Friday, October 1rst, Ba Sing Se

It had been a long day at work. She'd spent hours standing up, roaming around the halls of Middle Ring Hospital, checking on patients and dealing with their files. The extra weight of a human being growing in her stomach was starting to get in the way of her job, too. At eight months pregnant, the pain in her back was killing her.

But being heavily pregnant wasn't compared to the emotional burden she sometimes had as a nurse. Despite her gratifying ability to nurse people back to health, her job as a healthcare worker wasn't always light and fun. Sometimes, helping patients recover wasn't always possible.

That day had unfortunately been an example of that.

Her throat had been closed ever since she left the hospital, and Katara longed to get home. She would've been lying if she said she didn't cry when Old Man Jeong had passed away. But although she could've blamed it on the hormones and said it was a pregnancy thing, it was far from the truth. The few last words he'd said to her hadn't been rough, gross, or unpolite like they used to, and they echoed in her mind.

It wasn't unusual for that to happen. Senior people in their deathbeds tended to get extremely philosophical in their state, and all the nurses in the world could affirm they'd had a deep secret confessed to them, or heard a curious story. And it wasn't the first time that had happened to Katara either. She remembers that, in her first-ever week of work, an elder lady had confessed to her that her son wasn't her husband's. The second time around, another woman said she'd murdered the cheating husband of a friend's in her early thirties.

So she thought she had gotten used to it. Until Old Man Jeong surprised her, by temporarily letting go of his usual grumpiness and moving her with a heartwarming story.

Jeong was a known figure in the hospital. At the beginning of the year, he had kidney problems and never managed to stay more than a month away from the place. His situation had been stable at first, but the doctors would always find another issue to fix. So Old Man Jeong was mostly around, sick, but always lucid. So lucid, he'd been having the energy to hit on the female nurses and doctors. Katara had once been invited to dinner, but refused, claiming that she had a boyfriend. Old Man Jeong laughed and said she should dump him for a hotter guy like him. It was so creepy she found it funny.

However, his sexual misconduct with the staff wasn't the whole problem. He was the kind of person that was simply too hard to deal with. Grumpy, loudmouthed, and stubborn, Jeong was the patient the nurses had to hold to not run away from unpleasant medical procedures. He would refuse to take medicine, say that the doctors were dumb and that the cure for all of his diseases was fire whiskey. One time, he had to be moved from the shared rooms, because the man next to him didn't like the way he cursed like a sailor.

Which was why Katara was so shocked to see this other, sweeter, side of him.

She'd been keeping him company in his room, only to make sure he was taking the meds. Katara had sat on the chair by the bed and pretended to look at his file, focused when she was looking above the papers at him, as he swallowed a pill. This was usually a task of the staff since they all knew how he was a hard patient to deal with. She noticed how he seemed a little weaker that day, with dark circles under his eyes. They'd specified in the file how his situation was getting worse, and how the current meds weren't working as well as they used to.

But when her work was done, and she saw he'd taken the pill, Jeong motioned to her stomach.

"So, lady. When is the baby going to be born? You've been pregnant for a long time." He said, voice raspy. Shrugging, he continued to mutter. "Or maybe not, I wouldn't know. I've lost track of the time I've spent in this hellhole of a hospital."

Katara scoffed but smiled out of sympathy. She understood that the hospital wasn't a pleasant place to be in, especially if you're sick. "In less than a month. You won't be seeing more of me around for a while, Mr. Jeong. Don't worry."

"Oh, what a shame. You're a sight to have around. And I'm sure your baby will be beautiful too, with a mother like you." He wiggled his white eyebrows.

"Thank you." She was about to stand up to leave when he raised his arm towards the chair and motioned for her to stay.

"And how is your boy toy, Miss?" He continued, his eyes wrinkling. It was a funny thing, that even the grumpiest of patients seemed to get bored of sitting in a hospital bed all day long. Jeong, at first, hadn't liked to talk, but the longer he stayed hospitalized, the more he seemed fond of chatting. "The one I told you to dump? Did you?"

She sighed, with a playful grin on her face. Although she had work to do, Katara figured it was part of her job to help distract the patients from their pain a little. "No, I didn't dump him. And we're doing very well. We just moved in together. I'm a taken woman now, Mr. Jeong."

"I guess I missed my shot, huh? Ah, never mind. I'll move on to my next target." He leaned back against his pillow, his eyes now gleaming in remembrance. "Ah, young love. I remember what it feels like. The look on your face gives away that you're happy with him, huh."

Katara smiled fondly, nodding. "Yes, I am happy."

Old Man Jeong chuckled, the nostalgic look still stamped in his expression. "Good. If you find someone who puts that smile on your face, hold onto them. I learned it the hard way."

