To Infinity and Beyond

Not in a lifetime

Alice's POV

Tiny arms wrapped tightly around my neck and warm tears damped my shoulders as she held onto me for what felt like hours. The time seemed to have slowed down, I could feel her heart squeeze in pain as mellow sobs shuddered against my chest. It felt like ages since I last saw her, and I didn't realise how much I had missed her until this moment.

My sweet little Mia was in my arms, her familiar scent filled my nostrils as I took a deep sigh of relief tightening my hold on her.

"My baby, it's okay. I am here. I am here for you. Please stop crying." Caressing her back, my quivering lips finally managed to whisper in her ears. Her green orbs met my blue ones, "I missed you so much Alice, where have you been? Why didn't you ever visit me again? I missed you," she wiped her tears with the back of her tiny hand.

"I am so sorry Mia, for.. for not checking in. For not coming to see you all these months. For being the most mean person in your life. But I missed you too love, every single day," I wiped her tears while gently placing a kiss on her forehead, I walked towards a small bench while carrying Mia in my arms.

"Dada said you were very busy. He also said that perhaps your work made you forget about us. Did you forget about me, Alice? He never took me to visit you, no matter how hard I tried to convince him. Don't you love us anymore?" She whispered the last part, mostly to herself. I felt my spine stiffen at the mention of Mark's name.

Every fibre in my body was burning in regret, but the moment I put my attention back on Mia, I couldn't hold it in anymore. This little girl suffered because I had broken her little heart. I had made her feel unwanted. I had abandoned her. I made promises and failed to keep them. There wasn't anything worse than betraying an innocent child.

Waves of guilt overpowered me. My vision went blurry again with pool of unshed tears, it hurt so much to see her sad and broken. I moved to sit across her, on my knees, while she sat with slumped shoulders on the bench. Instinctively I took her hands in mine, "Mia, I love you sweetheart. I could never forget you baby, not in a lifetime! And perhaps all the others that would follow. You will always be my closest friend. I am sorry for being away all this while. I was.. ummm.. was busy like your dad had told you. But now I am here. I promise."

She surprised me with the warmest hug as she jumped and squeezed her arms around my neck again. "I love you too, Alice. I am never letting you go again." She giggled. The best sound I had  heard in a while. It lifted something gravely heavy from my heart, an instant relief. Suddenly, I felt as light as a feather.

Mia started talking so fast, about everything that I had missed in the past months, like she couldn't wait to tell me every single detail. I gave her all my attention, but we still had an ocean to catch up on. I walked Mia back to her classes, only with a promise to have dinner with her later in the day.

Her head bobbed, her eyes twinkled and her pony bounced from left to right as she gave me one last kiss before rushing back to her class.

Watching her disappear inside the room, my throat constricted with anxiety. I could not disappear on this girl again. Never again.

But what would that mean for my situation with Mark?