closed my eyes again…