Hello again, everyone! I understand there's not much regularity to the rate at which I post these stories, but I can safely say that I'm working on my content as diligently as possible. I hope all is well with all y'all, because although school can be a bit demanding, I am doing well myself. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Time for more self-insert trayush!
If yesterday had been beautiful, today was both an augmentation and a realization. I checked my emails before anything to make sure I wouldn't be missing anything, and wouldn't you know, all the teachers, bless their hearts, still seemed too distraught to go back to teaching. I didn't know how to wrap my head around this. The last time I remember a student's death shaking a school was back home when a friend of my sister had been accidentally killed by a drunk driver. It hadn't affected me, but I guess I underestimated how the scope and scale of Kate's relationships with everyone affected them in the wake of this event. Getting everything in order was surely a daunting task in and of itself. Even still, I had no intention on missing another moment with my beloved. I would even skip class if it were necessary. Good God, I'm never wasting another moment without her again. Without a second thought, I packed my bag, donned my clothes, and got ready to leave. It was early, but I had slept so well, it didn't matter. Still, I never quite managed to free my mind entirely from the lingering fear of what could have happened. Every now and again, I would catch that fear lingering in my mind, slithering about like a viper, never really departing from me. Whatever was bound to happen, I wanted to make sure I was near Kate for as long as I could be. To hell with everything else. As I finished getting ready, I received a message from Max.
"Hey Dan, I hope you don't mind me coming to see Kate. I want to make sure she's okay. If I see you there, I won't bother you two for too long. Thx, Max." I couldn't help but smile. I don't know what had kept her so busy yesterday, but far be it from me to chastise her after what I'd been guilty of. I put my phone in my jacket and got ready to ride Amélie over to the hospital. Before anything else, however, I felt compelled, for whatever indiscernible reason, to buy more flowers for her. Knowing her, she'll have been sharing those flowers I'd given her yesterday. I'd put money on it. Still, even while buying the flowers, I kept thinking there was something better I ought to get her. I knew what it was, and considering… No, now wasn't the time. As much as I wanted to, it was something I should wait for. Still, there were few other things which I felt fit. Before I left, however, I was surprised by the next person to walk in the door to the flower shop: Victoria Chase. I knew how badly she had bullied Kate in the past, and I couldn't help but feel an involuntary, angry, soft growl rumble in my throat. I hoped she hadn't heard that.
"What are you doing here? Buying something for your fuckboy Jefferson?" I bit at her. I was surely going to regret that later. She looked genuinely and intimately offended as I finished that sentence. Her face contorted in such a way that I could tell she was going to give a verbal lashing, but almost as quickly as that snarl appeared, she went back to a frown and swallowed her just anger.
"I was actually coming to get something for Kate. I was thinking of hand-delivering, but if you'll be there, I may just reconsider, asshole." She bit back at me. I felt my rage starting to bubble up in me. I would've snapped every stem in that bouquet, had it not been for the wave of bewilderment that swallowed my mind at the mention of Kate's name.
"What the hell are you getting for her? A wreath shaped like a noose? You don't think I know you contributed to putting her up on that roof?" The moment those words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. Victoria looked as though I'd just broken her nose at the sound of my vile retort. Despite that, I maintained my stance, not wanting to waver. Victoria took a tremendously deep breath as she formed her response. I knew I'd done something excessive.
"I was going to get her some tulips, orchids, and hyacinths. I feel horrible about what I've done to her. I haven't had a full night's sleep since she almost died." She sounded like she was about to cry. I wouldn't have ever been able to tell she'd been sleep deprived. For what she lacked in compassion, she at least was able to compensate in creative ways to apply a mask. Despite this, my anger only softened ever so slightly.
"How do you think I feel? You almost killed the woman I love. It's a miracle I can even see her today…" I trailed off for a moment. I didn't like crying in front of anyone, not even Kate, if I could help it. I'd sooner jump in front of a bus than show vulnerability before Victoria. I turned to her, and I saw her trying agonizingly to hold back tears herself.
"I made some stupid decisions, okay?! I don't need to be reminded of how horrible I am. I can barely leave my room because I know I'll pass hers on my way out. I can barely force myself to eat! Hell," she grew quiet. "Part of me wishes it had been me on that rooftop. I… I hate what I've done more than you realize. Even when I can sleep, I'm crying all the way there." Tears were streaming down her face as she spoke through the constriction of her closing throat. I didn't know what to do. For a moment, I wanted to apologize, but then, I was overtaken by a wave of guilt. All the memories I had of being cruel to people came flooding back to me simultaneously. It was in that moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to run and hide, curl up in a ball, and cry until the collective screaming of all those horrible memories fell silent. I hadn't even noticed I'd fallen to the floor. A few moments later, I woke up with Victoria Chase and the shopkeep over me. I felt dizzy, and my speech was slurred as I spoke for my first sentence.