That shocked Katara. Since Jeong always seemed to be a pain, it was hard to see him as anything but so. But then again, he'd been young once, and for a moment, she was able to see the lovesick heart beneath the hard exterior he wore.

And she hadn't meant to extend her visit to his room after giving him the meds, but that day, he was looking pretty fragile. It was a little hard not to be nice to him when he looked the most vulnerable.

So she settled on the chair and looked at him interested. "Mr. Jeong?"

"Uhuh. Her name was Lily." He sat straighter in the bed and assumed a storyteller posture. "We met in my travels through the Earth Kingdom. She was the prettiest girl in the world, even prettier than you. No offense."

"None taken." Katara chuckled.

He sighed, and a small grin appeared on his lips.

"Lily was the love of my life. But... I was stubborn and stupid, and I let her go. You know, as a youngster, I was quite the charming man." Wiggling his eyebrows again, he scratched his chin. Then, assuming a more somber tone, he continued. "I was a womanizer. And I was afraid to settle down because I thought it would be tying me to something, and I wanted to be free."

"But, the thing in life is, you're never free from attachments. If you are, then you're alone, and that's a burden you tie yourself to." He turned to Katara, his eyes serious. "And it was a prison, losing Lily forever. I never married her, so her family gave her hand to a rich guy in their town. It was common, back then. I never saw her again. After many decades, I tried finding her again, in her hometown, but she had already passed. But it's life, you know? It can take some very surprising turns."

"Wow," Katara said, leaning forward to hold his frail hand. "I'm sorry that happened to you."

He hummed, looking straight into her eyes, in a way that she had to gulp. "My mistake was not being in heart and soul. I lost her, and I lost the precious time I had with her because I was afraid. Don't be afraid, Miss, to feel those big feelings with your baby daddy."

Katara's eyes were filled with tears, and she muttered to him that it was simply pregnancy hormones. "It's a beautiful story, Mr. Jeong. Thank you for telling me that."

Old Man Jeong grabbed her hand when she was about to stand up in such a quick motion it hurt her wrist a little.

"You're a nice lady and one of the least worse nurses in this place. So I want you to take this lesson for life, Miss." He said, in a grave tone. "I know I'm dying soon, so consider this my last gift to you."

She shook her head, her throat tightening. As a nurse, she was told to keep the spirit as lighter as possible for the patients, and she intended to keep being optimistic. "Oh, Mr. Jeong. You're not going to die so soon, you're recovering. Maybe a little slow, but-"

"We both know that's not true."

Somber silence was installed in the room, and she looked down.

Katara excused herself quickly, muttering that she needed to get back to work. She waved him goodbye at the door, shooting him a longing look. His eyes were circled with dark bags, but a faint, very small turn of his lips was still there. Before she stepped out of his room, he nodded, slowly.

And that was the last time she saw him.

The man's words echoed in her ears, mixed with the constant beep of the machines he had been hooked in, even hours later, as she was about to return home.

Clutching close to her bag, she looked forward to going home to Aang.

It had been an easy transition, as he moved in. He had only brought over the rest of his things, and although now she was relieved to have him around more often than not, she had not found it hard to adapt to her new roommate. Their apartment now felt whole, felt more lively. She loved it, and it didn't bother her that he let his shoes upside down by the door, or that he changed the placements of the furniture in the bedroom- As Aang claimed, it made the energy flow better.

At that moment, she was in serious need of 'better energy'. She could still feel Jeong's wrinkly hand on hers, his strong grip, and his hard lesson.

As she opened the door to her apartment, she noticed how the place seemed unaware of her bad mood.

When she took off her shoes, struggling a little due to her growing stomach, Appa barked, sniffling her. The TV in the living room was showing music videos of a man playing the guitar, one she was familiar with, as he was one of Aang's favorite singers. The smell of fresh food also circulated in the air, and when she looked to the kitchen, she saw her boyfriend cooking. The warm light of the room made his cheeks look red, in a healthy blush.

"Hey, sweetie!" Aang said, his usual smile on his lips, his eyes lingering in the food he was frying. In a glance, he looked up to her and his expression fell, somber upon seeing her dark eyes and red nose. Quickly, he turned off the stove and set aside the spoon. "Katara, is everything okay?"

She stood by the door, still. Pressing her lips in a thin line, as she tried to avoid his eye contact, she nodded and took off her coat.

"Uhuh." She noticed, from afar, that he quickly wiped his hands in a towel by the stove, and walked up to her. His signature scent brought her as much comfort as it could've, in that situation.

As he touched her arm and brushed his thumb across her cheek, she couldn't deny his gaze anymore. She sniffed, a frown taking over her face as she breathed in deeply.

