saving grace

Chapter 7: Checkmate

Cate was dragging you by the hand at this point. Nervous is a word that doesn't even suffice how you were feeling. You were trying to maintain steady breaths as she was leading you through the tunnel of hallways. You weren't usually this overwhelmed when first meeting someone, but this was terrifying you for some reason. You squeezed Cate's hand really tight and she looked back at you. You gave her pleading eyes that began to well with tears.

"Babe, what's wrong?" She asks as she stops and turns to face you completely.

You take her hand from hers, shaking both of yours to try to calm yourself down. You really did not know what was happening.

"I...I don't know. I don't know what's wrong. Im so happy to be here and with you, I just...I don't-"

You started to ramble and she shut you up by grabbing both of your wrists. You melded your hands on hers, hoping that gaining any sense of touch would calm you down.

She asks, "Do you have anxiety?"

"Well I mean, yeah. Doesn't everyone? I've never been diagnosed or anything but I-"

She cut you off again, "Love, I think you're having an anxiety attack. Breathe with me."

You look at her chest, listening to her soft commands and copying her breathing patterns. You didn't want to look at her in the eyes, in fear that you will shed a tear. You began inhaling and exhaling, watching her body rise and fall again.

After a few moments, Cate takes her index finger and softly lifts your chin, allowing your eyes to meet hers.

"Are you okay my love?"

"I'm better now. I'm sorry, that was really annoying," you say with a laugh, wiping the tears setting on the edge of your eye lids.

She looks at you seriously for a moment before speaking.

"You could never be annoying, I promise you that."

A smile floods your face ever so quickly.

Unexpectedly, she kisses you on the forehead in between your eye brows, right above the bridge of your nose.

She always knows what you need, even if you don't. A quality that reminds you so much of your mother. She is so perfect in every single way.

"Better?" She questions once again.

You repeat back to her in affirmation, "Better."

"Do you still want to meet Sandy?"

You glide your eyes back and forth across the hallway that lies behind Cate.

"Only if you're there the whole time, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," she confirms.

She turns again to resume your walk to the dressing rooms, but this time, Cate entangles her right hand in the hair that cascades over the back of your neck. She then takes your arm, guiding your hand to her hip opposite you. You walked together, side by side, gaining a sense of security you hadn't felt for an extremely long time.

You reached a door that belonged to Sandy. Cate removed her hand from the back of your neck, and in turn, you moved your hand from her hip to hook your index finger in the back of her belt loop.

Cate glanced at you briefly while quietly knocking with two knuckles on the door. Her empty hand found the forearm of your hand that rested in the belt loop. She rubbed it softly, gliding her fingertips just a few inches under the arm of your blazer and back down to your palm. She repeated this motion a couple of times before the door opened. Upon its opening, she hooked her finger in the same belt loop at the back of her jeans, letting your index fingers intertwine. You smiled faintly at the simple, yet meaningful gesture.