"W-whahappen…?" I struggled to say. My head was swimming with all my negative emotions in a pool of despair.
"You just fainted! Are you okay?" I looked at Victoria with confusion as she said that. Part of me wanted to mock her, stating that she couldn't possibly care, but that look, despite everything, was enough to make me bite my tongue and simply nod. "G-good. Get up." She said, trying to mask her emotions. I lifted myself off the ground, checked my roses, and after stumbling a bit, I felt sorry for having opened my mouth.
"I-I… I'm… I'm so sorry… I didn't realize…" I tried to keep it together. I wanted to say something, anything, just to admit my fault.
"I really mean it. I hate what I did to her. It's why I can't make myself go see her." Victoria said. Where once had been rage and defensiveness, there was now empathy. I was convinced no one had felt as awful as I had about what could have happened. Still, I had at least been able to sleep at all. I had had dreams pleasant and beautiful, knowing only that I desperately wanted to spend every remaining moment I could with Katie, but I had barely given a spare thought to anyone else, even our friends. With a soft sigh, I gently put my hand on her shoulder and spoke.
"I understand how that feels. I felt so horrible about my outburst at the party that I would've been content to just lay down and turn to dust. I nearly didn't say anything to Katie, and look where it got her…" I stopped for a second. Saying that out loud really cemented how dire everything had been. I didn't want to imagine what would've happened if I'd failed. "If she's happy to see me, I'm sure she'll be ready to forgive you. She's a real sweetheart like that." I smiled and blushed at the thought of her kindness. She was a blessing in every sense of the term. Even the mental image her name summoned made me feel warm. I loved her so much. Victoria, meanwhile, was starting to sprout the first genuine smile I'd seen on her lips since I'd known her.
"I know… She's too damn sweet." Even in saying that, however, she sadly frowned a bit.
"She'll be happy to hear a genuine apology from you, Victoria." I said softly. I tried to share as much warmth as I could through my words and gentleness. "Still, I told I'd be at the hospital soon. I wouldn't want to keep a lady waiting." I smiled. Victoria laughed softly at my attempt at humor. Perhaps now, she would be inclined to stop on by. I could only hope.
"I… I should…" Something about her being shy didn't make any sense. As much as I knew we had a bad history together, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Victoria.
"Feel free to come by whenever you like. We'll be happy to have you." I gently offered. "I should go now, though. She's still waiting." I smiled gently as I got ready to leave.
"Thank you…" Victoria said as she dried her eyes. I almost wanted to cry at the thought of that. What bizarre universe had I entered that was so divorced from reality that Victoria Chase, the queen bee herself, could be compelled to feel remorse over her actions? Perhaps I simply needed to get my head out of my ass and drop my vendetta against her type. As I turned to leave the store, I looked back once more, and… Damn it, I couldn't just leave. I turned back to Victoria and opened my arms to offer a hug. She looked me up and down for a moment, possibly trying to gauge my intentions, but when she saw my offer was genuine, she stepped into my embrace, and I shared a hug I never knew I'd ever have. Despite our history, I felt happy exchanging such a warm embrace with her. Maybe we could be friends after all… Hopefully…
Once I disconnected from Victoria's hug, I offered once again to give her a ride to the hospital, but she declined. I guess I couldn't blame her. Even after multiple times on my bike, it still scared Kate. I mounted my steel beauty and rode to the hospital. Clean-up crews were working hard all up and down the road to clear away all the dead birds from yesterday. It may not have concerned me as much as it probably should have, but it was still an unsettling scene to behold. Full street sweepers struggled to clear the road. Despite this, I kept riding. I'll be damned if I let a few pigeon carcasses keep me from Katie. I arrived at the hospital yet again, and I was pleased to see that I was early yet again. Hell, it almost looked like the birds had never fallen on the hospital parking lot. I made my way in yet again, checked in, and as I approached her door, I heard two sets of footsteps approaching me from behind. Not suspecting much, I calmly turned around, and who would I see but one of the most heroic people I'd met in all of Arcadia Bay: Maxine Caulfield. I beamed at the sight of her, though I didn't recognize her friend immediately. Without a second thought, however, I immediately opened my arms to hug her.
