Tape

my parents' love is like a balloon. 

it inflates, and it stays like that if they keep their mouth on the end. 

when they try to hold their love together. 

but what happens when they stop making an effort, for them, for their kids, for the people who know them as a loving couple?             

when they stop trying, their love is released, like air from a slashed tire. the balloon flies around the room, until it has no air left, and collapses, defeated at last. 

my parents' love inflates and deflates, but it always rises again. 

the rubber is stretched thin, time after time, but it always seems to have one more chance before it breaks. 

right now that ballon has been popped with a pin. 

nothing can bring it back, there's a hole in their hearts. 

in my heart. 

in my family's heart. 

our heart. 

it can be patched with duct tape.

scotch tape.

electricians tape.

washi tape.

metaphorical tape.

but tape is only a temporary solution to a permanent problem. 

where can i buy tape strong enough to fix my parents' love?