Arlecchino stared into her reflection in the mirror. Once again, she took a deep breath.
"Aether," she began as she always did. "I told you in the dreamscape, but I want to tell you in the real world. Tell you how I really feel."
So far so good. Arlecchino cleared her mind.
"Aether, I l— I appreciate you."
She grimaced. That was certainly not the word she wanted to use. It just slipped out. Even after she told him in the dreamscape, she still couldn't say the word in reality. It still eluded her tongue.
Well, at least she was now completing the sentence. That had to be a step in the right direction. Baby steps. Aether told her that he'd wait forever for her. She'd get there sooner or later. Because, she'd never stop trying to tell him.