Leap of faith, rebuilding our worlds

Chapter 3: Singing in the Rain

Notes:

Hey another chapter! yei!!!!
I wanted to ask you, my beatiful readers! if I could tell you something about me in this notes. also feel free to tell me what you think about this history! I accept constructive critisims(apart from my grammar and syntaxis, I been made aware that I lack in that area)
Hope you have a good day!!!

September 23
Callum was preparing for his date. He woke up late and he was rushing. He rushed to make some battered eggs with bacon for his late breakfast. The clock was ticking and he became more nervous by the second. Callum woke up round three in the evening since he slept late and his phone died. He was crazy eating his breakfast while his mind was rushing like crazy, from what to wear to if his car was clean.
The food was delicious for a quick breakfast but he did not ponder on that thought for too long since he rushed to the bathroom. Callum sighted, he hated being late and being in a hurry and most likely stressed about something. He was stressed about his date with Rayla, he never had a second date and usually people thought he was strange enough or something and never contacted him again. It was usually the way he acted or the lack of money he disimulate he did not have.
He had his share of bad dates before the incident and he did not want to repeat such experiences. He quickly checked what time it was on his phone(he started to charge it before he started making breakfast) and he was about to be late. Callum groaned and started to change, he was going to wear a three piece tux, all black with a white bowtie, it was elegant and the only formal clothes he had at the moment.
Callum usually did not go to those events since there were many people and he was not confident enough that they would not recognise him as the boy of that time since it was all over the news. Callum was almost reliving those moments but he steeled himself, he was not here anymore and he would not do anything to him again.
A ring in his phone alerted him that the time of picking, he sighed and looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. -"You got this Cal, this is something you have done many times in the past and today will be excellent and possibly a good date" He was trying to reassure himself and it was working. He smiled at himself and went to pick up his keys and went out of his apartment, he had the confidence that it was going to be a good day.
Elf boy: I'm ready to pick you up! look out for a black BMW
Callum smiled at his own text and decided to take the lift to the basement. It was an old building, only Sarai and Amaya knew where he was staying but they accepted to only go there when he invited them over, which had never happened. He made the promise that when he felt better, he would invite the whole family to his home but he was not ready, not yet.
---------
Rayla was freaking it out, she was so nervous about the auction that she was almost losing her mind. Ethari was the one who knew all about art in their home and for Rayla she only loved to admire them rather than understand them. The color, the combination and how they depicted the world they live and their imagination. That's why she was a fan of many painters but her favorite was her date tonight. He painted the world as he saw it but it had something extra she could not point out. It was something that could make her heartbeat rise or her world turn blue. Ethari called that 'the soul of the art'.
She was scared since she did not have the manners of the upper class, they were boring and certainly useless in her line of business, managing a bar. Rayla sometimes thought of going back to college but she was older and she could not support the bar and her studies at the same time. She did not know how to tell him that, for her it was an embarrassing moment in her life. She thought that she could fend against the world on her own and she could, but it was not as glamorous as she thought it was.
Ethari was coming here to reunite part of the family and she loved him for that and more but she felt like a disappointment. She had not achieved many things and felt undeserving of his appreciation and love. "Maybe it would be the best not to live with him?" She pondered in her mind, wondering why he loved her when she had made mistake after mistake. She snapped from her train of thoughts when he read Callum's text, and smiled at her phone. "He trusted me with one of his most valuable secrets, maybe he could help me" She thought while she did a last check of her outfit. She was wearing a bluish dark suit with a sky blue shirt, she smirked. He was going to love her outfit.
She ran down stairs and exited the bar. Starting to look for the BMW until she found it, parked in front of the bar and Callum leaned on it checking his phone. Rayla smiled at him for a moment, admiring how handsome he was. She ran at him and hugged him.
-"Hello, Moonlight. Ready for our date?" Callum told Rayla while they were still hugging her. Rayla's heart melted at his words.
-"Yes.. I had all planned for tonight!" Rayla exclaimed, breaking the hug but not taking her arms off his shoulders. Her excitement reached her eyes and they were sparkling, like little stars. Callum blushed but smiled softly, he was admiring her eyes. They looked at each other and their smile became innocent and joyful.
