A few evenings later, Cat was adamant to try singing again. She felt fine- it was only when she belted that it hurt now- everything felt so good. Mostly good.

"But I've been up all night

Hoping you're all right

It tears me up inside

You won't live a normal life

Ten years down the line

When the time is right

I hope that you'll be fine

And we can realign

We can realign"

She sang again to herself, pacing back and forth slowly in her room as she sang, pushing a little more with each rendition of the song, adding more runs, more flare, more passion. The weeks away from singing had been weird- she hadn't realised how much of her time was spent projecting some sort of tune. In the shower, while she was doodling, while sitting in Jade's car, while listening to her favourite songs. She was always singing something, always playing around with new vocal tricks and runs- adding more notes to see how high she could go.

"This city

This heartless city

Took you away and I don't know if you'll return

Guilty

I feel so guilty

That you'll never get the cure that you deserve"

She let that ring out for a second- testing to see if she could belt. It stung a little but, was okay. A dull throb answered, but it was bearable—no more quick jolts, no more wincing at every deep breath. It had been about a month since she'd broken the ribs now- they felt pretty sturdy against her lungs now. She lifted her shirt to inspect the area, the skin still faintly discoloured with a dusky, healing bruise that traced along the curve of her ribs. The mottled shades of yellow and purple had softened over the past weeks and was now barely noticeable. For a moment, she tried not to remember how she'd gotten hurt in the first place, how the impact had knocked the air from her lungs and left her crumpled on the ground, breathless with pain. But the memory lingered, just beneath the surface, like the bruise itself—a wound that hadn't entirely faded. She pushed it away, shaking her head. She could do it-

Taking a deep breath, she wanted to go for her and Andre's song. They'd written each individual note out for it already- and had played it with robotic vocals a hundred times - all that needed to be done was for Cat to recreate it. She pulled the backing track up on her phone and moved the bar along to the bits they were still yet to do, lyrics not yet finished before she'd gotten hurt.

"You don't need to worry about making me crazy

'Cause I'm way past that

Eh, and so just call me, if you want me

'Cause you got me, and I'll show you, how much I wanna be

On your tattooed heart."

She held it as long as she could. It ached, but not at all unbearable. Her voice flowed like a river, cascading over the walls and enveloping the room. Each note felt like a release, bringing her back to the feeling she'd missed so much. Step one, now the hard bit.

"Wrap me in your jacket

My baby

And lay me in your bed

And kiss me, underneath the moonlight

Darling let me trace the lines on your tattooed heart"

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she poured her heart into the lyrics, her voice trembling with raw emotion. She swayed, lost in the moment, every note resonating with the truth she had kept hidden. It felt so good to let go, the pent-up emotion surged through her, a tidal wave of expression crashing against the shores of her heart.

As she reached the final notes, her voice softened, trailing off into silence. The room, once so heavy with unspoken words, felt lighter now. She stood there, breathless and alive, knowing she had rediscovered a part of herself she thought was lost. The echoes of her song lingered in the air, a beautiful reminder of the power of music and the strength of her spirit.

"You're not meant to be singing like that Cat." Jade's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, suddenly stood in the doorway of the room.

"AH!" Cat squealed, stepping back in sudden shock. "You scared me." She added.

"How're you feeling?" Jade quizzed, protective edge creeping into her voice; walking fully into the room to study how Cat held herself. She didn't have her hand instructively on her ribs, nor that dullness to her eyes. "Did you hurt yourself?" She pressed.

"I'm okay- I promise." She replied honestly, "I just really needed to sing."

"Was that your and Andre's song?" Jade asked, Cat hadn't let her hear this one yet, and it was- it was beautiful.

"Uhuh." Cat nodded, a blush creeping across her cheeks, "Did you like it?"

"It's beautiful Cat." Jade replied, walking over to her. "Just don't push yourself. You need to take it easy, remember?"

"I know, but I—" she tried again, her heart sinking at the thought of disappointing her. "I feel better Jade, really."

Jade's expression softened, but her concern remained. "I know you're strong, but strength doesn't mean you can ignore your body. You had a serious injury. You can't just pretend everything's fine."

"Stop treating me like I'm delicate!" Cat shot back, her voice rising slightly. "I didn't sing to hurt myself. I sang because I feel okay, like I was finally breaking free from all this pent-up emotion. I need that!"

"Then let's find a way for you to express yourself without risking your health," her girlfriend replied, frustration edging into her voice as well. "I want you to feel free, but I also want you to be careful."

Cat took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "I know you're coming from a place of love, but it feels like you don't trust me to know my own limits. I need you to support me, not hold me back."

Jade stepped back slightly, her brow furrowing as she absorbed the words. "I just don't want to see you in pain again."

"Jade-," Cat said, her voice softer now, the edge of her frustration fading into vulnerability. "But if you keep treating me like I'm made of glass, it's going to push me away. I need you to believe that I can handle it."

There was a moment of silence as they looked at each other, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Jade took a step closer, her expression shifting from worry to understanding. "I'm sorry." She said, understanding Cat's side of it all. It was just- every time Jade looked at her, a small part of her brain remembered that blood curdling scream, and saw her on that stretcher. She was so so scared of seeing Cat hurt again.

"Then please don't constantly remind me of my injury," Cat pleaded, her heart racing. "I promise I'll be careful, and trust me I know what I'm feeling more than you do."

Jade let out a slow breath, the conflict in her eyes easing. "Okay," she said finally, her voice more tender. "I'll try. Just… please promise me that if it starts to hurt, you'll stop. Deal?"

"Deal," Cat replied, a smile breaking through the tension. "Can I sing it for you properly?" She asked

"Okay." Jade nodded, a smile returning to her face. "But only if I can get you the icepack from downstairs first. Not because you need it but because it'll be good for it either way."

"Fine." Cat sighed, at least she was letting her sing.