DISCLAIMER
All characters belong to Takao Aoki with the exception of my OC.
HIS THUMB IS stroking gently the photograph within his palm, his fingertips smoothing its surface with his touch. The photograph isn't recent or too old. Every single moment of it can be remembered vividly in his head; the sounds, the odors, the feelings. Especially the feelings. Those seconds of bliss where your heart accelerates, the blood almost audible in your ears but you're too caught up in living all of it that you zone out everything.
He wants that feeling back.
Max stares at the photo longingly, his chest tightening at the thought that he probably won't feel his heart blooming with excitement and anticipation ever again. He might not be able to experience it ever again.
"Millie," he mumbles softly as a foreign feeling he can't put his finger on consumes him. It has been a very long time since this word had left from his lips and his heart is wavering between happiness and sadness.
A sigh of yearning escapes from his lungs and his eyes roam once again at the two figures smiling joyfully in the photo, their grins evident despite the fact that half of their faces is covered under the delicious chocolate birthday cake. It definitely is a night he doesn't want to erase from his memory and to have it always carved there, yet a part of him wishes for the pain to fade away when he takes the slightest glimpse of it which can only be achieved by forgetting it thoroughly.
'Is it possible for one not to ache by a memory which makes him so happy, even though he knows he won't live it again?' he thinks as his eyelids fall shut, travelling him elsewhere briefly.
"COME ON MAX! WE'LL BE LATE!" Judy's sweet voice echoes from the living room and Max stares at his reflection one last time with a satisfied smile. His jeans and shirt are perfect, as well as his hair, and Max is grateful for his mother who didn't give him permission to cover their lunch with mustard, otherwise he'd never be donned in time either because he'd have trouble with buttoning his shirt hastily, or he'd play with the bubbles and foam in the bathtub.
"Coming!" Max responds with raised voice, hoping his mother has heard him. Millie is finally ten and he can't feel more happier. He has been by her side ever since they met at the park when he was seven and she was five, and each year Millie is growing, Max is getting more stunned with everything about her.
Max eventually reaches the bottom step and Judy's lips curve into a hearty smile at his son's adorable features. As years pass, Max becomes the definition of cuteness and his small freckles dusting his nose only add to that. His bright blue eyes look up to his mother and he reciprocates the smile with equal joy.
Judy's eyes wander from head to toe and she's beyond than pleased with the sight before her. Max's clothes suit him perfectly and fortunately they're clean, and his face is glowing from the enthusiasm. He anticipates the moment Millie unwraps his gift, hoping she'd like it, but most importantly, if it'd make her happy.
"Ready to go?" His mom snaps him out of his reverie with her tender voice and Max nods, heading to the shoe case near the door to prepare himself. However, his pauses in the middle of his tracks and walks over to the flower vase in the living room to pick up a daisy.
'Perfect,' he thinks, a small smile gracing his lips.
"You're going to give her a daisy too?" Jusy asks playfully after regarding her son's actions, noticing how much of a sweetheart Max is. She's wondering if he turns into a ladies man into the future and hopes it'll only be the mild case of impressing the girls and not the characteristic fuckboys she always made fun of from her teenage years.
"Yeah..." Max trails off while scratching the back of his neck from embarassment, a blush shading his cheeks. He wishes he could slip unnoticed by his mother, even though she'd find it out in the end.
Judy shakes her head with mirth and both of them proceed to wear their shoes and coats. One thing Max dislikes about winter is the excessive amount of cold air outside, but his thoughts are vanished after he reminds himself that it will snow in a few days based on the weather's forecast. Plus, his dad arrives in town next week and finally the whole family is going to be reunited.
Judy locks the door and Max paces to the garage, his hand clutching the gift in his hand, his fingers craving for the slightest bit of warmth as they curl around the paper material.
Thankfully the breeze isn't strong but thick and Max's nervousness calms down when his mother approaches him seconds later. He occupies the backseat after he places the daisy gently above the gift. Judy fastens his seat belt and leaves a feather kiss on the top of his head.
