★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★
★・・・・・・★ ⊱♥⊱ ★・・・・・・★
“I’m not changing your mind, am I?” Ayla only felt slightly guilty about the smile on her lips, “nope.” She concluded, honestly completely on board with Tae next idea. “At least, take my sister with you.” She nodded, “oh, this’ll be a fun play date.”
“I miss him, noona.” Ayla felt the weight of Tae’s sorrow seep into her own heart, a feeling she usually brushed aside. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her own arm, forcing herself to acknowledge the pain that she had so carefully buried all those years. “I know,” she finally responded, her voice barely above a whisper. It wasn’t the words she had rehearsed in her mind, but they were the only ones that felt honest at that moment.
She turned her gaze away from him, fighting the ache in her chest. She needed to be strong for Tae, to provide him with the comfort she wished she could have had all those years ago. But the memories of Alexander flared up like a flame igniting dry kindling—his laughter, his teasing, the way he’d always save her the last bite of dessert. The guilt gnawed at her insides—could she have done something to save him? She pushed that thought out of her mind.
“I think…”[/center] Ayla paused, choosing her words carefully. “I think it’s okay to hurt. It’s okay to miss them.” She glanced back at Tae, forcing herself to meet his sorrowful gaze. “Even if it never feels like it goes away, it’s a part of loving someone.” she felt the urge to pull him closer, to shield him from the world that had suddenly turned unbearably dark. She rubbed circles on his shoulder, the gesture small but her way of speaking volumes. “You’re not alone, Tae. I promise you, you’re not.”
“I don’t know how.” Ayla felt the ache in his voice, the vulnerability laid bare before her like a fragile piece of glass. She searched for the right words, knowing that she was treading on a path filled with uncertainty for both of them. “Start small,” she replied, feeling her own breath steadier as they talked more openly. “Do something that reminds you of him—something you both enjoyed. Maybe it’s listening to music you loved together or going to a place that was special to you. Every little memory can bring a bit of light back.”
“I…” Ayla hesitated, unsure of how much she wanted to share. But in the moment, she found solace in the connection they were forging. “It sounds silly, but sometimes I just sit and tell him—Alex, about my day, or how much I miss him. It gives me comfort, like he’s still listening.” Ayla definitely did that in the early days—when she was filled with rage. Did she miss the signs or had he just been a dumb teenager? That’s when her cynicism really had started. When she vowed one day she’d ask him, force the words from his cold decaying lips. She was a little worried this could set Tae back—maybe talking wasn’t the way he had to go but there was really only one way to see. Regardless, she’d be there the whole time.
Ayla couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling the laughter bubble up from a place she thought had been dormant for too long. “Of course! If I’m going to dress up, I might as well go all out. Plus, I need to represent for all the shepherdesses out there,” she replied, her voice taking on an exaggeratedly enthusiastic tone. “Plus, you’ll get to see my legendary dance moves that come out every fortnight or so,” She said, casually making it sound like Tae was going. She stood, dragging her basket over to them, speaking without missing a beat. “Ah, how I looove a good makeup pre game.”
★・★ @Caticorn | Tae ★・★