"Max! It's so good to see you!" I said as she and I drew closer to each other. We exchanged a warm, friendly hug. I wanted to give her one of my trademark bear hugs, but decided against hugging any tighter than an embrace between close friends.
"It's good to see you, too, big guy." Max said as we hugged. After another moment, she and I broke away and smiled. I looked for a moment over to her friend, and she waved hello. Not wanting to be rude, I held out my hand to shake hers.
"I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Daniel, Katie's boyfriend." The blue-haired girl smiled shyly and took my handshake.
"Chloe. I'm Max's… friend. C-can I get a hug, actually? I hope that's not weird." Chloe asked. I raised a single eyebrow only so high, and smiled a bit. I was confused, but getting a hug was always nice.
"Sure, absolutely!" I amicably replied. I opened my arms and let her into my embrace, and she seemed to take her sweet time hugging me back. Beyond that, she reached underneath my motorcycle jacket and splayed her hands across my back. I also heard a distinct sound from her like she was enjoying a tasty dish. I started to release my hug, but she didn't seem to want to let go. Feeling a little awkward, I felt compelled to attempt to push away, but before I could, Max grabbed Chloe's shoulder and gently pulled her away. Chloe looked a bit disappointed at this, and I couldn't help but blush. I liked being complemented on my body, but getting frisked by someone I'd only just met was a bit… overwhelming.
"Anyway," Max cut in as all of us felt the full brunt of awkwardness brought about by that instance. If my social skills had been poorer, I would've sank to my knees and thanked her in veritable prayers. Since my inclinations are far beyond such nonsense, however, I simply gave her a subtle nod. "You mind if we come in to say hi?" Max finished. I couldn't refuse such an offer.
"What am I, her keeper? Of course! I've no doubt she'll be elated to see you." I said with a smile. I still knew little about Chloe beyond her… appreciation of my fitness habits. If she was close enough to Max that she would be comfortable coming with her to say hello, however, then I supposed I could trust her. We walked up to her door when Chloe decided to hang back.
"Y-you guys go on ahead. I'll just wait here." She said as she sat down. I wouldn't have anyone feeling sad if I could help it.
"There's no need to be a stranger. I know Katie will be happy to at least make a new friend. Come on in!" I offered. Chloe still appeared hesitant as I made the offer, actually sinking back into herself. I thought she might have some variety of social anxiety. Before I could speak again, Max went up to her, held her hands and gently looked her in the eye. I could only make out what they were saying to each other so well, but I got enough to understand their plight.
"Chloe, I know you feel guilty about that call. I know you may not know Kate all that well. There's nothing to worry about." Max calmingly said to who I could only assume was her friend right now.
"Max, I'm going to make an ass of myself. She wouldn't want to see some freak, like me." Chloe kept doubting herself. I wanted to interject, but far be it from me to interrupt Max when she's about to make a point.
"Chloe, Katie is the nicest, sweetest, friendliest girl you will ever meet. There's nothing about you that would repulse her." Max reassured Chloe. I found this the perfect opportunity to supplement such a point.
"She's right." I began. "I've been dating Katie for over a year now, and I've never been the kind of guy she ever would have expected to date. Hell, we don't even believe the same way. She's the most devout Christian I've ever met, and that doesn't stop her from loving me. Her parents don't even know what I am. Beyond that, I used to mess with her by playing my scariest music I liked on the stereo. It never stopped her from loving me. Hell, I've even had some terrible anger problems in the past, and even now I still have issues. She's cared more than enough to not only stay with me, but lift me up when I have problems like that. I couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend. She'd be more than happy to be your friend." I said. Taking that trip down memory lane filled me with a sweet sensation of both nostalgia and romance. I blushed deeply while thinking of her. It only cemented how important she was to me, and therefore, I needed to do something for both of us. Chloe looked like she was on the verge of tears. I wanted to apologize, but Max acted before I could do anything. She put her hands on Chloe's cheeks, looked her in the eye, and spoke.
"It's okay, Chloe. You don't have to if you don't want to." Max said with the kind of tone I'd only shared with Katie. I tried not to be too imposing a presence as I stood by Katie's door, only stealing a couple of side glances to see how Chloe would respond. The two of them kept looking into each other's eyes, and I could only stand at a distance and observe. While I glanced over, I saw Chloe gently put her left hand on top of Max's as she continued to hold her cheek. Her expression changed to a soft smile.
