You're Back (#3)

Chapter Seventeen- Back to the beginning

Natalie

I shivered as the night's cold air hit me. It looked like it was about to rain. Heavily.
I zipped my blouse and started walking. It was quite peaceful and dark. I started getting lost in my own thoughts.

I remembered the times when I was small; they were so cheerful and seemed like pure happiness. After my mother passed away when I was 15, leaving me with my stepfather, they became torture. But then they got so much better when I met the love of my life- Damon. And then hell again as we destroyed our relationship. Then it was like I died, and I had to start from scratch once more. In a country filled with amazing people, sights and food I learned more about myself, about my worth and I started to love myself, because without this love I could never love anyone else in a healthy way. I think Damon went through something similar. I believe the guilt of his father's death haunted him for longer than he wished to admit. It broke him- and two broken people can only break each other more. 

I needed to die- that's what I told myself back then, but really I needed to live and learn. To see that there's more out there. We needed to let each other go- to then once more, find our way back to one another. And I was fine with it- because I did not need to run anymore. I did not want to vanish. I wanted to be there and feel and see it all. 

I realized that I stopped thinking about my mother the last couple of years- and it pained me. These days I even imagined her walking side by side with me- watching over me, being my friend, being proud of me. I really think she would be proud of me. 

As expected, it began to rain. I was here, in New York, in front of mine and Damon's old penthouse. Damon walked up to me and nodded. "Are you sure about this?" He asked as he reached to his pocket. 

"Yes, I am." 

Damon handed her the keys to the apartment. "Let's try again." 

"One last time." Natalie smiled as she took the keys and took Damon's hand. She took a good look at her shiny, dainty ring on her finger. 

"Till death do us apart."