Dawning (Dysmorphia Series #3)

Eternal

Florence woke up the next morning feeling terrible, she was engaged and she'd slept dreaming of someone who mostly certainly wasn't her fiancee, was she destined to ruin things all the time?

She checked her phone with a sinking heart scared that there would be another message from Cole but to her surprise she saw a message from Levi, the two of them sometimes exchanged cursory messages about how they were doing or how her studying was going.

Florence, I've found something that I think you'd really love to see, come to the clinic as soon as you can

Well that was mysterious, what could he possibly have that she wanted to see?

But still she dressed in record time not even bothering with makeup, the people who worked at Oakwood had seen her at her worst there was no point in putting a mask on.

She arrived at the glass doors half an hour later and saw Levi immediately, on Chase's bench, his hair had turned a shocking white and his skin looked faded like leather that had been brushed past for too long.

"Levi!"

She leapt forwards and hugged him tight trying to ignore how fragile his body seemed when compared to the strong and dependable figure he had been the last time they were face to face, she didn't want to think about her saviour the man who fixed things growing old.

"Florence"

Levi fumbled with the chain around his neck and then placed his glasses delicately on his nose.

"I didn't know you were back in town until I bumped into young Cole at Deidree's yesterday, so I couldn't show you these"

He was holding a stack of photographs.

"I've always loved using a camera none of this mobile phone nonsense, my father taught me to be a photographer with a solid camera and now I understand that not only does a camera beautifully capture a moment but it can also restore something we thought was lost forever, you see whilst you were staying at the clinic we were in partnership with an advertising company, a photographer was trying to capture the day to day life of the clinic..."

She couldn't understand why any of this was relevant.

"His name was Peter Brown and he rang the clinic around two months ago, he'd sent us the professional pictures years ago but told me that as all artists do he had liked to experiment, to capture real life moments when and if they ever happened, he wanted to capture the essence of the clinic even if photographs of patients would never be published for confidential reasons, but anyway he thought I might like to have these, and I in turn thought you might like to have them"

Levi began spreading the pictures out like a fan on the bench and Florence's breath caught in her throat.

They were pictures of Chase and her, together, them laughing, her holding a mirror up to the face, a shared look between them that meant more than words could describe.

Peter Brown had captured their love story.

Levi's voice was soft and cautious now.

"I've been debating for a while whether to give these to you you've been doing amazing things since you left here I've heard I didn't want to entrap you in a cycle of mourning but yesterday I realised I had to, that having these pictures could help rather than harm you"

Florence had forgotten just how much she had loved Chase and that was a terrible thing, seeing these pictures were a gift and the worst kind of pain hit her just then, it had been four years and Chase Roberts was not coming back, he was never ever coming back.

"But.. Levi I don't understand this Peter why would he take pictures of us and how without us realising"

Levi grimaced.

"I thought you might ask that question so I asked him myself, he sent me this to give to you"

He picked up an envelope beside him and handed it to her.

"I'll leave you in peace to read it, I'm so proud of the woman you've become Florence Clarke, so very proud"

He kissed her cheek gently and then walked away.

It took around five minutes for her to muster the courage to tear open the envelope, it was a kind of violent action.

Florence Clarke,

You don't know me, but I know you, your Doctor Levi asked me a question I couldn't quite answer the other day at least not to him, to understand why I captured those moments you'd have to delve back fifty years into my history where I met an extraordinary woman named Caroline.

We were meant to have a life together, I thought we had so much time together but in the end a disease robbed me of her, a harrowing disease by the name of cancer, I watched her helplessly as she wilted into a former version of her past vibrant self, that feeling was one of the worst feelings anyone should have to experience.

I've always prided myself on being an empathetic person and though I know some may view these photos as an invasion of privacy, to me they were art, I'd be walking along the corridor after a day of hard work and then hear hushed voices and there would be the two of you heads crouched so close, completely closed off from the world, you could say I couldn't help myself I had to capture the moment, I know of all people that such moments are precious.

I heard the news about that young man and I was devastated, I thought about whether sending the pictures would hurt you more but then I remembered my Caroline, how much I loved her and what I would give to relive those pristine moments, I hope you can forgive me if this causes you heartbreak.

But let me just say that I saw with my own two eyes how in love the two of you were, cherish those memories and never ever let them go, but also be sure to live my dear, because living and loving are the two best things in the world.

I never forgot Caroline but I did find my Anne, my present wife, I feel like I loved them both equally but in different ways, don't be afraid to love Florence.

Yours Faithfully,

Peter Smith

Florence gathered the photos up in her arms and clutched them to her chest feeling so very grateful to this perfect stranger who had just reminded her of something very important.

She was still clinging to the past.