The One He's Not

Old Times & Leaving Home

Old Times & Leaving Home

KAT

I was browsing on a random cart in the village when I saw it. It wasn't anything flashy, but it had caught my eye despite being in a pile of different knickknacks. It looked as if it was some sort of diamond in the ruff and as I picked it up to tangle it through my fingers, I felt myself smiling at its simple beauty.

The locket had a thin gold chain that had minor dents in certain areas from its lack of care. It wasn't real gold by any means, but in a place like the Lowlands, it might as well have been. The chain carried a single charm handing from the end of the necklace. The charm was nothing big, but a simple heart dangling from its clasp and it gleamed in the light. Rust gathered around the edges, but I could still make out the four letter word engraved in the face of the charm.

"Love," I whispered as I ran my finger along the small script.

The word wasn't meant to come out, but for some reason I didn't hold back and the old lady who was running the service cart unfortunately caught onto this.

"Found that old thing in the backyard of my lot," She said. "Very meaningful and I bet it carries good luck."

I smiled at the woman and thanked her for her time before turning back to the locket again. I was leaving to go back home tonight and I was hoping that I could bring back some sort of keepsake from the village. I must have had bad bread this morning because it didn't cross my mind that I had to bring some form of item to trade for this so called 'keepsake'.

As I just started to move on to the next cart, someone wrapped their arms around me from behind. I already had a feeling that I knew who it was, based on his classic woodsy smell, but I didn't want to give him that ego boost by jumping the gun at him. He already had enough ego to last him a lifetime.

"Hey you," Noel whispered into the back of my ear. I leaned into his touch and smiled as he rested his chin in the crook on my neck like he always did. Crazy, lovely, asshole.

I managed to whisper a 'hey' before turning my body to face his. I wrapped my hands behind his neck and he resumed his position by placing his hands around my waist. It was almost like some strange second nature now.

"What have you been doing all morning?" Noel asked while bringing my body even closer to his.

"I've just been looking for a little souvenir before we set out to go home. Are you sure that you're okay with me going back tonight?"

Noel nodded shortly. "Yeah, we can both go tonight and then camp in the main cabin by The Wall. That way you can get a good rest before... before you go back over there."

I knew the reasons behind his hesitation. All week, Noel had been acting strangely and I knew that it was because of me possibly leaving without coming back. Even when we were happy together and enjoying ourselves, I could still see the worried look he had in his eyes. I would keep telling him that I would never forget about him, but I didn't want to give him a straight answer. I didn't want to make any promises that I couldn't keep.

I tried my best to keep Noel happy all throughout this week just so he could get his mind off the negative side of things. Dean, Aubrey and their daughter would spend a lot of time with us and one day, we even went on a hike despite my injured ankle. There was this beautiful mountain not too far from here and surprisingly, I made it to the very top without even Noel's or the crutches help.

I've also spent a few afternoons of alone time with Meredith. She acted like the mother that I've wanted for the past ten years and every little thing she did always reminded me of my mom. Her kind nature, her quirky personality and even some of her sarcastic remarks against her son. She made me feel as if my mother had never left at all, even if it was only for a moment.