The Protective Heart ✔️

16. Protecting her from her balloon floating away

After a while, we decided to take a walk and talk some more. We hadn't once let go of hands, it was like our interlinked fingers were giving us something stable to hold onto. For me, his hand was keeping me grounded while my mind was trying to float away into the dark clouds of depression.

"Hey, Declan?"

"Hm?"

"What happened to your eye?" I asked softly, looking at the dark black and blue ring around his left eye. He turned his head toward me for a moment and gave me a small smile.

"Well, my match on Friday turned out to be more difficult than expected." He explained and then looked back up at where we were walking. I noticed a metal bench coming up on the left that sat just on the edge of the sidewalk.

"What do you mean? Did you lose?" I asked. I couldn't believe that Declan would lose, though. He won those other matches so easily that it was hard to even think of him losing.

"No, I won...just barely." He added quietly. I stopped in my tracks causing him to stumble back a step from the abruptness. He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, asking me silently what was wrong. I stared at the bruise around his eye and brought a hand up to it, tracing it softly with the tips of my fingers. His eyes watched mine as I slowly brought my attention to the ground and letting my hand drop to my side.

"I'm sorry." I whispered. I felt his hand cup my cheek, the warmth felt so nice that I closed my eyes and leaned into it.

"Goldi, you never have to apologize to me. I will always be here for you no matter what you do or say to me. I told you before and I will tell you again, I'm not leaving. So take your time, I will wait for you as long as it takes." His voice was soft and reassuring as his thumb stroked my cheek. I opened my eyes and stared at him. I faintly noticed that a mother and child walked passed us on the sidewalk. I could hear the little girl giggle as she pulled her balloon. We both turned to watch them. The mother was smiling down at her daughter. Both of them had dark brown hair but the little girl had crystal blue eyes compared to the mother's emerald ones. Suddenly the balloon slipped from the girl's fingers. She desperately cried out as she jumped to grab the string but it was too late.

In the next moment, Declan was running and stepped swiftly on the bench and then jumped into the air, catching the balloon's string in his hand as he lightly landed on his feet. My eyes widened in shock as he turned around, leaned down and smiled at the little girl. She giggled excitedly as she ran up to him and gave him a big hug. He embraced her lightly and then tied the string around the girl's wrist so she wouldn't lose it again. I smiled as I watched the exchange.

Everything he did shined so brightly.

The mother thanked him and told her daughter to do the same.

"Thank you, mister!" She said and hugged him around his neck again. He chuckled at her and then patted her head. After they walked away, he came back up to me and reached his hand out for mine. I linked my hand in his once more and we started walking.

"That was really sweet." I commented. He turned his face to me and smiled.

"Sometimes we have to rely on others when something is just out of our grasp." He replied and I could tell he wasn't just talking about the balloon anymore. I blushed and looked ahead. The little girl and her mom were still barely in our sight. She was skipping by her mother's side as her pink dress bopped up and down.

"I wish my dad had been like you." I whispered as I leaned into him slightly. I felt his body become rigid but then relaxed. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I gladly welcomed the warmth of our sides touching as we walked.