The Promise

70) Omer

Aurora has been out for three whole hours.

I look at her frame on my bed as she sleeps it out. I still cannot believe she came. She finally came to me.

God knows how much I waited, I almost lost hope of seeing her in person again.

I smooth a hand over her face and hair. I feel my heart clench, it is very obvious she wasn't eating. Her body looks so weak; it was so weak in my arms.

I didn't feel a tear slip from my eyes as I recall our meeting earlier. My baby, she was so small, so weak and burnt out.

If I counted the times I was about to barge in her room and carry her to mine, I won't be able to. I wanted to give her time before I approached her again. She needed it so I gave it to her, but me? I was drowning alive here, not being able to see her.

When I did, Dionne let me in a couple of times to check on her. I only stood outside her room, watching her dark silhouette as she slept. Dionne told me she doesn't eat or go out too, but I didn't imagine it's to this extent.

I was so worried about her exam today. I told Dionne to try to get her out, but she refused like every time. So, she had the idea to get her friends to have the test at their house, but she didn't bear it too.

I kiss her hands then rest my forehead against them. So cold; it reminds me of when she came to London. I didn't want it to go this far. I didn't want her to suffer this much.

I was going to take her anyways. She's mine and no one else's and if we were going to suffer then I wanted us to do it together, but she pushed all of us away. I couldn't do anything, but respect her decision when I knew well it was going to swallow her whole.

I'm not saying I know more than she does, but Aurora is so young and she thinks if she pushed people away it's better like that so she won't hurt them. The truth is she hurting herself the most.

Experience and time taught me that we cannot save people by leaving them, it taught me too that if we love someone, we hold onto them. I appreciated that because I was waiting my whole life to love someone. She did not because she still hasn't learnt the lesson. So, I won't leave till she gets to know it and to accept me as hers and she as mine.

Another hour and a half pass and she's still out. The thing is she is not unconscious, she is sleeping soundly like a babe right now.

I lean back in my chair as I look at her as she sleeps and just wait. I'll wait for her to wake up and we'll have this talk.

I smile as I look her over, welcome back home, dove.