-"We should get going, my lady. If something catches your eye and you want it, let me help you buy it" Callum told her while opening the door of the passenger seat of the car, Rayla felt her heartbeat rise and her cheeks reddened. -"My.. thanks handsome and what if I deny your request~" Rayla was a little scared of what Callum could respond. "Maybe he is flaunting his money so I could be more interested in him" She thought to herself but her face was still grinning. Callum chuckled and shook his head, then sat on the driver's seat.
-"Then it will be respected, my lady" Callum told her with an honest and sincere smile and Rayla softened her heart. Rayla remembered that he was not like them, he was caring, loyal and respectful. -"I will like that but don't go overboard, sad artist." Rayla blushed, she was feeling grateful of his help and astonished that he would retreat if she told her that she did not need help.
-"If you want it and want my help, just tell me. Half of the money that the auction gains will be donated for the poor, one quarter for the house and the last quarter for the donator of the item." Callum explained to her while he was driving, smiling that she was going with him. Rayla was perplexed, she did not know that the action and the exposition of his art was a fundraiser for the poor. Rayla's defenses melted, she was truly touched by his actions.
-"All your paintings are selled for the poor?" She asked shyly, she did not know how to react to such kindness. -"Yes, most of it. My mother and aunt's convince to do it since I wanted to keep it in the family" Her mind calmed, he was just as he presented himself and even if he was broken by someone, his heart remained the same. Rayla smiled at him. -"Hey, there is something I want to talk...." Rayla was very nervous, never in her life she had been in this position but she wanted to maintain the little control she had of herself.
Callum stopped at the red light and smiled at her, he nodded and waited for her to speak. He was smiling sincerely and his eyes showed no glint of judgment to her.
-"Mmmm... I was thinking..." Rayla started stuttering and blushing and Callum smiled softly at her. -"Maybe... we could be.... a thing?"
Callum detected her doubts and insecurities asking that question and he too had pondered about that. He smiled softly at her and kissed her cheeks before continuing driving. -"Yes, I would love that. I mean if you want too" Callum stuttered too, he was often rejected and for him, a beautiful and strong woman was asking for him to be her boyfriend. -"Yes dummy, that's why I was asking you" Rayla rolled her eyes playfully but she was blushing.
-"I will let you know, I'm not sure how that works....I mean, I never had a girlfriend before...." Callum was ashamed of his lack of knowledge on that area. Rayla blinked twice and they started laughing, hard and loud. Callum felt a little hurt at her reaction but she put a hand on Callum's shoulder while he was driving and kissed his cheek. -"Aww that's sweet. Don't worry is like a best friend but with benefits...." Rayla explained while blushing, she was not used to having this type of conversation. Callum was as red as a berry but he was smiling but Rayla noticed his nervousness. -"We can take things slow, Callum. I want to date you, so we do not need to rush into something you are not comfortable with" Rayla reassured Callum squeezing his shoulder, she was relaxed that he was confident with her touch.
Callum smiled at her while they continued driving in a confident state, the music was attune with the comfort they found in each other. It felt magical that they had found each other and despite how close they lived, a few buildings away, and that they had never run at each other. -"Yes, slow. Let's enjoy each step" Callum told her with all of his emotions while Rayla smiled softly and him. -"Yes" Was her answer and they enjoyed the music of the radio.
---------
The auction was extremely big, many rich people from many places from the world came for the secret treasures they were presenting today. Different from what Rayla believed, those weren't stolen or illegal. Many artists from around the world, who were renowned enough, donate their art to the museum, so it could help many other people in need.
Rayla was astonished that so many people were willing to help but she also understood the premise of them, they were selling their art to rich people while helping the poor. It was quid pro quo, that benefited everyone but more to the poor. It was austandish that they had arranged that for almost eight years now.
