Fairytale • Robby Keene

twenty five

Odette missed Robby more than she cared to admit.

It wasn't just the physical absence of him—it was the emotional void that gnawed at her, the ache that lingered in her chest every time she caught herself thinking about him.

She missed his voice, the way he could make her laugh with just a simple comment or a playful teasing remark. Even in the quietest moments, just having him beside her had always been enough. The silence wasn't the same without him. The little things that made their connection unique—his gentle touch on her arm, the way he would lock eyes with her and make her feel like the only person in the room—were what she longed for now.

But more than that, Odette missed how he made her feel understood, how he never judged her or tried to fix her, how he just saw her. He never tried to push her into being someone she wasn't. With Robby, there was no pretense. He knew the ugly parts of her, the messy bits she kept hidden, and yet, he never flinched. He made her feel safe, like maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as broken as she sometimes thought.

Since his arrest, her world had felt off balance. Every day without him felt like a step further from the life they had started to build together. Every time she closed her eyes, it wasn't his face she saw—at least, not the smile he gave her that made everything feel lighter. Instead, it was the distance, the empty space between them, that haunted her.

Odette took a deep breath, her heart racing as she approached the heavy doors of the Detention Center. She had never been here before—never had to visit anyone in jail, and the feeling of stepping into this cold, intimidating place was unsettling. Her fingers fumbled nervously at the edges of her sleeves, her mind racing with questions. Would Robby be okay? What would she even say to him?

She tried to push the questions aside, focusing instead on getting through the process. As she entered, the sterile, gray walls of the reception area made her feel even more out of place. It smelled faintly of bleach and something unidentifiable, the buzz of fluorescent lights above her head almost deafening in the quiet.

"Hi, um..." Odette began. She approached the receptionist, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm here to see Robby Keene..."

The woman behind the desk didn't look up immediately, tapping at the keyboard with methodical strokes. When she finally glanced at Odette, her expression was neutral. "Miss, you need to call to schedule a visit first."

Odette's stomach dropped at the realization. She hadn't thought of that, and the anxiety that had already been simmering inside her now bubbled up.

"Oh... okay." She muttered, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Wait," The receptionist said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she typed something into the computer. She raised an eyebrow. "What's your relation to the boy?"

Odette hesitated for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. "Girlfriend."

The receptionist paused for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Let me check something." She typed for a few more seconds, then glanced back up at Odette, her expression shifting slightly. "I can let you through. But just this once, okay?"