Champagne Problems // English's Version

Chapter 17: Silent Love

It was a night like any other, and Kyle was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. Agatha must have been home for a few hours now, but she still hadn't come home. Usually, when she went out with her colleagues, she came home late, but that night there was something different, a growing anxiety that he couldn't explain.

A noise at the door made him jump. It sounded like someone was trying to open it, but couldn't. Kyle quickly got up and went to check. He opened the door and found Agatha in front of him. Only it wasn't the Agatha he knew, the strong and determined one he loved. She was devastated, her eyes were swollen and shiny, her hair was messy. She was drunk, more than usual.

She couldn't even hold the keys to open the door. Kyle looked at her, his heart broken. He wanted to scream, to tell her how angry he was, how tired he was of seeing her end up like this. But when he looked closer, he saw only fragility. Agatha was broken. She was fighting with herself, and she was losing.

Kyle didn't say anything. Gently, he took her in his arms and led her into the house. Agatha was swaying, her gaze lost in space, unable to focus on anything. He held her, as he always had, but this time he felt the weight of her fragility differently. His hands were shaking slightly as he carried her toward the bathroom.

«It's okay, love.» he whispered softly, trying to calm her, to give her strength. «I'm here with you. You're not alone.»

Agatha didn't answer. She seemed lost, trapped in a world only she could see, a world Kyle couldn't enter. Every step they took toward the bathroom seemed to confirm how far she was moving away from him. But Kyle couldn't afford to give in, couldn't leave her alone.

Once in the bathroom, Kyle prepared the hot water, hoping that it would ease at least a little of the pain Agatha was feeling, the pain she couldn't communicate. He helped her take off her clothes, to immerse herself in the water. She was still shaking, and Kyle held her hand, whispering words of love.

«I love you, Agatha. You mean so much to me. I won't let this destroy you.» he said, trying to stay calm, to make her understand how much she meant to him, how much he was willing to fight to save her, even if sometimes it seemed like an impossible feat.

Agatha closed her eyes, tears mingling with the bath water. She was exhausted, both in body and soul. She heard Kyle's words, but she couldn't respond. Inside her, a silent voice told her that maybe she didn't deserve all that love, that maybe it was too late to be saved.

Kyle helped her wash, gently running the sponge over her back, never stopping to talk to her. His voice was a refuge, a fixed point in the chaos that had become Agatha's life.

After the bath, Kyle wrapped her in a towel and carried her to bed. He covered her with the blankets, as one does with someone who is lost, hoping that at least in her sleep Agatha could find some peace. She looked at him, but her gaze was still lost, far away. There was nothing more painful for Kyle than seeing the person he loved suffer so much and not being able to do anything to ease that pain.

«I'm staying here with you.» Kyle said, caressing her face. «I'm not leaving you alone. I never will.»

Agatha didn't answer, but a tear silently ran down her cheek. Kyle left the room only for a moment, just long enough to make her a herbal tea, hoping it could calm her upset stomach. When he returned, he found her still with that empty look, fixed on the ceiling.

«Here, drink it.» he said softly, offering her the cup.

Agatha took it with shaking hands, sipping slowly.

Kyle remained there, next to her, sitting on the edge of the bed, not saying anything else. He knew that words would not solve anything tonight, that all Agatha really needed was his presence. He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, as if to tell her that, despite everything, he would stay.

And so they spent the night. Kyle watched over her, while Agatha, despite her restless sleep, knew that next to her was someone who would never abandon her.