Callum was scorting Rayla by the hand through the massive crowd, He wanted to get to his balcony since the auction was in the theater that the museum had. -"Mmm... this may be rushing into things... but..." Rayla noticed that Callum was in distrugh, so she hooked their arms together and held him hard. She was trying to convey her words through her actions, something she knew that made him calm down better than words. -"My aunt runs this museum after she retired from the military and I always come to see her since she had been taking care of me since I was fifteen '' Callum told her, trying to reassure him more than her. He was afraid of what her aunt could tell him since he had not contacter as much as he promised he would. Rayla tensed up for a minute but then hugged his armos closer to her.
-"Then lead the way elf boy, we are in this together" She beamed at him. Callum smiled at her and felt more calmer he had felt in quite some time. The avoided some people who were whispering something about him, Rayla did not pay them any attention since she did not care about what they were talking. They both knew they did not know the others' complete history but they were comfortable with who they were and that they were together, that was what mattered the most to them.
After a moment, Callum's words sank in her mind and she realised that she was going to meet with his aunt, his family. Rayla was about to shiver when she heard Callums voice. -"Don't worry, they are more laid back than they seem to be. Remember my publicist? She is my aunt" Rayla was confident that Callum spoke the truth but she was still nervous about meeting them, she never had been good with parents and parents had never been good with her, except from Ethari.
-"Are you sure?" She was scared, she had so many bad memories of parent disapproving of her and telling her that her son or daughter was better off without her than with her. Her body was tense and her mind was running high when she felt a tug of Callums arm and a hand on her chink, liftinf her head so that she could see him. -"My aunts cared for me and sought after my happiness. The only people they hate are those who want to harm me, not those who want to be with me." Callum reassured her with a soft smile and Rayla's heart started beating again. Many of her partners had chosen to hide the relationship they had with her, for fear of what their parents would say about him or their uninterestedness about making the relationship official. That was a reason she came here instead of staying with where she used to live.
-"Okay, Callum but I would need some ice cream later~" Rayla told him and kissed his cheeks. She was very grateful that she had met him. -"Where are we going to meet your aunts?" She asked with some uncertainty but she was willing to be there and survive it, she really wanted to date him.
-"We are going to share the balcony, so maybe inside. I hope we do not step in and catch them doing something private" Rayla wondered what he meant when he said that but judging by the way he said that, she did not want to find out.
------
Rayla found out what he meant. They entered the balcony an hour and a half after they arrived at the museum. Apparently they were sneaking some lovely time that escalated more than they predicted. Rayla and Callum were embarrassed when they found them and they were forced to step out and wait for them to be presentable. Rayla and Callums were laughing at themselves, they were so worried that the shock of seeing them like that made them laugh uncontrollably. After a while they managed to calm their laughs. -"Why did they not lock the room?" Rayla asked snickering a little, she was not able to subdue her laughs completely.
-"Aunt Amaya does not believe in locks" Callums answer with a soft chuckle, he remembered all the time she came to his house without knocking. Rayla started laughing again but this time it was funny to her, knowing quite well that feeling. -"I know, my dad did the same when we were living together. Super embarrassing things happened." Rayla confessed and she realised that she had no problem telling him about her past, a sore theme for her. Callum laughed at her comment, understanding very well that sentiment.
-"I know, super embarrassing when someone bargains into your room" Rayla and Callum stared at each other and laughed a little more. They were laying their backs on the door when the door opened abruptly and both of them fell to the ground. At the feeling of their backs touching the ground, they stood up and looked at the two imposing womens infront of her.
Rayla gulped and subconsciously she hid a little of herself behind Callum, she was afraid. She expected a more welcome personality, like Callum's but they were more impousing than Runaan. -"sorry for the little show, apparently someone did not lock the door" The short woman of the pair singend while Callum translated for me.
-"Well my sun, I believe that you did not believe in locks?" The tall woman responded with a grin while the short woman blushed but frowned a little at her words.
-"They are my aunt's Rayla, Aunt Amaya oakwood" Callum presented Amaya to Rayla. She was a tall woman, with white skin and short balck hair. She was wearing a balck tux with a red shirt, she had brown eyes and she looked impressive. Rayla became embarrassed and looked at her feet and played a little with her hair. -"And her wife, Janai Aurea" pointing towards another very imposing woman. She was wearing a deep dark blue strapless dress and her hair was in a very intricate braid, a little loose now but still impressive. Both women were smiling, waiting for Callum to present his partner.