The ride takes the form of comfortable silence and Max murmurs the rhythm of the songs on the radio escorted by Judy's occasional tapping on the steering wheel. Life can't become any better at the moment for him. First Millie's birthday, then the reunion of the family he has missed so dearly.
There are endless times in which Max has thought whether his family is falling apart at some point or not, and how he wants to do something - anything that would help to bring them close like an invisible force to the biggest bear hug. However, he's aware of the fact he can do nothing but watch as days, months and years pass them by and leave them behind, with a mother who's usually too focused on her goals as far as her work is concerned when she should give their family the attention it deserves.
Although he's grateful that both of his parents keep in touch as he's heard many nights his dad talking to Judy and Judy doing the same ever since Max arrived to America, bitterness still finds her way to his heart at the most unexpected days.
Gladly, today isn't one of them.
Max leans back on his seat and his gaze is fixed on the houses which haven't been coated by the veil of snow he anticipates to see soon and how all of them become a blur of colors, along with the pedestrians and trees. He can't distinguish anymore people shivering or protecting their noses with their scarfs, only a small blur of the world around him.
The car comes to a halt and Max's eyes glimmer with enthusiasm as he unbuckles his seat belt immediately, his hand rushing to grab his gift and flower. He doesn't wait for Judy to open his door and proceeds on exiting the car, closing the door carefully for he doesn't want to hear Judy complaining about the loud noise of the door when he pushes it with more force than necessary.
Judy joins him and Max's anxiety grows with each step he takes, worry written in his eyes.
'What if she doesn't like my gift? I don't want to make a fool of myself. And the flower? Did I make a good choice by picking it?'
Max shakes his head vigorously to clear the clouds in it and to vanish every hint of doubt that's lingering in his chest, tightening with nervousness. The solution to survive through all of this is confidence, along with the a significant factor - to be himself.
Judy catches his state with her peripheral vision and turns her head towards him. "Don't worry, Max. I'm sure she'll love it," she gives his hand a light and comforting squeeze. Everything will be just fine if Max decides to believe it. He nods and reaches out to touch the doorbell.
The sound echoes throughout the entire house and Max falls a step back as he hears footsteps approaching them. Maybe he should have called in sick and met up with her after a few days so she can receive his gift and hold her personal opinion on it between them. Maybe it's not too late to back out, he can come another day, only if -
"Maxie!" A huge smile glows on her face and he looks at her appearance. From her hazel eyes to her brown hair which are falling a few inches above her shoulders and lastly to her white shirt and red checked skirt.
'She is stunning.'
Max is rendered speechless as Millie wraps her arms around him and pulls him in for a hug, the warmest one he's ever experienced, despite the cold surrounding them. Shivers gloss his spine and his eyes widen at their proximity as she buries her nose on his shoulder, happiness dripping from her lips as Millie expresses how glad she is about his arrival.
Millie's cheeks are flushed once she pulls away and her eyes avert slowly from the ground to Max, only to see his are crimson red. She laughs softly and grabs his hand to enter the house after Judy wished her happy birthday and promised to pick Max at nine. They have three whole hours and Millie is determined to help everyone to have a great time, not only herself.
Max looks around the room to see two other girls and three other boys who he assumes are Millie's classmates or friends from her volleyball training. Turns out they are from both categories with the all of the boys being from the same school as her and the two from the three girls are friends from her volleyball training.
Millie introduces Max to all of them and they accept him with welcoming smiles and niceties and Max's positive and lively personality has won them over. He's relieved he doesn't have to confront any problems of acceptance and starts to enjoy their company, that is till the moment everyone hands their gifts to Millie.
Max swallows hard and hides quickly the gift behind is back but Millie notices this and he lets out a nervous chuckle. He couldn't back out then and he definitely can't now.
'It's just a gift. Not the end of the world,' his inner voice says in attempts of soothing his nerves.