"I'll be okay if I'm with you." Chloe finally said. The look they exchanged was nothing short of loving. What happened next, however, made me blush. The two of them shared a kiss. Seeing genuine affection bloom was more than enough to make me smile broadly. I hated looking like a softie in front of strangers, but to hell with that. This was too damn cute. Once they finished their kiss, they noticed I had the giddy look on my face normally seen on Japanese Schoolgirls in anime. Max blushed to herself, and Chloe looked at me with a bit of indignation. I held up my hands in an apologetic gesture as I failed to resist the urge to start a long line of inquiries.
"I hate to be intrusive, but how long have y'all been dating?" I opened. Both of them blushed.
"We only just started." Max shyly stated.
"We should've started sooner." Chloe said with a bashful, sweet smile on her face. As sweet as this was, however, I couldn't forget the original reason for my being here.
"That's beyond adorable. Anyway, I hate to cut y'all off, but I believe we've all kept my baby waiting long enough." I said.
"Our bad. After you." Max smiled. Without another moment's hesitation, I took hold of the door's handle, and stepped inside. To my pleasant surprise, Kate was sitting next to her bed, clipboard on her lap, pen in hand. I felt so happy to know everything was getting back to normal for us. She looked up at the sound of our entrance. Scanning our spontaneous group, Katie looked so happy. I opened my arms as she stood up to approach and embrace me. Having her in my arms felt so warm in a way my bike jacket could never deliver. No place was ever more welcome than in her divine embrace. Our hug was tight and yet gentle. If I said I'd loved her before, I would never be able to state how much I fully did. A thousand times stating that would not even equate to the most insignificant fraction of how far and broad my love for her extended. She was nothing less than perfection. As she and I loosened our embrace ever so slightly, I looked in her eyes, put my free hand on her soft, gentle cheek, watched her beautiful, hazel eyes sparkle like a night sky undisturbed by light pollution, and slowly moved in again for a kiss. Her lips were as soft as ever. I knew I had to keep it brief with our company, so I reluctantly hesitated from lingering. I pulled slowly away as I finally spoke.
"I'll never get tired of this, baby." I said softly to her.
"Me either, big guy." Katie replied. Breaking these embraces never got any easier; each time felt like having a warm blanket pulled from me, leaving me to face the cold. At least it was minimized by the presence of close friends and a new one as well.
"I hope you don't mind that I basically brought a party wagon with me. I would've arrived earlier, but-" Katie put a finger on my lips to gently hush me.
"I love that so many of you care." Katie said with a gentle joy in her voice. She almost looked like she was about to cry. I would've tried to stop her tears, but she immediately went to give Max a hug.
"Kate!" Max said as the two of them embraced each other. It felt good to see her getting back to her old, happy self-more and more each day. "I'm so glad to see you. You look awesome." Max was always one of the best friend for whom Kate could ever ask. I could never thank her enough for spearheading the effort to save Katie's life. I only wished I could find a way to repay her for her limitless kindness and valor.
"I'm sorry for causing such a fuss." Katie said in a tone as humble as ever. At the sound of this deprecation, Max and I immediately intervened simultaneously to tell my baby to quit shooting herself down. Before either of us could say anything, however, Chloe, of all people, stepped in to lift Katie back up.
"Hey, I may not know everything about what's been going on, but no one as sweet as you seem should ever feel sorry for asking for help. You hear me? Nothing that's happened recently has been your fault. You're our friend, Kate, right?" To see such passion in someone who barely even knew Katie was a thoroughly welcome and inspiring sight. Kate was a bit frightened at first to be confronted like that by someone she didn't even know, but after Max put her hand on Kate's shoulder, she calmed down and smiled a bit. "You don't need to worry about bugging us. We're here to help you." Chloe finished. Kate started to blush again. I was afraid we were overwhelming her with our copious assistance, but ultimately, we felt good about how things were going.
"Thank you…" Katie softly said as Chloe finished.
"Oh! Damn it! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Chloe Price. I'm Max's… er…" Chloe trailed off for a moment, apparently unsure of how or whether she should mention the full extent of her relationship with Max. I wanted to reassure them. Katie may be religious enough to promote abstinence everywhere on campus, but she lived a breed of religion steeped in love. It wasn't easy at first, but as she interacted with people like me, her barriers had come down. Max took her girlfriend's hand, laid her head on Chloe's shoulder, and finished her sentence.
"She's my girlfriend." Max sweetly said. Kate looked a bit surprised for a moment, but I could hardly blame her. Max never seemed like the type to go searching for love llike that, even with Warren being so intent on presenting himself as a viable option.
"Aww, that's so sweet! I wish I'd known sooner!" Katie said.