Rayla felt a little shy, they were important figures in her boyfriend's life and they only started to date for a few hours now. Callum tugged her arm a little and smiled at her, so she could regain a little of her confidence in herself and she did but she still hid a little of herself behind him. -"Aunt Amaya, Aunt Janai, This is Rayla my..." Callum was not sure how to introduce her, he wanted to introduce her as his girlfriend but he did not know if she wanted that. Each second the tension inside the balcony rose since no one was talking but before any of the three could say or do anything Rayla finished Callum's sentence. -"girlfriend, I'm Rayla Moon, I'm pleased to meet you" Rayla finished with every fiber of body screaming to run, to get out of there as fast as possible but she was done running away from things and from her feelings.
Janai and Amaya shared a look between them and they looked like they were talking with their eyes. Both Callum and Rayla awaited the response of his aunts, they felt the air become colder and the silent deafening, the wait was making them more nervous and their body was tense.
Amaya and Janai forced them into a back-splitting hug. The married couple were smiling brightly and were crushing the young and new couple. They were static that Callum had become more like his old self and more lively than he had ever been since that fateful day. Not a day had passed that the married couple wished they could have done something to change what happened to him but they were glad that he had taken the first steps into finding a new light in his life.
-"She sounds like the girl you took out on a date, the same day you called me" Janai stated and both Callum and Rayla blushed. Janai and Amaya retreated to let them breathe a little while Janai told her wife what she had just said. Amaya grinned and looked at them. -"Really? Callum this means celebration but maybe in private" Janai translated for Rayla and they became emarased at the mention of a private celebration but Janai just chuckled. "don't tease them too much, my sun. Let them take things at their own rhythm, we are too young to be grand-aunt, yet" Janai told them while signing to her wife.
Both Callum and Rayla groaned and Callum hid his face with his hand while Rayla hid her face in Callums shoulder. Janai and Amaya were laughing and they invited them to sit with them while they waited a few more minutes before the auction started.
--------
Rayla was amazed by the thing she saw, many beautiful paintings were sold like bread, many jewelry that looked like fantasy, making the ones in most jewelry stores look like garbage and weapons that were exact history recreacion or made so beautiful that they looked like something you could only see in fantasy. Rayla was shocked when she started to converse with Amaya and Janai, telling her about their adventures and how they meet. They were on a internacional school championship of fencing, they were both the finalists of their respective school, they fought to the end with determination but they ended in a draw. Janai confessed that she was lost in Amaya's brown eyes while Amaya confessed that she was entranced by Jane's footwork style, like a dancer on the battlefield.
Callum helped understand more of some paintings that she was curious about and he explained to a detail, and when it was too difficult to explain, he wrote it down on his phone under the title :Explain to Rayla(paintings and Urgent!) She was touched by his caring and she melted at how thoughtful he was about her. Janai and Amaya also threaten Rayla, discreetly as they could, that it was better to tell him the truth before he had his highs up or she would be in a world of pain but Rayla beamed at both of them. She confessed with a smile and holding his hand that she wanted this, she was not deceiving him or playing with him but truly wanted to be with him.
After that, the flow of the conversation became more casual and natural, that ranged from their day to day to how they were making a living. Rayla felt at home somehow but different from Ethari and her little sisters, her heart felt calm and her soul was shining, she felt like a lake reflecting the light of the full moon. It was a new sensation for her but not unwelcome, maybe she could understand this sensation later with the help of Ethari or her boyfriend.
The thing that brought her into the reality of the moment was when Callum started bidding for a set of weapons, a spear, a shield, a sword and a pair of butterfly curve daggers. They were quite beautiful and Rayla knew that stuff, after all Ethari was a blacksmith before he started sculpting and making jewels and those were beautiful. Callum bid like he was in need of those weapons but Rayla was unsure of why at the moment until she saw the expression of his aunts, the glint of her eyes looking at specific weapons and she realised that the married couple could not bid since this was their actions.
