Finding Myself

chapter 19

Ted's POV

When Nina told me that she was going to die in no way did it lessen the blow when she really did. I could already feel her gone. It was like the room was empty, there was something missing.

She made me promise to find her and find her I will. I gently laid down her hand. Her body was getting cold and she looked so...peaceful. There was an angry red mark across her throat where Laney had sliced her.

Her eyelashes were feathery and spanned out, creating shadows on her face. Her lips were no longer the rosy color I had become accustomed to. They were now a pale pink. The only emotion she wore was happiness. She still had a smile, those perfectly shaped lips curving into a smile. Even in death she was beautiful.

"My condolences," sniffed Raquel. I had almost forgotten they were there. I didn't turn. I could hear Cece now. She was making a ruckus. She really didn't try to hide her sobbing now. I could picture her small body moving in time with her sobs, while Raquel held onto her.

The door flung open and I still didn't look. I heard an unfamiliar intake of breath before Nina's lying form was tackled. A man hovered over the women who so furiously hugged Nina. I'm guessing this was the king and queen, even more than that- Nina's real parents.

"We were too late again," wept the queen. As if noticing me for the first time the queen looked at me.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Your majesty, my name is Ted. I was in love with your daughter."

"Did she love you back?" she asked me.

She caught me off guard. "I like to believe so. She told me she did," I ended with a sad smile.

Then the queen whet back to mourning their now dead daughter. I got up and realized that the calmest one out of all of us was Nina. To me she was still and always would be beautiful.

I walked out of the hospital room.

"Ted," bawled Cece. I turned around. Her eyes were red and were getting puffy.

"Where are you going?" she asked me in a worn out voice.

"I' m just going away for a while," I answered. Then I continued walking. As soon as I got out of the hospital I got in my car and drove. I didn't care where I went as long as I was driving.

Right now I wanted no more than to kill myself and join Nina in heaven. The only thing that was stopping me was the promise I had made her and the fact that she would be reincarnated one day. I was eagerly looking forward to that day, but until then I would never be the same.

20 years later

I have now traveled all over the world. I've been to places people can only dream of going to. For some reason a little place called Bayle in Georgia had me staying here temporarily. After not being here in many years there was something that called me to this place.

I was walking and I didn't look a day over seventeen. Didn't matter because my heart only belonged to one girl.

It was a rainy day, perfect to match my mood. I haven't been happy, and I mean my spirits rose kind of happy, in over twenty years.

I had my umbrella and I was walking briskly for a cup of coffee. I ran into someone and I heard a girly gasp. I looked down and picked up what the girl dropped. She dropped two library books, a muffin, and a small flower. I got a warm feeling that I frowned upon.

I recovered her things and gave it to the girl. The girl lifted her umbrella and thanked me. She had the fairest brown eyes and the most soft looking wavy midnight hair. She also looked to be about sixteen.

I smiled. My waiting was finally over.

"Thank you. I'm Diana," she introduced with a slight blush that made her look cute.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" I asked her all of a sudden. She widened her eyes, my invitation clearly catching her off guard, but she muttered a quiet yes that made me beam.

"I'm Ted," I responded and escorted her to the coffee shop. Somehow I knew everything was going to be alright. I had the woman I loved right beside me and I knew-I just knew that I was going to be able to keep Nina's promise.

"I'm sorry about earlier," excused Diana.

I looked into her eyes lovingly and replied, "No problem, there's bound to be many more." She looked at me questioningly and I just laughed it off. I felt like I was on cloud nine. And for the first time in a long time I felt happy, whole, and most importantly in love. I had found my Nina again.