Chapter Text
Fili set the box on the floor. That was the last of it. Now, for better or worse, he was all moved in.
No one had been in the house in a few days and it was stuffy, so the first thing he did was open all the windows. The breeze and the sound of the gentle swells of the waves breaking along the beach made it feel a little less isolated than it actually was. Not that he was complaining about the isolation. He had paid for it, after all. He just hadn’t expected it to be so quiet.
He hadn’t expected to feel so lonely, either. He had been sick of people he knew coming by to check on him, or calling to see if he wanted to go out, or go to dinner, or do anything at all. He’d been tired of pitying looks from acquaintances that knew his name, but didn’t know him.
Everyone in the small town knew what happened. The crash that killed his parents was front page news for a while. Not because of the personal tragedy, but because of the massive automobile recall it had caused. Something about a leaking master brake cylinder, failed brakes, and the sensors not reading the brake fluid levels correctly. He didn’t pay a lot of attention to the details. He’d been too busy mourning the loss of his family.
Six months after they died, his long-term boyfriend walked out one day and never came home. A few days later he called, and told Fili they were over. “I don’t know what happened. You used to be fun,” he’d said. Fili had replied, “I just lost my parents, you insensitive fuckhead.” That was the next to last time they had spoken.
The last time was when the settlement was reported in the news. The manufacturer that was at fault threw a large amount of money at Fili, in exchange for papers saying he wouldn’t sue. He went to a lawyer, and was told that he could sue and probably get a lot more money. It was no guarantee, though, and it would take years of court and hassle. He decided against suing, but the lawyer did some talking and the amount of money doubled. Fili’s ex had called a few days after that. Fili told him not to call again, hung up, and blocked the number.
The money insured that he never had to work again, if he was smart about it. It also made him a lot of new friends. These were the types of people who only came around after hearing about the settlement, however, and he wanted nothing to do with them.
The money didn’t matter, anyway. No matter how large the settlement was, it wouldn’t be enough to do any noticeable damage to the company that was responsible for the deaths of his parents. It couldn’t bring his parents back, either.
What it could do was provide a fresh start. With the help of his lawyer, he found this house on the beach. Now no one, except a few close friends, a housekeeper, and the lawyer, knew where he was. He had paid for the house to be furnished with everything new and stuck the detritus of his old life in storage. He’d only brought some of his personal belongings: clothes, books, and his computer. Only a few boxes that could fit in his car. Maybe he’d get the other things out of storage one day. When it wasn’t so painful to look at them and the memories they recalled.
After he unpacked the boxes, he went from room to room. Everything was just as he requested, from the sheets on the bed to the stocked fridge. He was still restless after making a circuit and couldn’t settle down, so decided to inspect outside.
His house was up on stilts with a big wooden deck. He imagined it would be perfect for watching sunsets, but for now he headed down the steps to the beach. The house was nice enough, but this is why he wanted to be here. His own private beach, framed by the natural curve of the shoreline on one side, and a jetty made from large stones on the other.
Deciding to inspect the jetty first, Fili headed that way. It looked like it was made from cut granite. Even wet, the rough stone gave him enough purchase to walk along without slipping and he was glad he kept his shoes on. It got higher as he walked out farther. It hadn’t looked too long from his house, but when he reached the end, the beach seemed far away.
He turned his back on the beach and his house, and sat down on one of the huge stones. Now, out here with only the sea for company, away from the prying eyes of everyone, he allowed his grief crash over him like one of the waves. He bowed his head and cried, allowing the tears to stream unchecked down his face.
After the tears had run their course, he stayed on the jetty looking out to sea. When the sun started to go down, he stood and started to make his way back to shore. He felt hollow and fragile from his crying jag, and had a headache. Even so, maybe the burden of grief he carried had lightened a tiny bit. It was enough to plant a seed of hope in his heart.