Rayla smiled at her boyfriend, he was kind and selfless, he used his money for others when he could use it on himself. Rayla was falling more for him, he was like everything she wanted in a prince when she was little, from the fairy tales her dads told her before sleep. Those bed stories filled her heart with so many fantasies that when she grew up and discovered that the world was not like that, she fell into despair and closed her heart to the others, even to her own family but now, maybe it was time to open it slowly.
-----
The auction ended a few hours after Callum acquired the weapon set, and they were arriving at the StormSpire to have dinner. The restaurant was something entirely different that he expected, the tables were made out of stone and the chairs of willow trees. The wall, the floors and the ceiling were made out of stone with bronze, silver and gold fittings. It looked like a dining room of an ancient palace, where kings and emperors sat to eat among royalty and nobility but when he saw the center table he became catatonic.
It was a round marble table, white as the full moon, adorned with a red tablecloth with golden fittings and silver runes. -"Rayla.... this... is..." Callum was astonished by the beauty of things in the display, the silver shine and the candles lighted the room. Rayla was impassive waiting for him to finish his sentence. Her fears were eating her and her mind was thinking the worst outcomes.
-"Beautiful" He finished while hugging Rayla with all his strength, his heart was unfreezing, he felt something warm running through his veins but not enough to unfreeze his whole hearth but enough to allow him to tear up on Rayla's shoulder.
-"It's what you deserve, sad artist. I wanted to show you how much I liked you so..." She hugged him tighter, and then signale to the table. -"My dad, Ethari, once told me that when you could not convey your message with words, let your actions speak for you." She said while blushing but smiling at him, she truly liked him but many years of words had made her unsure of how to speak the language of the heart, so she let her actions speak.
She was trembling since he was silent. Many doubts crossed her mind but her heart told her to stand strong, her heart was convinced of their atraccion, so she stood there, hugging him until he answered but she felt something wet on her shoulder. Rayla broke the hug and looked at Callum, he was crying but a smile graced his lips. -"I do like you too Moonlight, I really like you" Callum spoke and the fog inside her dispersed, as if his worlds had revealed a hidden truth inside her and she started tearing too, but something inside arose. -"Are you sure? I'm not the most beautiful woman, the least refined, uncultured compared to those who surround you, uncertain of my own destiny and certainly I'm poor" Rayla told him sobbing, her fears showing the worst of her through her eyes. -"I'm ill mannered and certainly I'm not well behaved around others. I'm tainted, I have done unspeakable things, making me unworthy of someone as pure and good as you!" Rayla almost yelled but her eyes showed her fears and worries, phantoms of her past action showing her her mistakes.
-"I do not know if you are poor, or the other things you said about yourself but they are a half truth and half a lie" Callum told Rayla while moving the hair that covered her face and tucked it behind her ear. -"You are like the crescent moon, some part of you is hidden in the shadows while the other is reflecting your own light. Yes, you have done many things that do not define you, what you are willing to do define you."Rayla refused to look at him, diverting her gaze from him. Callum moved her face so that she could look at him while he caressed her cheek.
-"Look at me Ray and tell me you don't see a little boy who was abandoned by his own father, ignored by his own stepfather when he needed him the most. Those things are part of who we are but they do not define who we can become and they do not change the value of who you are'' Callum told her while holding her close to him, soothing her by rubbing circles on her back. Rayla was crying openly on his shoulder but Callum could feel the relief in her, her wounds just started to heal and her ghosts were disappearing slowly but she was relieved that he saw her in that light.
-"Shhh, All will be good. Why don't we eat dinner and we go back to my apartment to rest, you would be the first to enter that apartment since I moved there." Callum whispered at Rayla's ears and she smiled. Callum handed her a tissue so she could clean up her face from her tears and they went to the magnificent table Rayla had prepared.
-"You are beautiful my Moonlight" Callum told her with a smile and she smiled softly at him as a response. Their dinner was filled with laughs, bad and good jokes, sad comments but their past was forgotten that night since that did not matter for the present. They discussed plans and hopes, problems and uncertainties but they always answer "together" after each question, promising to face the future together.