One Last Kiss

"Daddy, I know there’s a reason you never talk about Mama, but I wanna know more about him.”

Forty-year-old Andy Biersack turned in his office chair to face his sixteen-year-old daughter, Legacy. After so many years, it still hurt to look at her, not because he didn’t love her or thought she’d ruined his life, but because she reminded him so much of his deceased husband. Other than the pale skin she’d inherited from him and the crystal blue eyes that sparkled with life, love, and laughter and matched his own, she was a little replica of the man he’d sworn to love until the end of time.

He sighed heavily as he began to recall memories of their all too short, but happy and love-filled years together, fighting back tears. He knew that his friends, the men he used to be in a band with, had told her countless stories of what her mama was like before his untimely demise over the years, but there were some things they never spoke about.

They never once told her just how in love their parents were, how big a mess he was for months after his death, and most importantly, what’d caused him to leave them behind. It was the most selfless act anybody could ever commit, and for that he applauded his lost love, but he hated that he’d had to leave them. He allowed their daughter to keep pictures of him given to her by friends and family in her room, but didn’t want them anywhere in the house where he could see them. It wasn’t because he hated the man, nor had fallen out of love with him; no, quite the contrary.

Not once in all the years since he’d died had Andy fallen out of love with his husband. In fact, he’d stayed in love with him and sworn to never love another, a vow he’d kept until this very day. He didn’t want the pictures around because he already had enough reminders of him in his memories; he didn’t need to see his face and risk a breakdown that could very well get Legacy taken from him. Everybody knew, understood, and respected that, and applauded him for being able to continue with life and raising their beautiful daughter, despite the pain he was in. They all said that he was strong enough to conquer anything, and he’d jumped more hurdles in the past twenty years than he ever had before.

Taking a deep breath, he motioned the teen over to him and gestured for her to take a seat. “You’re right, Legacy. I never speak about your mama, not because I don’t love him, but because I do. So very much. I know your aunts and uncles have told you countless stories about him over the years; I suppose it’s time I told you how we met…and how we were separated.”

Notes