'But it will be if she doesn't like it,' the negative voice he despises chips in. It always appears under the most inappropriate circumstances and Max scolds it inwardly for contributing whenever it wants. This isn't the time to be trapped in a mind game.
"Uh...this for you," Max reveals his gift and daisy from his back and hands it to Millie hesitantly, the latter accepting it with gratitude.
"Thank you, Max," she smiles and takes a whiff of the daisy, her smile turning to a grin shortly.
"This is so sweet!" she exclaims and Max's heart skips several beats when rosy lips touch his cheek. He holds his breath in, afraid of ruining this perfect moment as he can feel his cheeks burning from the kiss. It was soft but powerful enough to make him blush endlessly.
Whistling ensues and Millie laces her fingers together, staring at her shoes to hide her blush with her lips pressed in a thin line before they break into a grin again.
"Time for the birthday cake!" Millie's mom announces and the birthday girl sits across from the table, in the middle with her friends surrounding her sides. Her dad makes sure to take plenty of pictures to add in the memory album while he and everyone sing the birthday song.
"Make a wish," Max encourages and Millie shuts her eyes, her mind focusing on one single wish she has been making for five years now, then blows the candles. Clapping, joyful sounds and hugs fill the room as everyone wants for the birthday girl to feel even happier than she already is, if that's even possible.
Her friends insist on Millie to unwrap their gifts in front of her since they anticipate to see her reaction rather than wait to see it at school or at the volleyball training. Millie agrees and unwraps each one of them. Most of them are clothes and notebooks since she adores writing and sketching. She reaches eventually Max's gifts and a small smile tugs on the corners of her lips.
Max crosses his fingers behind his back as Millie unwraps his gift and he's unsure if leaving his for the end was a good idea since it has increased his nervousness.
Millie gasps softly and she stares at the gift in awe from different angles, running her thumb on the surface, unable to believe he has done this for her.
"A polaroid camera!"
For a minute silence engulfs the room and everyone is waiting for her reaction, especially Max whose palms are beginning to sweat from the delay of an answer, killing him slowly inside.
Her eyes shift from the polaroid camera to notice a polaroid picture in the wrapper. It's depicting her and Max - Max giving her a biggy back ride while she's laughing wholeheartedly, pure joy twinkling in her eyes as he grasps his shoulder firmly in order not to fall.
"Max, I have no words...I - " Millie trails off and Max breath hitches at the following words.
"This is the most beautiful thing someone has ever done for me."
Memories have always been precious. But the fact that Max has given her the chance to capture them after she lives them makes the moment even more special. Ever since she met him, he made her to fall in love with the little things and now, as realization slowly dawns upon her, she sees that the smallest things are the biggest.
She couldn't feel more grateful for having him in her life because, in the end, he's the most precious thing to her.
Millie desires to hug him again, this time tighter than ever before but she knows if she does that, she will never hear the end of it from her friends who are more than willing to tease her about her beloved crush.
It's Max's turn to break into a wide smile after he exhales a long sigh of utter relief. "I'm glad you liked it!"
Max opens his mouth to add something but is rudely interrupted when a piece of the chocolate and vanilla cake is landed on his and Millie's face, catching them off guard.
"How dare you?" Millie exclaims angrily, trying to mask her laughter with annoyance as she and Max join Marc and Amelia to grab a piece from the remaining cake and aim it towards Sam and Mason.
The living room has become a mess with flying pieces of cake around them and Millie will only get away with it for today due to her birthday since she knows things will be different tomorrow morning, especially her parents' attitude towards her but she believes it's worth to enjoy the moment. After all, happiness is a compilation of the smallest happy moments.
Click.
And this is how happiness begins. With the collection of a moment.
MAX'S EYES FLUTTER OPEN and a smile graces his lips.
This isn't the end. One day he and Millie will meet again when his body gives in completely, travelling him in another place, far away from this life, where nothing and nobody will be able to separate them because true love never dies. Its flame can only burn stronger, burn with the feelings and the endless, pure love for someone.
"I promise I'll find you in heaven again."