Chapter 38: Goodbye

News spread like wildfire. Gina, who was getting some last minute supplies, briefly mentioned their departure was later that evening to Ronald. In turn, Ronald told Tim, who told Parsley, who told Lyla. Now Lyla was deeply concerned and left the shop to inform Kurt. Something had happened between Kurt and Dia, either good or bad, but he no longer visited her on Thursdays. She regarded him as a friend, not necessarily a good one, yet she still worried about him. Her dream of love was already over for her, but maybe, she thought, maybe she could save this one.

She inwardly cursed the tight fitting skirt that trapped her legs from moving any faster. 'If I was more like her, then this wouldn't be a problem.' The skinny young girl appeared in her mind. She had beautiful pink hair, just like Lyla, green eyes, and a young girlish figure. She seemed like a naïve child, bubbling about, even after Lyla interrupted her little chat with Parsley. Lyla's voice was almost filled with disgust that this was the girl Parsley, or Basil since little miss Nina liked that herb better, was secretly engaged to for so long. She went all the way to Flowerbud to confess her feelings to Parsley just to find out that he was doing other things than studying plants in the winter. However, she still managed to post-pone their wedding, pleading that they should get married in the spring "when everything is so warm and alive." But why was he teasing her by accepting her over-the-top hospitality when he was already engaged to another? Yet she would never stop loving him with her whole heart. Although she was slightly jealous of Nina, she was happy for Parsley and he would always remain Parsley, not Basil; the man of her dreams.

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Kurt was chopping away as usual. The rainy season had ended and the mild season had just begun. Now the weather was pretty much unpredictable, doing whatever it wants to do. The sky was dark and threatening that day…

A familiar voice called to him and stopped his work, "Kurt!"

He looked up and saw Lyla walk up to him. "Kurt," she paused for a moment and took a deep breath, "you might already know this but, Dia's leaving today." The ax almost fell out of his hands had it not been for Lyla's soft hand touching his arm briefly. "You need to say goodbye to her. You need it, and so does she."

With softened eyes he looked into Lyla's. "I didn't know…Thank you." He gripped the ax again and started to chop up some wood.

She, perplexed by his actions, watched him while gathering the right words to say, so as to not make him angry. "Aren't you…aren't you going to see her off?"

She heard him grunt in response. Joe shook his head and simply said, "It's no use trying to convince him to do anything. He's as equally stubborn as a fish trying to get reeled in."

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"Father!" Gina gasped as he threw his arms around her. Her whole family worked as servants for the Clove family, even before she was even born. Since she grew up with Dia, she had always thought of her as a sister no matter how badly Dia treated her.

"Oh, my little Gina! How I've missed you so!" He loosened the embrace and looked straight into her eyes. "You must hurry if you want to see your mother tomorrow." The journey to the city would take some time, the minimum being two days.

She flew out of his arms and began lugging around large chests, later throwing them into the car. Martha helped also, after hugging her son dearly.

Dia observed them working diligently from her bedroom window before she descended the stairs. A figure growing closer by the second startled her when she stepped outside the mansion.

"Dia!" And there he was, that dirty, petty worker running about. He stopped a few inches away from her. Gina and Martha held their breaths watching this performance. "I need to say something."

With uncaring eyes, she stared up at him and muttered, "You've said enough."

"Not enough for me." He turned a bright pink and veered his eyes to the left of her glare. "Look, I wasn't trying to be nice to you for the money or your looks or for your status, but for your heart. No matter what you might say or think, you are a beautiful person who shines brighter than any stupid, foolish moon. And I'd die to just go back in time to convince you that you truly are the brightest thing in the universe, but I realize that I am too late and I can't take back the things I've said. There's only one last thing I need to say…" He stared into her emerald eyes for the last time and smiled.

"Well, out with it." She muttered, her face dangerously turning a color oh-so familiar to Kurt's.

He reached out and wrapped an arm around her. She gasped at his sudden action and that only made him pull her closer to him so that she was fully against him. He ran the hand he was not using to hold her through her raven locks and gently pressed her head against his chest. With a shaky voice he said, "Dia, do you hear it? You made me remember that I had one of these." He released her from his tight hold and rested his hands upon her shoulders. Dia was beet red and slightly shaking as she stared up to that man. "Good…goodbye, my friend." He let his hands glide down her arms and back to his side while taking his last look at her.

She couldn't say anything. Nothing had shocked and terrified her more. Thunder was like newborn kittens compared to this. Her body felt chilled except for her face that burned.

"Miss, it's time we be going." Gina's father said as he motioned towards the car. He walked up to her and lightly grabbed a shaking arm of hers. She quickly withdrew from him.

"Goodbye, my friend." She mirrored as she took her last look of him. She walked with Gina's father to the car, her eyes never leaving Kurt's even after the car began to drive away. It started to rain softly, the water on the window made it harder for her to look at him.

Kurt couldn't bear to bring himself to wave to the slowly disappearing vehicle. Another person was gone from his life…

After the car left, he wandered into the unlocked mansion. A rage boiled inside of him that quickly turned into grief. As he tried fighting back the tears, a drop of water fell on his forehead.

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He spotted a strange book in his 'bookshelf.' When he picked it up, he noticed a white piece of paper stuck out from the pages. He flipped open to the page and read the peculiar bookmark. It was faded a little, but he could still read it.

Dia, I'm sorry.

As he looked closer, it appeared as if there could be writing on the back as well. He turned the little note over.

Kurt, I forgive you.

A tear fell from his eye and he quickly wiped it away. He looked back to the book and noticed something strange: The last pages were ripped out! He scanned his eyes over the cover page.

It seemed to be a fairytale.

End