A Gentle Collision

Chapter 19

Freen's father came home late, as he usually did, the door slamming shut with a careless thud. Freen stood by the dining table, pretending to tidy up the remnants of dinner while keeping an ear on his mood.

"Did you finish cleaning the living room?" he asked, his voice clipped as he loosened his tie.

"Yes," Freen replied softly.

He glanced around the house, his eyes scanning for anything out of place. "Good. I don't want to see any mess when I leave tomorrow."

Freen nodded, not bothering to respond further. It wasn’t unusual for him to dismiss her this way—just another task on his endless checklist of things to control. He grabbed a plate from the counter, quickly ate his reheated dinner in silence, and retired to his study, leaving Freen alone in the dimly lit kitchen.

She exhaled quietly, relieved that he hadn't pried further into her day. After clearing the table and washing the dishes, she decided to straighten up the house a little more before heading upstairs. The rhythmic sound of her feet against the floor and the hum of chores gave her time to collect her thoughts.

But the moment she stepped into her room, everything changed.

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The door clicked shut behind her, and a big, uncontrollable grin pulled across her face. It was immediate and involuntary, lighting up her entire expression. Freen clutched the doorknob for a second, as if grounding herself, before stepping further into the room.

Her heart was racing with an uncontainable joy. She dropped her bag by the desk and spun around, letting out a small, breathless laugh. The room suddenly felt brighter, warmer, alive with her energy.

"She came for me," Freen whispered to herself, the words carrying a sense of disbelief and wonder.

She moved around her small room, her steps light and almost bouncy. Her fingers trailed across the edge of her desk, then her bookshelf, as if every object in her room shared her happiness. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining Becky’s hand in hers, the warmth of that simple touch.

“Becky,” she murmured, her voice soft and dreamy.

Freen twirled in a small circle, giggling to herself. She felt like a princess in her own fairytale, swept away by the memory of Becky’s determination to get her out of the house. For the first time in a long time, she felt seen, cared for—not like an obligation or a burden.

Collapsing onto her bed, she hugged her pillow tightly, her grin still wide and unfaltering. The pillow muffled her laugh as she buried her face into it, overwhelmed by the emotions surging through her.

Her mind wandered back to Becky’s teasing remarks, the way she had held her hand so confidently, guiding her through the bustling streets. Freen imagined that moment over and over again, the way their fingers fit together, the unspoken strength in Becky’s grip.

And then her thoughts strayed further. She imagined Becky holding her hand again, but this time it was different—closer, more intimate. Becky would pull her into a quiet corner of the market, away from the crowd, and look at her with that rare, soft expression. Freen’s breath hitched as the scene played out in her mind.

She could almost hear Becky’s voice, low and teasing but tinged with something deeper. “You’re braver than you think, Freen.”

Freen rolled onto her back, clutching the pillow to her chest, her cheeks flushed. She laughed again, a sound filled with disbelief and pure, unfiltered joy. The happiness was too big for her small room to contain.

---

Eventually, she calmed down, her thoughts slowing but her grin still firmly in place. She stretched out on her bed, staring at the ceiling with dreamy eyes. Her fingers brushed against the fabric of her blanket as if tracing the memory of Becky’s touch.

“I can’t believe I did it,” Freen whispered to herself, shaking her head. “I actually went out. I had fun. With Becky.”

The thought was almost too surreal.

Closing her eyes, Freen let the memories of the day wash over her again—the laughter, the market stalls, the way Becky had confidently tugged her along without a care in the world.

She sighed contentedly, hugging her pillow one last time before settling under her blanket. Her cheeks still ached from smiling so much, but she didn’t mind. For once, her heart felt light, her mind free of the usual weight it carried.

As she drifted off to sleep, that same wide grin stayed on her face, a quiet testament to the happiness she had found in a single, unexpected day.