Always Forever (Catradora)

Chapter Twenty-One

Catra

"Here we are."

Catra's eyes stayed trained upon the door ahead of her as her tail lashed anxiously back and forth behind her. Swishing as the silence began to engulf the two of them in an unsustainable feeling of anxiety and uncertainty. 

Why did the idea of meeting her mother bring her such unease? It should have filled her with joy... numbed her senses with nothing more than emotions pouring out and spilling into a pool of unbridled joy... a sense of safety... a sense of home...

Yet... all she felt was empty.

Zell's ears twitched as he gave a backwards glance at Catra, who attempted to cover whatever expression had been present on her face. For a moment, his slitted yellow eyes seared into Catra, as if trying to read what she was thinking; trying to figure out what her next move or word would be... he sighed, indicating that he had failed in doing so.

"I have some things I need to get taken care of while you talk to her... So I plan on leaving you two alone... is that okay?" Zell questioned pointedly, raising a brow as Catra glanced over to him. She examined his expression for a moment, trying to decipher the tone he was putting into his words... why was it so difficult to tell?

"It should be, I suppose," Catra replied, glancing away as Zell turned to her quietly, before putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling gently in her direction.

For a moment, she didn't think he was going to say anything. Then, he spoke, as if choosing his words carefully. Less rehearsed than before... yet still thought about. "Catrina... I know this is a lot to take in... but sometimes when life throws you curveballs, you just have to swing," he told her, smiling gently. Catra could feel her ears twitch absently as she sighed and nodded.

"Yeah... yeah... I know, thank you for bringing me here to see her," she replied, deciding it was better to just go along with it instead of arguing... arguing took so much energy that she just simply did not have at the moment. Honestly, she wasn't sure she'd ever have enough energy for it.

Thankfully, instead of continuing to talk for an unending amount of time, Zell simply nodded and shifted his robes a bit, before beginning to walk away. "It was nice to get to see you... Catrina," Zell hummed, bowing, before disappearing around one of the corners.

It was awhile that Catra stood outside of the doors, listening to the distant clicking of Zell's claws as he walked away. Then, instead of allowing her thoughts to drown her like they usually did when she let them loose... she shut them off, allowing a sigh to escape her lips as she lifted a hand to the door.

She had to do this.

No one else would.

No one else could.

Just her.

Allowing her eyes to shift shut, Catra rested her hand upon the cool metal handle. Then, without even hesitating, she opened the door. 

The coolness of the room she had opened up to immediately flooded over her, overwhelming her senses with endless  numbness... A gentle breeze from a wind that shouldn't have existed, yet still did... 

For a moment, there was silence as Catra stood there in her own bubble of anxieties. The flowing air around her ruffled throughout her fur, causing a slight shiver to run down Catra's spine... She still kept her eyes shut. Was she fearful of what was to happen? Of how she was going to see her mother for the first time?