"Shall we sit down?" I offered. I knew that we should have some kind of atmosphere of invitation. Everyone followed as we seated ourselves. Max and Chloe took the chairs next to Kate's window, and Kate and I sat directly next to each other on the end of her hospital bed.
"I have to be honest, I always thought you and Warren would be a thing together. He always liked you so much." Kate opened the conversation again.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I always thought Warren was really sweet, but… there was something about him I never quite… felt. Then, when Chloe and I met up again after all this time… Well…" Max was starting to blush. As strong and brave as she had been in the past few days, her adorable shyness was a key feature of her personality. Before Max could hesitate to finish any longer, Chloe stepped in to complete her thought.
"We shared a kiss, and the rest just kind of snowballed from there." Chloe finished. I could tell she was restraining her tongue from the looks she exchanged with Max. Max just blushed and nodded with a bashful smile on her face as Chloe completed the thought.
"I have to admit, and I apologize if this sounds at all prejudiced, but I thought you were straight?" I asked Max as humbly and gently as I could.
"Actually, I'm bi. We both are." Max corrected me.
"She's even got the haircut to prove it!" Chloe joked. Kate tilted her head in confusion, Max glared at Chloe, and I tried to strangle any laughter that tried to escape my lungs at that statement. "Granted, I'm hella more into girls than dudes, but still, damn Kate! You know how to pick a hunk!" Chloe said. I was a bit surprised by the fact that she was being so forward when she had been so awkward before, but I guess good company can do that for people. Kate blushed deeply at that comment, and so did I. I could barely force myself to look up.
"Anyway…" Max cut through the painfully awkward silence following Chloe's… generous comment. "Has this big lug been treating you well?" Max asked Kate. I was not going to get a break from blushing that day.
"Yeah. I'm a lucky girl to have a gentleman like him." Katie said happily as she put her hands together in her lap. I put my hand on her shoulder and attempted to give her a kiss on the cheek. Before I reached her, however, she turned to face me, and we ended up kissing on the lips. I was a bit surprised by this, but when I looked in her eyes, I saw that she'd been waiting for that. For such a devout Christian girl, she could be more devious than me sometimes. I smiled at her. "He's been coming here every day, always bringing me flowers." I looked at the vase where they'd been before, and was surprised that they weren't there. "I hope you're not mad, but I shared a lot of them with the other patients. I know they need love a lot more than I do." Kate finished. Hearing her say that was sweet, but I couldn't help but feel my heart break at the sound.
"Katie, I'm not mad at all about that. I actually expected you to do something like that. Still, you are worth so much more than you say. I love you so much. You deserve all the love I have to give you; that we all have to give you. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I said to her as sweetly as possible.
"I'm sorry…" Kate began as she started to curl up a bit.
"Katie, you have nothing to feel sorry about. Come here." I said as I pulled her close and hugged her. I could feel her warm up as we shared an embrace, and both of our faces turned deep shades of scarlet as both Max and Chloe audibly went 'AWWWWW'.
"Max, why aren't you that romantic?" Chloe teased her girlfriend. I couldn't help but laugh a little bit at that statement.
"What do you want me to do? We've only been dating for a couple of days!" Max teased back.
"I don't know, maybe you could get a picture of Nathan Prescott in a pair of panties? That'd get me to buying a ring right away!" Chloe said. Katie flinched a little at the mention of that bastard's name. Hearing Chloe's idea didn't help me much, either. I still wanted him to pay for what he'd done.
"That… reminds me, what have you learned about our case?" I asked the two of them. As unpleasant as it was to hear about that little bastard, it was still a utility to know. Saying that made the room go quiet for a moment, and the full weight of the situation bore down on us.
"We're learning more and more as we keep digging." Max spoke first.
"Yeah. We're finding everything we can about not just what happened to Kate, but to…" Chloe paused for a second, trying to find the gumption to string together the next words in her sentence. "To Rachel. I'm sorry, it's not easy for me to talk about her. I miss her." It was strange watching Chloe be such a paradox. One moment, she was ready to feel me up, and the next, she was quiet. I couldn't help but think highly of her, though. She very clearly cared about everyone here.
"You know, whatever happens, once this is all over, I think we need a break." I spoke up again.
"Maybe a double date? There's a really cute tea shop we could visit!" Katie piped up. I never ceased to enjoy when she got enthusiastic about something.
"That sounds hella awesome." Chloe chimed in.
"Do they have Yerba Mate? That's the only kind of tea I know." I asked.
"If it's the one I think Katie's talking about, then don't worry, they have coffee, too." Max humorously chided me. I breathed a sigh of relief at that.
