The Empty Space Next to Me

Chapter 14

Kat is, Steve learned with time, a stubborn person whose only guidance she follows is her own. Natasha, broken by the Red Room and her past, had found some kind of peace in trusting someone implicitly in the person of Steve; like a tranquil surrender. Kat, still young and immaculate, is a force of nature to be reckoned with; strong-willed and unwavering.

It, therefore, took weeks before he heard the remote sound of classical music playing in her bedroom. But this one morning as he walks along the hall, her voice calls after him excitedly. He turns around, grins fondly upon seeing the beaming smile across her face.

"I need to show you something," she says, waving a hand.

He comes into her room and she makes him stand by the chest of drawers before carefully closing the door behind him. One of Mozart's symphony is playing on the stereo; he recognizes it instantly — it used to be one of Natasha's favorite piece.

Kat walks to the middle of the room, smiles nervously then nervously breathes in. Her features relax the next moment, her body stands square, then she lifts her arms halfway in the air and sways a leg forward. He notices the pair of pointed shoes on her feet. After a short pause, she swings the same leg backward: it soars high up with an astounding easiness as her torso gently leans over in the opposite direction. Her leg gracefully goes back down to the floor. She stands upright again, breathes in, pushes herself up. Her heels take off the wooden floor, her feet stand erect as the whole weight of her body, lightless it seems, lies on her toes.

Steve watches the feat with unconcealed amazement and his eyes begin to gleam from the sweetness of past memories.

Her heels descend back to the floor without a sound. Kat lets out a big breath and chuckles.

"It took a while to get there but I can't believe it got back to me so easily," she says with a smile.

He clears his throat and laughs as he cups her face between his hands.

"It's amazing," he answers with the right dose of enthusiasm not to lay any form of pressure on her shoulders. "I'm proud of you."

She leans in and pecks his lips. "It's hard but I like it. I like the discipline of it. Quite a change for me who is usually all over the place."

She glances over his shoulder at the clock.

"I have to get downstairs," she says. She scurries to the stereo, switches it off, then sits on the edge of the bed to untie the ribbons around her calves. She then rolls them around the shoes and leaves them on the bed.

Next, she disappears behind the door — the footsteps echo down the stairway. He slowly goes to sit on the bed and his fingers stroke the smooth fabric of the ribbons lying loosely on the bed linen.

___________________________________

Life at Miller's Guesthouse goes on peacefully and routinely. Guests check in and out and days mostly consist of housework, DIY, strolls with Riley and conversations with Eliza.

Steve and Kat have made it a point to avoid any PDA in front of her, not exactly out of respect, but for the sake of minimizing comments from her part. Her knowing smirks and looks are still there, though.

One evening after dinner, after Kat has tucked Eliza in, she suggests they go on a walk. Riley excitedly wags her tail as she whizzes through the front door.

They walk, holding hands, under a clear sky on a full moon; the sound of birds twittering and grasshoppers chirping guide their way like background music. He has grown used to that melody.

"Summer is almost over," she says musingly. "It's gonna get pretty quiet around here. It might get boring for you even."

"I'm sure I can survive it. I've had to deal with worse."