GUYS, I'M STILL ALIVE! I'm so sorry for the lack of posting, but here it is! Chapter 6! I've just been busy lately, but I'll be more efficient in posting now :)

dis|tress
noun
extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

One look at Joey's fresh emerald eyes, I knew he was here for one thing. The white of his eyes began to turn a pink color as his eyes welled up with tears. At this point, crying is really all you can do. The next thing he did was something that I've never particularly experienced. He gave me one of the warmest hugs I've received in more than three years. I gladly accepted the hug, feeling his tears leak through my shirt.

"Is Anthony here?" He croaked out, wiping a running tear with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, he's in his room. He'll be back soon." I told him. "Why don't you sit for a while?" As Joey sat down, I heard a soft meow come from behind me. I saw Buki walk past me, and onto Joey's lap. With that happening, Joey broke down. "I'll go check on Anthony." I announced, heading to Anthony's room. As I hesitantly opened the door, I saw Anthony holding one of Kalel's shirts, and his face buried in it. I heard soft sobs go through the thin fabric of the light pink shirt, and I came up behind him, most probably startling him. "Hey," He jumped, and quickly put the shirt back in the drawer that it belonged in.

"You okay?" I was worried for him. I couldn't handle seeing him with this much sadness. It killed me on the inside to know he was so unhappy.

"Y-Yeah. I'm almost done." He wiped off several tears with the back of his hand, and looked up at me. We made eye contact for a few seconds which made time stop for me. I felt the burning need to take him in my arms and never let him go. I wanted to cry out everything in my mind that has been restrained for too long. But he looked away, and packed the last few things laying lazily on his bed into his bag.

"Um... Joey's here to see you." I tried getting his eye contact one more time, but instead he walked past me and heard him go to the living room where Joey's hands were covering his red face. As I followed Anthony outside, I went to see him and Joey in an embrace, where it was more sad than comforting. Anthony was sobbing, and Joey tried giving him a reassuring pat on the back. Joey was the one to break the embrace and look Anthony straight in the eyes.

"Everything will be just fine. Okay Anthony?" He tried to get a nod from the man in front of him, but instead received another sob. "Anthony, look at me." Anthony's head moved up to gain eye contact with Joey again. "You are a very strong person. And even though she's not physically here, her love was too strong for you, and that will never change. She will always be in all of our hearts, Anthony. She will always be in your heart." Back in the embrace they were in before just made me feel... bad. I don't know why, but it feels like what Joey said to him was just beautiful, but the worst thing anyone can hear at the same time. She will never come back. Only the mere presence of her love will accompany him, but is that really there? Isn't it the soul that goes beyond this place we call earth? The soul that contains the love that we feel for others? The soul that makes us feel like we're human? Her love isn't there. It's an illusion that makes us believe our gone loved ones are still here. They're not. They are somewhere far away from our reach.

As my trail of thought left me to ignore everything around me, I heard Anthony's voice say, "Ian, I'm ready." I looked up and saw him standing in front of me with a bag clutched in his hands, waiting to leave the house with the memories of his lover. I tried giving him a reassuring smile and I walked towards him. I grabbed the bag from his hands, and walked outside to put it in the trunk of my car. As I turned around, I saw him with his back facing me, and his eyes admiring the sweet memories of the house. I lightly grabbed his shoulder, feeling as if he knew I was going to do that. "I'm coming." He turned back around and headed towards the car.

As I stepped on the gas, I saw his head following the direction of the house. "Don't worry, Anthony." I tried reassuring him. "You'll be okay. I promise."