Failed Love - |Edluca|

A dance to remember

A month has passed since the two last met. The prisoner and painter meet again to make up for the time they lost before the manor. The painter was glad they both made it out, even if it scarred them physically and mentally. They have each other now, and that’s all that mattered to him.

“I know I apologize to you for this too much, but… I’m really sorry… I just wanted to forget you then and didn’t want anything to do with you. I was young and stupid to realize how much you meant to me.”

The painter handed the prisoner a bouquet that he had prepared on his own.  It consisted mostly of synthetic ghost orchids but also smaller synthetic flowers to ensure the orchids stood out. The prisoner loved ghost orchids the most since they were the painter's favorite flowers.

“I still keep your letter with me… It’s stupid, I know, but it always brought me some type of comfort. It felt so good and refreshing to read that even after you moved away, after I told you off before the fire, and after everything… you still cared for me…”

++++++

The painter cried in his younger sister's room as he held her most treasured stuffed animal. He stayed in there for what seemed like hours until a knock came at the door.

Knock Knock

He quickly but gently placed the toy down before wiping his tears on his clothes. He took deep breaths before trying to speak without breaking down.

“I don’t feel like practicing painting today, Mr. Sarai. Leave me alone now.”

The door slowly creaked open as the painter remained seated on the bed with his back to the door. His annoyance was beginning to overpower his sadness. A voice then spoke. A voice spoke; one he knew and loved the sound of. It reminded him of her..

“Stop moping around and come and have some fun, Valden!”

“...”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said that… Listen, I know you’re going through a rough time right now, but you know they both would’ve wanted you to be happy even if they aren’t here with you.”

“...I know that… It’s just hard… All I’ve done in life is stand there and see the people I care for just leave me… I don’t want to be here much longer.”

The girl walked up to the boy and sat down next to him. She tried her best to comfort him at all times, especially after losing his sister. The boy sucked in his tears, not wanting to seem weak in front of her.

“You haven’t eaten anything since this morning, so I made you something to eat. Come, let’s go downstairs so you can eat.”

The girl grabbed hold of the boy’s hand as she guided him out of the room and down the stairs.

The two entered the huge dining room that once held the painter’s biggest and most joyful birthday parties but now serves as a reminder of the happiness he once had. The girl sat him down in his usual seat before heading into the kitchen to get him a plate of what she made.

The aroma from the kitchen was so strong that it hugged every corner of the Valden house. She came out of the kitchen with a plate. The food smelled amazing that it brought a small smile to the boy’s face.

“Your cooking never fails to surprise me, Nair. Your love for aromas helps add an amazing smell to everything you make.”

“I could never amount to your cooking skills, Valden. Your mother must’ve been an amazing cook to be able to teach you so much. Here, eat up. You can’t function well with an empty stomach.”