The Shadows of Memory Lane (Book 2) [Gxg]

Chapter 28

Jimena woke up early in the morning just as the first of the sun rays started to fall on the ground. She untangled herself from Linda's hug and got off the bed to stretch. She rubbed her eyes and stared at the mirror. The day before had been full of surprises. Crazy surprises. Her dad. Her mom. Her newfound brother. Gods. And after days like that, she'd wake up with a bad headache, drowsiness due to horrible sleep, nausea from feeling empty and the natural physical aspects, like tear-stained cheeks and the other characteristic misery indicators. But the reflection that stared back at her had no clues of the night before, even the greatest detective would have failed to find out that she'd had a bad day. She touched her cheeks that had previously been a palette for those million colourless droplets. 

Her. She'd changed everything. Linda she was her messiah. Her saviour. Somehow, in this world where people find it hard to understand that life is too short to be filled with hate, she'd found love. Pure, innocent, untainted, love. It was wholesome and it filled every gap in her heart. It wove through the holes like a needle and thread, closing them. 

She looked down at her huddled figure, hugging a pillow, snoring (though Linda swore that she doesn't snore) her little cute snores. Murmuring unintelligible words and phrases from time to time. Jimena smiled. That little smile that just happens to appear on your face when you are filled with so much content and happiness, that you can't help but express it. As if an epiphany exploded on your face. That gentle smile that transforms all your facial features, no matter how small the smile is. It had been a long time since she'd smiled that smile. She'd always felt flawed. And Linda had somehow managed to hide or maybe even demolish those flaws. Or simply... though it was beyond Jimena's comprehension at that time, made her realise that she was not flawed at all. Not in a way that would matter. Jimena closed her eyes, humming the first song that came to her mind. Slow dancing around, leaving space for someone to dance with her. She twirled and spun soon she was caught mid-twirl by tangible arms. Another hum harmonising with hers. Soft fingertips pressing against her own. A picture of elegance and synchrony. She felt like she was flying, her chains broken. Hope fluttering around like butterflies, carrying her feet into the air. Light morphing into steps in the nothingness as they danced around in mid-air. She dipped her head back, bending as two hands gripped her waist, whirling they're bodies. Grace of their movements, the precision, the accuracy, the finesse inundated her mind, leaving her in a drowsy trance, moving as the music directed her without thoughts to disrupt the beauty. She could imagine the rays sculpting themselves into a golden lace dress that cascaded around her. Long at the back, knee length at the front. Held up by a golden butterfly in the front. She could feel the others picking at the constraints of her dark hair, letting the locks fall loose, unraveling down until her hip. And as the last note of the song came, so did the final twirl. She felt herself being spun, her back against Linda's chest, Linda's cheek on her shoulder. Before she opened her eyes, she turned back around, tilting her head up slightly. And as she opened her eyes and the golden world faded away forever, she was enraptured by purple. Staring at her intently. Unable to express emotion, as it was too strong to let out. For once you let it out there exists a fear that it may never return. A secret spoken is a secret no more. They were breathing quickly, their cool breaths fanning each others warm face. Too overwhelmed to let words escape. Too entranced to make a sound and disturb the soft silence that blanketed them in their own little orb away from the rest of the world. Lips parted. Eyes wide open. Loving in the fear that they might lose each other. After all love and fear constantly battled across the thin boundary that separated them. 

They couldn't stay in that moment forever. Moments were finite, memories on the other hand were infinite. A soft knock at the door was what shattered the orb of serenity. They fell back with those resultant awkward laughs. Linda cleared her throat and allowed for the person at the other side to come in.