Persistence of Memory

Epilogue

Early August 2018...

Justin's focus was suddenly shattered by a loud bang from the outside. He looked out the window and saw a moving truck – apparently the new owners of the house next door had finally arrived. The real estate sign said "SOLD" for a month without any sign of the new neighbors. Justin went back to his painting, trying his best to ignore the noise. Half an hour later he gave up; there was no telling how long the movers would be rattling around, wreaking havoc with his concentration. He checked on his daughter, who was at the tail end of "The Lion King", her favorite movie of all time, completely undisturbed by the commotion.

"You hungry?"

She shook her head 'no' in answer, still enthralled by Simba's adventures on the screen. Justin smiled in amazement at how much his daughter reminded him of himself as a kid. He wore out his old tape of "Yellow Submarine" by watching it hundreds of times throughout his childhood, adolescence and even into adulthood. He remembered being just as captivated by it each time he watched it, as he was when he saw it for the very first time.

Justin didn't want to have lunch without his little girl – they always took meals together when she was on holiday – but he did feel like having a snack. He went into the kitchen to root around for something small that would take the edge off his hunger. He spied a bowl of glossy green apples on the counter.

"Perfect!" he thought.

He picked out the biggest and the glossiest one, and took it to the sink for a quick rinse. He looked out the window above the sink and realized that the moving truck was pulling out of the street already.

"Well, that was fast!" he wondered, surprised. "Half an hour?"

When Daniel and he bought this row house four years ago, it took the movers over five hours to move in all their shit and they had to come back the next day to move in Daniel's baby grand piano separately. That alone took a couple of hours. He took a bite of the apple and decided to investigate.

"I am going next door for a few minutes. I'll be right back, but shout, if you need me," he yelled towards the living room.

"OK, Daddy!" she answered.

Justin stepped outside smiling. "She'll probably forget what I said in about 30 seconds and will be frantically looking for me when the movie is over," he thought affectionately.

He went outside and down the short flight of stairs that led from the front door to their postage stamp sized front yard. He noticed a figure standing with his back towards him, leaning slightly down and trying to remove the real estate sign from the fence.

"Must be the neighbor. I guess there's no time like the present to say hello," Justin decided.

Their front yard was almost non-existent, only a small patch of grass barely five feet wide separated his front steps and the waist-high fence with the fanciful, decorative gate that led to the sidewalk. He swallowed the bite of the apple as he walked through the gate and stepped onto the pavement. He was about to speak, when the figure suddenly straightened out, swiftly turning around. Justin's throat went instantly dry and the apple fell out of his hand unnoticed, as he looked at a face he hadn't seen in twelve years - a face he couldn't forget no matter how hard he tried; a face that was as beautiful as ever; a face that could still make his heart skip a beat, make his pulse race and render him utterly speechless. They stared at each other motionless and silent for several long minutes, and then Justin finally cleared his throat and whispered with difficulty:

"What are you doing here?"

"Moving in," Brian replied simply.

"YOU bought the house next door?" Justin was floored.

"Yes," Brian answered, laconic as ever.

"Did you know I lived here?"

"Yes."

"Why? Why would you do this?" Justin asked, his voice rough; he was both afraid and strangely excited to hear the answer.

"Why? Because I regret how things ended. Because I am sorry, so sorry for letting you go that night, again. Because I want your forgiveness for letting you down. Because I regret not fighting for us more than I can say. Because I couldn't forget you, although I've tried. Because I still miss you, even after a dozen years. Because I want to be with you, and if that's not possible, then I want to be near you. Because I want to fix what was broken between us and get another chance with you, whatever it might entail – a friendship, or a new relationship. Because, although I shouldn't, I dare to hope for much, much more than just that. Because as long as you are in my life, somehow, it is worth living. Because I still want you, desperately. Because I still love you, insanely, and the inescapable fact is that I always will..."

"What about Kin...your company?" Justin's voice rose at Brian's uncharacteristic, 'let it all hang out' revelation that sounded completely heartfelt.

"I sold Kinnetik...and the club, and the loft. Sold them all for a fucking mint too!" he added proudly, with a self-satisfied smirk. "I never have to work again, if I don't want to. But I am thinking that being an independent consultant to various ad and PR agencies wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time once in a while."

"You SOLD... everything?" Justin's astonished voice rose an entire octave.

"Well, I kept Britin..." Brian answered and noticed an involuntary flinch mar the expression on Justin's face at the mention of the house.

"You sold almost everything, you bought a house next to mine and moved across the ocean, to London without knowing what my answer would be?"

"Yes."

"Oh, God...you are unbelievable! It's been twelve years, don't you think its way too late for us, Br...?" Justin abruptly cut himself off.

"Why won't you say my name, Justin? I want you to look me in the eyes and say my name when you tell me it's too late for us! Say it, Sunshine! Say 'It's too late for us, Brian,'" he commanded, noticing another small flinch when Justin heard his old familiar nickname issue forth from his lips.

"It's too late..."

"Daddy!" A high pitched, excited voice interrupted him mid-sentence. "There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Brian saw a blond, blue eyed angel of about six, with a smile to rival even that of her father's, step out onto the front steps of the row house, swiftly run down, and then skip all the way to Justin's side. She took his hand in hers and finally noticed Brian standing in front of Justin. She looked at him curiously and smiled even wider in welcome.

"Hello! Are you our new neighbor? How do you do?" she said in a surprisingly cultured voice for someone so young. Brian couldn't help but smile in return.

"That WASP-y upbringing rears its ugly...or rather, completely adorable head in a new generation," he thought, thoroughly charmed. He was about to respond, when Justin spoke softly, looking down at his daughter.

"Sunshine, I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine from Pittsburgh, Mr. Kinney. And yes, he is our new neighbor." Then he looked up straight into Brian's hazel eyes, smiled somewhat hesitantly and said, "Brian..." his voice hitched when he said the name, but after the briefest of pauses he continued in a suddenly strong and clear voice, "Brian, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Keeley Hope Taylor."

"Keeley is Irish, Mr. Kinney," she said proudly. "It means 'brave warrior'!"

"Does it?" He smiled at her and then looked at Justin, who suddenly graced him with a sunshine smile that he remembered so well. "And are you?" he asked, looking back at the little girl.

"Yes, sir! Absolutely!" she answered in a surprisingly adult-like manner, full of total self-confidence and bravado.

Brian looked back at Justin, amusement coloring his face, his eyebrow raised in question. Justin smiled widely again and laughed:

"Well, with me as her father, she'd have to be."

~*~*~*~ The End ~*~*~*~

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