"I'd love a double date." I finally said. As I finished that statement, we all looked to see a nurse enter the room with a decorative card covered in writing.
"Excuse me? You are Kate Marsh, yes?" The middle-aged woman asked Katie.
"Yes. Is that for me?" Kate replied.
"Yes. Both of these are, actually. You really have quite a lot of people rooting for you, Miss Marsh." Kate's face started to light up as she took both the cards. One was handmade, and we turned our attention to it first. Katie opened it, and she read it aloud.
"Dear Kate, I know I'm probably the last person you'd even want to hear from, given all the horrible things I've done to you, but I want to make things right. I don't know if I'll ever be brave enough to face you directly, so I hope a written card will at least be a good place to start mending things between us." Kate and I could hardly believe what was written. "I was mean, cruel, and exploitative to a girl hundreds of times prettier than I ever could be, especially within. You are an amazing artist, you care so much about other people, and I love the way you play the violin." I could hear Kate getting ready to cry as she read that. Hell, I felt my heartstrings being pulled violently with every word. "I hope you and Daniel are making up well," She paused a moment as I rubbed her shoulder a little. After she wiped her eyes, she kept going. "And moreover, I hope you can forgive me for all I've had the gall to even consider doing to you. I promise, this is where I want to start anew with you. I hope you start feeling well again soon. Love, Victoria Chase." Max and Chloe looked surprised beyond belief. I was feeling nostalgic, and Katie… Oh, Katie. I pulled her in close as she cried tears of joy.
"If y'all are wondering why I'm not as surprised as the rest of y'all, I actually ran into her this morning. It felt good to talk to her peacefully." I gently broke the silence.
"What was she doing?" Max asked first.
"I admit, I got a bit angry when I saw her, but it turned out she was going to buy you flowers, Katie. We had a real heart-to-heart about the whole thing, and I'm really glad we had that opportunity. She said she was thinking of coming to see you, but I can't help but think she might be a bit apprehensive." I said.
"I had a feeling Victoria was a better person than she let on." Max replied.
"This is so wonderful. I've never been happier!" Kate said with tears of joy still blurring her eyes. I wrapped my arm around her and kissed the top of her head.
"That's awesome. Listen, I hate to be 'that girl,' but…" Chloe began. Max looked back at her and nodded with a bit of remorse.
"Don't worry about it. You two come by any time. I'll be here until they kick me out." I reassured them.
"Thank you. We'll make sure you're both the first to hear about everything once we crack this." Max said. We all stood up and exchanged hugs. As they left the room, I remembered something. I needed to say it out loud.
"Oh, before y'all go, you mind if I ask y'all something real quick?" I asked as the two of them were about to leave.
"Sure, what is it?" Max said as she stopped.
"Y'all mind if we go in the hallway?" I asked. I hoped Kate wouldn't mind.
"Uh… sure…" Max looked confused.
"Thanks. I'll be right back, sweetie." I said as I kissed a peck on Kate's lips. Kate was surprisingly understanding, not even stopping me as I left the room for a moment. As I closed the door behind us, I breathed a nervous sigh. The stress of this week was weighing on me. Still, spending all this time with Katie… I knew it was right. "I understand this is probably weird for me to want to keep Katie out of something. That's because I want to keep this a surprise."
"Okay. What is it?" Max asked. I smiled out another sigh as I prepared to speak.
"The few days I spent not knowing whether or not I'd still be able to have Kate in my life were some of the loneliest, saddest days I'd ever experienced. Hell, when I saw her on that roof… I can't even begin to tell you about the sheer magnitude of impossible horror I experienced. Beyond that, even though we've only just gotten things back to normal, I've realized…" I felt my throat growing tight and my eyes heating up as I readied myself to say what was on my mind. "I've realized I genuinely can't live without her." Max and Chloe looked like they were going to die of cuteness as I said that.
"So, does that mean…" Max started to say as she trailed off.
"Yes. I'm… I'm going to ask her to marry me." I said with an ebullient grin on my face. Without another second, Chloe lost control of her vocal chords and shouted with joy.
"SHUT. UP! YOU'RE GOING TO MRMF? " She said loud enough to wake the dead. I would've been horrified had Max not clapped her hand over Chloe's mouth before she let the cat out of the bag. "You're going to propose?!" Chloe whispered after having gathered her senses.
"Yes. That being said, I think it would be wise to wait at least another few weeks, maybe a month at most before I follow through on it. I don't want to make a decision that monumental while too emotionally charged. Does that make sense?" I asked the two of them.
