two

   Alexander, I love you.

   A sudden voice made Alexander's eyes snap open. He laid flat on the bed and was now looking at the ceiling. He fell asleep and just realized that now. He quickly sat up and took a peek from the window. It was already dawn. As far as he could remember, he came there in the afternoon. He was sure that he had fallen asleep for few hours.

   Did he just dream about her? Well, if he did, he should be happy. A month had passed already and this was the first time he felt more of her presence. She called out his name like the way she used to. But she said that she loved him. It was something that she never did. Or was it something she never had the chance to say? Regret engulfed Alexander. He could've said how much he loved her, too.

   “How are you now?” he still asked though he knew no one will answer. It made him feel a bit better.

   A faint creaking sound made him turn his head. Alexander saw the study table's small cabinet door was opened a little. Without hesitating, he stood up from the bed and walked to it. He knelt close it and noticed something inside. He reached for it and pulled it out.

   It was a scrapbook. It was simply covered in a thin Japanese paper with light pink, flowery designs on it. On the right edge of the cover, letter H was written.

   Walking back to the bed, he sat on the floor with his back resting on the bed’s headboard. He touched the scrapbook, questions running through his head. Alexander had never seen this before. He slowly opened it and on the first page, a scrawled handwriting said:

This belongs to:

Hannah

   She made this when she was still a kid? Alexander thought, surprised. He couldn’t believe that his best friend actually hid something like this. Abruptly, he turned to another page. A picture of two kids in pre-school uniform was pasted. They were sitting side by side on a bench, smiling and showing peace signs with their little hands. Under it, still with doodle-like writing, was a caption that said:

   Today… Mom took a picture of me and my newfound best friend, Alexander! I am so happy that I finally found my best friend! Starting tomorrow, I will share him the cookies that Mom made me.

   In a split of seconds, it came. Pain or sorrow, whatever you call it. It just hurt. A lot. He thought he had moved on, but no. He still hadn’t yet. The realization that he will never be okay when he said that he will was much worse. He knew that it’ll be hard for her but it was hard for him, too. Very much harder. One by one, warm tears streamed down on Alexander’s face.

   “Hannah…”