★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★
★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★
“Don’t get too excited, I haven’t said I’m going yet.” Ayla only smiled, raised her hands in a surrendering gesture. “I didn’t say anything,”
“He’s like, twice your size.” Tae reminded her while also trying to justify his concern. Ayla crossed her arms, “I feel very underestimated,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Just because he’s bigger doesn’t mean he’s better. I’ve faced bigger challenges before, and I’ve come out on top.” Ayla winced as she realized that could be taken as if his feelings weren’t important too her. “I get it, really. You’re trying to protect me. But if we all just cower in fear, then what? He wins. He gets to keep terrorizing people without anyone fighting back. I refuse to let that happen.”
“I feel like I’m letting him down if I stop trying but I just want to stop feeling like surviving was this horrible thing that I did.”
“Feeling that way doesn’t mean you’re forgetting him,” Ayla replied, her voice steady and reassuring. “We carry the people we’ve lost with us, in our memories, in our actions, in everything we do. They’re a part of who we are, and they will always be with us, even if the moments we shared are gone. Keeping his spirit alive means allowing yourself to feel joy and to live, not being stuck in sorrow.”
Ayla let out a soft sigh as his head rested on her shoulder, feeling the weight of their shared narratives settle between them like a heavy blanket. “Grief can be so isolating,” she mused,remembering feeling like trying to fill shoes that were too big for her. She felt she can’t measure up to what Alex was, and she was terrified of failing him. She felt in her bones that river flowed between and Tae herself.
“Isaac was unique, and so are you,” she replied gently, scared to move even a centimeter. She didn’t even realize how healing this was for her. “And…It’s okay to feel that way,” Ayla said. “It’s part of the process. We’re all just trying to navigate through all this pain and find a little light. You’re allowed to live and to thrive. You’re allowed to feel joy, even when sadness lingers.”
“Is it a bad time to mention I’m going to absolutely kill it as Bo Peep at the costume party?” Ayla teased, a playful glint in her eye as she nudged Tae gently with her shoulder.
★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★