Smiling isn't that Easy

Chapter 32- The boy that helped me

Kari's POV

"Is there anything else other than having a family you'd like to do or share with Levi?" Armin asked as he hold hands with his fiancee Crista. Those two are also soon to be newly weds in a couple of months or so.

The dinner is part of the plan. Everyone is here to celebrate my new engagement to Levi Ackerman. My parents, brothers and friends are here around me and Levi to congratulate us on our new chapter in our lives together.

What else do I need to share? He knows me so much more than I know myself.

Mikasa is sitting next to her husband, my brother Eren while looking at me. "What about that boy you met when you were younger. Remember you wanted to meet him again?" Everyone's eyes averted to me after Mikasa spoke.

They say 'Don't dwell on the past.' I say 'Don't forget the past, it will guide you through your present and make your future better.' With that said I take the tea cup that was resting on the coffee table between all of us as we are surrounded all over the living room of the house I grew up in. With Levi on my left and my mother on my right I decided to retell the story about the boy who helped me be a better person.

Levi took my left hand and give it a kiss, I look at him as he do this and smile softly.

"I was about 9 or 10 years old. I remember my mom has one of her charity work for the city, it was to teach foster children in San Francisco how to make beaded accessories. I wanted to go and help her since I've been cooped up in the house during the beginning of summer and wanted to do something different...." I turn to my mother and I can tell that she's remembering this specific day from when back when.

"..... so it was at this city community place, we got there early and set up the place. I helped spread out beads and supplies for the class and within an hour of being there,  other kids starts arriving. My mom told me how these kids didn't have parents because they were abandoned or their parents had died. I didn't understand that at first but as the day go and I've talked to other kids about it, my heart slowly break for them. I'm lucky enough to have my mother so with that in mind, I've decided to make sure that everyone would smile that day. Until I met a boy, sitting by himself on the corner with a bear. I remember taking the bracelet I had made and walk towards this boy and sit in the floor with him." My eyes glisten as I remember what had happened.

Flashback

The crowd by the table are filled with happiness and laughter with my mom being the center of it filled with kids in all ages, but this boy isn't being part of the fun. He is about my age, around 8 to 12, I sit right across from him, he is caressing his best staring down with a frown on his face. I reach with my hand holding a bracelet.

"Here, I made this, you can have it. I'm Kari, daughter of Kristine. That woman over there." I point to where my mother and the others are sitting.

"I don't need that. You look like you need it more. You have the eyes of someone who is not accepted by someone..." he finally looks up, he has piercing blue gray eyes. "Whoever is making you sad ignore them, just smile, I saw how you smile when you're with your mother. You're lucky you still have her, mine passed not to long ago. This bear was the only thing that she left me. You should have it, it will bring out that smile of yours the way it helps me." He pushed the bear towards me as we both got up. He looked at someone behind me before handing me the bear.
"Always remember that Smiling Isn't That Easy,  but try your hardest, it will make you feel better." The boy smiled at me before running away.

End of Flashback

I kept the bear and the bracelet since I got it that one eventful day with me in  my room where I grew up.

"Mom and I looked for that boy for weeks until my mom said that the boy  was put into a home somewhere in New York. I've always remember what that boy said to me before he left that 'Smiling isn't that easy but always try'."

Levi's POV

My body tensed as my fiancee tell the story of that boy, somewhere in my memory, something like that happened. Maybe a dream? I don't know but that story sounds familiar, as if it happened before.

"I'll be right back." Kristine stands up and within minutes she came back holding a tan teddy bear with a green bracelet around it's hand.

"Kai..." I whispered, Kari's eyes light up as she takes the bear from her mother. "How did you know the name of my bear?" She asked me.
"That bear is mine, I knew I lost it but I didn't know I gave it to you. The story was familiar, like a dream I had but it was my past, I remember giving the bear to a girl who had the brightest smile in the room and how I didn't want that to go away from her so I gave up Kai so she can always smile." I never left my eyes to Kari.

"You're that boy? Levi, you're the reason as to why I kept fighting, why I would smile my brightest smile when I knew everything was falling apart. When smiling was the only thing I could do to snapped me out of my sadness. Holding Kai late at night after being yelled at, crying my eyes to sleep, Kai was the one who comforted me. You're the boy who helped me from a far. The world has a funny way of showing us that someone is always there. You've always been there and now I'm not letting go, I love you Levi Ackerman." There's not a dry eye in the room, even stupid Eren is crying. I reach for the love of my life and pull her in an embrace, as tears falls from my eyes, the last time I cried was from sadness when I was 8 and my mother passed. This time it's happiness cause life have a funny way of showing me that all I need is her smile to survive.

"I live for you, I love you Kari."

The end 

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Sorry for errors and how late this is.

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