When the baby began to cry as the air of the world hit his lungs, Isabella smiled so joyful and also so exhausted.

It had been five years but now, she had become a mother and a new path on her journey had been added.

The doctors wrapped the baby boy in a blue blanket and handed him to his father, Candlewick.

The baby's eyes were barely open but Candlewick knew almost instantly deep down in his heart, the name for this child of his and Isabella.

"Pinocchio,"

He looked back up at Isabella, his wife smiling weakly but nodded just the same.

"After my brother," Candlewick whispered to his son and hugged him close.

In the next few years, the two had two more children, two girls and Candlewick gained his experience in the open sea. He had to. He had to feed his family.

When his son was ten years old, he was old enough to join his father Candlewick, the thirt-four-year-old Candlewick, as they sailed far from the coast, throwing down nets and pulling up fish.

The young father smiled warmly at his son, a small feeling of pride bubbling up in his heart.

Isabella trained to become a nurse and so was always at the local doctor's, working and helping to keep their family going.

Sometimes Candlewick would look out to the open sea of the Mediterranean and just stare silently at the sun as it set for the day, every day.

He liked to look at it alone, as it brought him a happy emotion. That being, that maybe one day he'd meet his loved ones that had passed, in that dying light and in the start of a new day.

His mother had passed away as well now, leaving Candlewick the only living remaining relative in his family tree.

The setting sun reflected in his shining eyes, and his children knew to never bother him while he was in this trance and state.

Grandchildren came soon, Candlewick realizing he was getting a receding hairline, and many grey strands of hair for a matter of fact too.

But it was better to become an old man than die in one's youth... he knew in his heart this was true.

But he still missed his loved ones who died too soon.

Pinocchio, Gepetto, his mother and even sometimes... his father.

When his time came to leave this earth as well, he was laying in his bed beside his sleeping wife, and he smiled at her, Isabella smiling back his way.

She kissed him on his wrinkled cheek and got up to go to the bathroom.

He felt his heart begin to slow in itself, and he called out the room for his wife and anyone who was there to hear.

"I'M DYING."

The moment these words hit Isabella's ears, she rushed to her phone and rang her children and their families to come quickly.

She knew Candlewick always spoke the truth, and in the next hour, all his family stood around his bed, his heart quaking as it struggled to beat on.

"Candlewick..." Isabella whispered to him, kneeling by his side and holding his frail old hand tightly in hers, "Please... please promise me something,"

He turned his veined old eyes in the direction of her old blue ones, and he nodded to her, smiling as he told her to go on.

"That you'll wait for me up there until we can all be together once more,"

"Of course..." He whispered and she closed her eyes in tears, gripping his cold hand tightly and Candlewick looked his eyes at his children. Seeing his daughters and seeing his son.

Pinocchio.

"Father," His son said to him, as he caught his father's warm elderly gaze, "Tell us... what do you see?"

Candlewick gazed away into thin air... but it wasn't really what he was looking at. No... he was looking at a light that was glowing in the distance and he smiled gently replying as his heart thudded for the last time.

"I see heaven... I... I see the light..."

Isabella sobbed heavily and suddenly Candlewick's hand lost all strength and its grip.

"I..." Candlewick spoke so very much in fragile pain, "...I see home..."

He died that moment, his eyes losing the light of his soul as his body was frozen now, and his chest exhaled its last breath as he left this world.

For the next.

As he was pulled into the light he saw in the distance where it was coming from, the many people he had known in his life.

He saw his mother, Gepetto, Sebastian and Sprezzatura... his father even though Candlewick's soul tensed up as he looked at the man he had killed.

"Father..." He uttered, and looked at his papa... but something was different about him.

His father was younger looking, seeming to be his prime age of twenty-two.

Candlewick came to him, the light piercing behind the young man and as he approached him, coming away from the physical world to this spiritual, he felt his own body age backwards too.

Back to when he was twenty-one... the near same age as almost all who were here.

His father hugged him then, Candlewick tensing up as crystal tears welled in his own young eyes once again.

"You never killed me, Candlewick," His father whispered to him, holding him close as he said in his son's ear, "And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you..."

Memories of when Candlewick had cried about his father in bed during the military camp... how he believed so deeply that that man didn't love him.

"And not just after death..." His father said gently looking at Candlewick with his young eyes once more, "When I was still in your life... I'm sorry I wasn't the father you needed..."

"But you are that father now," Candlewick cried, smiling such a joyful smile. He hugged his father back and then let go of him, searching the crowd of angelic people for his best friend. His brother...

Where was Pinocchio?

It was then, a young man stepped forward, smiling at Candlewick, but Candlewick couldn't recognize him.

"Who are you..?" He wept, so scared now that his best friend hadn't made it to heaven, "Where's Pinocchio?" He begged and the young man smiled at him, replying to his pleas.

"I guess I look a bit different..."

Candlewick stared at him, so very confused and the young man spoke again bravely, such a kind smile on his lips.

"It's me, Candlewick... me Pinocchio... and me..." The boy remained so very silent that moment before finishing with warm loving eyes, "Me... Carlo,"

"Carlo?!" Candlewick gasped and the young man smiled back, nodding his head and when Candlewick looked at him, it was like he was looking into him and all the love, memories and life the two had shared.

"I... I don't understand?" Candlewick whispered to himself more than anyone else and Carlo came to him, giving out his tanned hand and Candlewick looked down to it...

It was then he saw him... he saw Pinocchio's hand reaching out to his, and Candlewick glanced quickly back into Carlo's eyes, before smiling widely with tears, pulling the boy into a big embrace as he cried in glee.

"PINOCCHIO!"

Carlo had tears sweeping down from his own eyes as well, and he hugged Candlewick closely back, whispering in happiness, "I've got so much of this world to show you, brother,"

The two released one another and Candlewick was smiling so joyfully, as he had been reunited not with just his family... not just his friends... not just his brother...

But...

But his soulmate, Pinocchio- no, Carlo- NO. Them both!

He slowly looked back into the distance as he saw his body lose its last ounce of warmth and he knew his wife and children and all those that remained back would be here with him soon.

Carlo nudged his head towards the complete entrance of this new world. This heaven, this paradise...this home.

Candlewick smiled back, chuckling in glee and everyone came to his side, walking with him into the light and away from the world of pain and heartache... but also a world that had been so full of love and joy.

But he had done the journey, he had stuck it through. He had done what he needed to, and now he needed to reach his prize, his destination...

His true home.

Heaven.

And Candlewick knew for certain he wouldn't have to wait too long for his wife to be back by his side.

She would be here soon.

He just slowly turned back around, seeing the material world vanish away from his sight and from his life forever.

But the light of the next world was shining oh so bright.

"Did you miss me?" Carlo asked him cheekily as the two had returned to one another, a bond deeper than space and time and Candlewick smiled back at him, nodding his head truthfully as he said.

"Every day..."

Carlo smiled warmly at him.

"Every day..."

"And now?"

"Now?" Candlewick whispered, and nodded back at him as he said with such a true smile, "Now... everything is right..."

He closed his eyes, remembering his life that had passed.

"Pinocchio?" He said, and his brother nodded back to him, "I guess I'll be calling you Carlo now,"

"I guess so,"

"Carlo..?" He then asked and the young man nodded again, "Thanks for giving me a friend,"

The two smiled at one another and walked side by side into this new home.

"Thanks for being my brother..."

This new reality... this new world...

The End.