"Daniel, it sounds beautiful. I'm so happy for you." Max said as she came in for a hug. Chloe soon joined us.
"Just don't forget to invite us to the wedding!" Chloe said. I instinctively shot my finger up to my lip to tell her to shut up as she amicably punched me in the shoulder.
"Nothing's set in stone just yet, but if all goes well, I'll have both of you on the guest list." I replied.
"I can hardly wait. Still, we really should be going." Max said.
"Fair enough. Thank you both so much for coming by. Katie's recovering surprisingly well, but I know she still needs all the love we can give her." I said with a sigh.
"Anytime. We'll see you later." Max concluded. The two of them then walked out of the hospital, holding each other's hands. Admitting this felt wonderful. I may have been a bit high on my emotionally intense state from the state of the past few days, but few things made me happier than the prospect. To not only be Katie's boyfriend, but her husband, her soulmate, her… She was already the center of my universe. To spend any significant amount of time without her felt depressing on a grand scale. When I opened the door to see her still sitting on the bed, drawing board and pen in her hands as she worked to create beautiful art; as she looked back at me with her hazel windows to paradise… I thought about forgoing my self-imposed waiting period and pulling the perfect ring from nowhere. What more can I say about this woman? I didn't just want to get back to everything being all fine and dandy. I wanted for us to be together more than anything else in life. Still, I dare not rush this. My emotions have gotten the better of me before, and they led me to disaster. I had an obligation to really put my mind into this. Regardless, just looking into her eyes was nothing short of blissful. Seeing her smile was divine, and to hear her say those perfect words…
"I love you, Katie." I said to her. I'd lost count of how many times I'd said that, but even though I'd said those words so many times, their meaning still sang truth every time. They never lost their charm. Every time she heard me say that, she would blush without fail. That sight never ceased to make me feel happy.
"I love you, too, Daniel." I'd never tire of hearing her say that. As I'd done infinite times before, I gently placed my hand on her cheek and moved in for yet another kiss. Even though such an act can seem mundane after a certain period of time, the inherent beauty of our relationship and love would never fade. Her lips, even without any gloss or chapstick, still felt softer than a pillow, and warmer and more inviting than a perfect hearth. The experience transcended any feeling that could be described with simple adjectives. This was, by its very essence, happiness. I would've stayed on her lips forever, but that fickle mechanism known as breathing forced me to gently separate our lips again. I wanted to tell her everything now, but I must be deliberate and rational. A decision of that magnitude should never be made without careful consideration.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, relatively speaking. Nothing could distract me from my Katie. However, I did develop a tendency to look over my shoulder, checking to see if we would receive a visit from Victoria at some point. She never came to visit. Still, having received that card was more than good enough for us. Eventually, the day drew to a close, and I was told that visiting hours were over yet again. I wanted to protest, but there was no point in arguing. I was just going to come back tomorrow, anyway. Without any hesitation, I turned to Katie, gave her one last good night kiss goodbye, and told her once more that I loved her. No matter how many times I have to say goodbye, it'd never get any easier. I again walked out of the hospital with some reluctance, all the while looking back down over my shoulder intermittently to where Katie would be. By the time I arrived at the front of the hospital, however, I saw something shocking. A crowd of people had gathered in the parking lot, and everyone seemed to be looking at the sky. I walked out to see what the hell they were looking at, and when I did, I dropped my helmet.
In the sky, there were two fucking full moons.
I rubbed my eyes at first, thinking maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I still saw the two moons. I turned on my phone to see what it looked like through the camera; two moons. I asked around to see if everyone else was seeing what I was seeing, and sure enough, I wasn't alone. There was no discrepancy between what people were seeing. I wanted to chalk it up to just seeing something bizarre, but my mind refused to let me relinquish its hold on the scene. I didn't know what this would mean, what I should do, or how to respond. I was unnerved by the scene intimately, and I even started to feel my heart pound faster than I'd felt it beat in ages, and my head started to swim. This didn't make any sense! What the fuck is this?! Without another moment's hesitation, I called Katie.
"Hey sweetie! You miss me already?" Kate lovingly chided. I bit my tongue to control it.
"Kate, look outside at the moon. Do it right now." I scared myself with how commanding I sounded.
"Daniel, sweetie, what's wrong?" Katie stayed strong with her tone.
"Sweetie, please. Look at the moon. There's a whole crowd outside looking at TWO full moons adjacent to each other!" I was starting to falter a bit with my tone.
"Okay, but calm down." Katie said. "All right, you said to look at the…" Katie suddenly went completely silent. I could hear her jaw drop as a crashing sound collided with my ear over the phone line.
