Her older girls long went to bed, and Gregory felt asleep soon afterwards. It was Hyacinth who was giving her trouble, as she refused to sleep without hearing a story from her brother.
"Hyacinth, dear, it's time to sleep." She tells her daughter, who, despite yawning, shakes her head. "No, I need Honey to tell me a story first."
Violet smiled as she kissed her daughter, who completely adores her eldest brother. "Hyacinth, Anthony is out dancing with Kate."
"Singing too? Honey has a sweet voice." Hyacinth said, and Violet smiled. "Yes, the sweetest voice ever, and if he finds out you were waiting for him, he will never go out again."
As a young child, her daughter understood what she meant. "That's bad."
"Really bad indeed, so for your brother's sake, you will go to sleep." Violet said, and surprisingly, her daughter agreed because she fell asleep in the middle of the story.
Sighing Violet stood up to leave when her eyes fell on a picture of Anthony and Hyacinth, and in that moment she realised something.
Violet was still thinking about her realisation when she heard the door open. She walked outside Hyacinth and Gregory's room and saw Anthony return as he walked towards his room. "You just missed Hyacinth story time, Anthony. How was the dance?"
To her surprise, her son closed his bedroom, and a few minutes later he returned with a small bag. "Anthony? Where are you going?"
"To Aubrey mom, please don't ask because I cannot explain right now, but for now, just let me go, and if anyone asks, please request that they give me space.".
With that, Anthony left. leaving a baffled Violet behind him.
A few minutes later, Anthony was gone. Benedict, Colin, and Kate arrived at the house looking distraught as they inquired about Anthony.
"I don't understand? He just came and left, saying he needed space tonight. Did something happen at the dance?"
Her sons stared at each other as Kate wiped her tears away. "I know where he went. I am going to talk to him, and I think you guys should speak with your mom."
With that, Kate also left as Colin opened the guitar case that, luckily, Anthony had left behind along with his USB.
"Mom, please sit down; there is something we need to talk about." Benedict says this as his mother looks worried. "Ben, what is going on? Is this about something to do with Anthony?"
"Yes, mom, and I think it's better if you see this first." Colin said as he clicked into his laptop, and Violet's eyes widened and then filled with tears as she watched the old video of her son and husband.
Kate first stopped at her house to change into normal clothes. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her keys and went towards her car, only to be stopped by her Appa's voice. 'Kate, where are you going?"
Kate turned, and Milan Sharma knew something was wrong, as in the next second Kate burst into tears and rushed into his arms. "Kate? Beti? What happened? Tell me what is wrong."
"I am wrong, Appa! All this time, I was so ignorant to notice him! I am such a terrible person!" Kate cried, and Milan was shocked to hear his daughter saying such harsh words about herself.
"Come here, Beti." He said it gently as he led his daughter on a porch swing. "Now, tell me what exactly happened to make you think so poorly of yourself."
Kate sniffed as she reached to grab his phone and opened his picture gallery. "Do you have all my old pictures in here?"
Milan frowns as his daughter scrolls through the pictures. "Not every picture, but yes, all your important pictures are here."
Kate sniffed and opened her kindergarten picture. "See this picture, dad. Can you see this boy standing a row behind me?"
Milan looked closer in confusion as his daughter began to show him pictures after pictures of the same boy, who seemed quite familiar to him until Kate showed him the last picture that was taken the day Kate was selected for the music production company. They went to Patel's tea shop to celebrate her success, and right behind their family, Milan could recognise someone smiling at them in Patel's uniform. "Is that? Are all these pictures you pointed out of Anthony?"
Kate burst into fresh tears. "He was always there for me! Since the first day of kindergarten, since the day he saved my life, since he sacrificed his own dreams so that all my dreams could come true! Oh Appa! Anthony was always in my life, and I never noticed him or his love."
Milan's eyes widened as his daughter, despite her rapidly falling tears, managed to tell him how much Anthony Bridgerton had sacrificed his own happiness for Kate.