"Old Man Jeong passed away today," Katara said, barely above a whisper. Her lip quivered, and she finally buried her face into her boyfriend's shoulders, as well as her swollen stomach could allow her.

Aang held onto her tighter, and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, as she pressed her eyes shut, in the hope to contain tears.

"The man that hits on the nurses all the time?" When she nodded, he pursed his lips. Noticing how the tears started spilling from her eyes, her torso vibrating in small sobs, Aang just rubbed her back as she let it out. "Oh, sweetie."

A couple of minutes later, when the tears seemed to have dimmed down- and his shirt was wet-, Katara pulled back, rubbing her eyes, darkened by the smushed mascara.

"I-I don't even know why I'm crying so much. I mean, I'm a healthcare professional. People have died before, you know?" She sighed, flopping down on the couch and curling up. The sofa sank as Aang sat next to her, and brushed a misplaced strand of hair out of her face. "Plus, he had this look in his eyes this afternoon... Looked so fragile, and he was saying these things... I was just too touched."

"Katara, you're a nurse, not a machine. Don't feel bad for crying." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'm so sorry about Old Man Jeong, though, sweetie."

"Thanks." She sniffed and hugged a pillow from the couch.

Appa, who had been staring at the couple with wide eyes, jumped onto the couch and settled his snout next to Katara's belly bump. Aang chuckled at the sight, giving his girlfriend another kiss. Then he snuggled in closer and looked deep into her eyes.

"Do you want to be distracted for a little bit, or do you want to talk about it? I'm here either way." He found her hand and clutched it.

Sinking further into the couch, Katara smiled through her tears. "Can we watch a very awful and cheesy movie?"

He chuckled again, standing up. "While eating noodles?"

"Of course!"

"And ice cream for dessert?" He grinned.

"Oh, you read my mind." She pondered for a moment, then added, wiping her eyes. "Actually, did you buy more of that vegan beef jerky?"

Aang, who was now standing by the stove, furrowed his eyebrows. He opened one of the cabinets. "The one you didn't like? Uh, yeah, we have some."

"Good." She patted the spot behind Appa's ear. "I've been having this weird craving of eating it as an ice cream topping."

"Oh." As he stood up, after grabbing bowls and chopsticks, he made a funny face.

"Do you think it would taste good?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, I think it's... debatable." Setting the bowls on the counter, he looked fondly at her. "But who am I to judge? So, I'll go grab a blanket while you choose the movie, okay?"

The final minutes of the movie played on the TV, the sentimental soundtrack echoing through the sound system.

Katara now stared at the empty cup of ice cream- that had been surprisingly good with the beef jerky, the salty flavors combining with the sweetness of vanilla. She took in a deep breath, feeling a little smushed by her baby, her boyfriend, and their dog, as they'd all settled around to watch the movie.

Aang's head was low, his face pressed against the couch. Even in his slumber, his hand didn't leave hers, settling just above her bump. His lips were slightly parted, and the tip of his nose brushed lightly against her hair, given their proximity. In her lap, a big furry white dog had joined the movie night. Appa's snout was pressed to her stomach, as the dog joined his owner in deep sleep.

She took the remote control and turned off the TV, not daring to make a sudden movement that could end up waking them up. But in the silence that settled after the soundtrack was done playing, Jeong's words started playing in her mind again.

Don't be afraid, Miss, to feel those big feelings with your baby daddy, He'd said.

Was she afraid? Katara knew she had been before, but a lot had changed since the beginning of the year when she'd found out she was pregnant. She had been terrified of the changes that would come with the baby, and of rushing into a relationship with Aang.

But they had come a long way. And even though it had all happened less than nine months prior, it felt like a lifetime ago. The thought that, a year ago, she hadn't even met him yet was enough to blow her mind. Every time she looked into his eyes, she felt something...Ancient.

It was inexplicable, the way she felt. How just with a few months of knowing him, she knew she could never be the same, and that he would be a part of her life forever. Aang was the most life-changing thing to ever enter her life, together with Bumi, of course.

Katara remembered some of the stories her Gran-Gran and her mom would tell her as a child about soulmates, Southern Water Tribe tales that had been passed from generation to generation, as she cuddled closer to where he slept on the couch. According to them, you knew you had a soulmate when instead of feeling your heart race, you feel all but a deep sense of peace, belonging.

She'd taken that knowledge, even if subconsciously, throughout her life. And at that moment, she noticed how, despite the butterflies in her stomach and the euphoric laughter Aang provided her with, it never felt rushed, nor intoxicating.

No, she wasn't afraid anymore. Peace was all she felt.

Slowly raising her hand to brush her thumb across Aang's cheek, she smiled.

Katara wanted that peace forever. She was in it, heart and soul.