"Katie? Katie? Are you still there?" I asked sounding far more panicked than I should. That being said, this was insane. I repeated myself once more, and Katie must've heard me then.
"Yeah! I'm okay. This doesn't make any sense! How can this happen? What does it mean?" Kate said. I wanted to answer, but my mind was busy taking me to all the worst places it could. I didn't have any idea how bad the circumstances at hand could pan out, but what could even be done in this situation? Should we flee? Should someone be alerted? What can be done?
"I don't know what to do, baby. I'm sorry." It killed me to be lost in this moment. I wanted so badly for everything to just be resolved; to make sense! Not knowing what else to do, I picked my helmet up off the ground and kept walking to my bike. If anything could be done about this, it was more than likely out of the hands of a mere twenty-something without any Star Trek-level equipment. I just knew that I could only do so much to protect Katie. I tried to convince myself that she would be fine, but no matter what I told myself, I couldn't find relief from the looming feeling of dread spawned by the absurd sight that threatened to pose a great distraction on my way back to Blackwell. Part of me wanted to stay here and wait with Katie, but I thought that sounded paranoid. There ought to be some kind of perfectly logical, scientifically sound explanation for this, and I was more than likely letting my protectiveness get the better of me. Still, that dread kept nagging at me from the dark corners of my mind, forcing me to consider the worst.
"…Daniel? Are you still there, Daniel?" Katie's words broke me out of my daze.
"Y-yeah, I'm here. Sorry. I'm trying to figure out what I should do. I don't know if I want to go back to Blackwell or get an overnight pass and stay with you." I said. The rational part of my mind kept telling me to calm down and just get back on my bike to return, but its effort was in vain to try and speak reason over the wild ramblings of the part that would not let me even put on my helmet.
"Sweetie, I know this may sound dumb to you, but… I think this may be a sign." Katie said, finally breaking the silence.
"Katie, I've read the Book of Revelation, and nowhere does it mention there being two moons in the sky." I immediately regretted biting that out.
"I know, and I don't want to fight about religion right now, but… regardless, I want you here." She said. I breathed a sigh of relief at all of her statement.
"Thank you, sweetie. I'm sorry for getting a little mad just now. I'll go and get a pass from the front." I said as I made my way back into the building.
"We'll talk about it later. I love you." Kate said.
"I love you, too. I'll see you in a minute." I said as I hung up. I talked to the receptionist about getting a pass, but she said I didn't need a pass, and that I could just go. I felt annoyed that I hadn't realized this prior, but put it out of my mind. I had more important things to worry about. I walked back to Katie's room, and knocked on the door. She opened and let me in, and before a single word left either of our lips, I opened my arms for a hug. She returned it, and I could tell that she was distraught. "We'll be okay, baby. We'll be okay." I tried to reassure her. I wanted to disguise my panic better, but I couldn't quite mask it perfectly.
"I know you don't know that." Kate said with her head resting on my chest.
"But I can still stay here to help you feel better." I responded. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too." She said as she turned her head to look into my eyes. She wasn't anywhere near tears, but I could still see the fear and uncertainty etched into her face. I put my hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead.
"Whatever happens now, at least we'll go through it together." I said as reassuringly as I could.
"Thank you so much, Daniel. Would… would you mind…" Katie paused for a moment. Whatever was on her mind was surely adding to her already present tension. Before I could speak to reassure her some more, however, she finished her sentence. "Please come cuddle with me…" She finally said, hands shaking and face red. Even after nearly a year of dating, I knew how nervous physical intimacy made Katie. She had broken down some of the barriers she used to see as absolute, but she'd always been adamant about how she felt about cuddling with one of the opposite sex lying down on a bed. I hugged her tightly as I reassured her.
"Of course, sweetie. I love you." I said as I gently broke our embrace for a moment. I put my jacket and helmet on a chair by Katie's window, took off my boots, and laid down next to her. She wrapped her arms around me as she laid her head on my chest. As I laid there, gently stroking her back, whispering that I loved her, and all the things about her that made me fall in love with her. It pained me to see her so unnerved, especially when I couldn't do much to help her feel better, but I'll be damned if I don't try my hardest to return all the kindness she'd shown everyone throughout her life; using all my wit to say all the right things. Even if there was no one ideal statement to make in a situation, I would at least tell her: "Whatever happens, I'm never letting go again. I love you, Katie." Eventually, we drifted off to sleep, and even despite the unknowability of the cause or effects of the two moons, I wanted to be with her. I'll never lose her again.