By the time she finished telling him everything, Milan Sharma had tears in his eyes like his daughter as his heart shattered for that selfless young boy who suffers a great deal of pain in silence.
Wiping his tears away, he embraced his daughter as he told her. "You know, today I feel like the luckiest man in this world because I can proudly boast that there is a good man who loves my daughter more than myself. Beti, you cannot let a man so precious be left alone. I know it will not be easy, but if anyone can assure that boy that he is loved, it's you."
Kate embraced her Appa, who kissed her forehead as he encouraged her. "Go! And do not worry about anything! No matter what path you both decide to take, you will have my full support."
"Thank you, Appa." Kate hugged her father and then left to find the love of her life.
Anthony was lying on the couch, thinking about how his memorable night ended in such disaster.
Those dreams that died with his dad in that car crash resurfaced again, and once again, he turned his back on those dreams for someone he loves.
"Anthony."
Anthony stood up and saw his Kate dressed in simple clothes as her face looked stained with tears. "Kate?"
In the next second, Kate crossed the distance and flung herself in his arms as she broke down into tears. "Why? Why didn't you tell me? I was so stupid! Thinking about how we could fall in love at eighteen? The truth is, you loved me when you couldn't even understand the meaning of those words, yet you love me with your pure heart and never asked for anything in return."
Anthony felt his own eyes tear up as Kate cupped his face. "Why do you love me so much? Why do you sacrifice so much for me? Oh Anthony, in these last few months, you only gave me happiness but never once showed me your pain. Why?"
Anthony looked at her with sad eyes as he managed to say. "Because I feared if you found out deep inside my feelings, my pain, it would be too much for you to handle, and after having you in my life, I could not bear if you left me."
Kate was shaking with tears as she held him closer. "I could never leave you, my love. After everything you did for me and after everything you suffered, how can I ever leave you? No, I will not! I will leave everything behind! I will apply to the university you are applying to, and I will support you in every way I can."
Anthony's eyes became horrified as he listened to what Kate was planning to do. "No Kate! I cannot ever ask you to sacrifice your dreams for my sake."
"But why?" Kate cried. "You have done so much for me? So why cannot I do the same for you?"
"It's different, Kate, and you know that. I agree that the first time I sacrificed my dream because of you, but this time it was because of my family! Kate, you have no idea, but those dreams cost me my dad! If I were not so weak, then dad would still be alive. He left that day for London to make my dreams come true, but he never returned. My mother lost her husband that day, and we children lost our dad, and it's all my fault."
Kate watched as Anthony became inconsolable as he broke down in front of her. "I can't abandon them; I cannot leave my family, nor will I let you give up your dreams."
"Alright, then I will support you anyway I can. I will lessen my workload and tours."
But Anthony shook his head as he stepped back. "Kate, you are not going to do anything for me! Your life is not meant to be stuck here. I want you to grow, to reach all the heights of success you can reach, and that is only possible if I set you free."
Kate gasped as Anthony looked away. "Leave Kate; it's better like this."
"Will you stop making decisions about both of us?" Kate yells as she steps closer. "I cannot change the past, no matter how much I want, but I will not let you make another sacrifice for my sake again! Anthony, please; you deserve everything and so much more, and it pains me to see you carrying this guilt."
Anthony took deep breaths as he tried to keep his tears at bay. "This guilt is part of my life, but I will not burden you with it anymore, so please go."
"No! I will not! Please, Anthony, I begged you not to take me out of your life." Kate pleaded.
Anthony was heartbroken as he said one thing that would make Kate leave. "You said I never ask for anything, so I am asking now to leave. Go live your dreams; if not for yourself, then mine. If you ever loved me, you are going to give me this one thing."
Kate gasped as she stared at Anthony, who was now trembling as he begged. "Leave! Please just leave."
Finally, Anthony got his wish as Kate numbly walked backwards until she left with a broken heart, leaving a broken man behind who loved her immensely like no one has ever before and no one will ever again.