Just One Dance

Chapter 22 - It's Okay

No POV

It had happened so quickly. In one moment, a friendship that was blossoming into a romance was snipped in the bud. With Wilfred in his chateau being talked down to and Kate in her home unable to get out of bed, there seemed to be no resolution in sight. And maybe that was okay. Maybe in life, there are no happy endings. It's possible that once cruel words are spoken, there is no way to mend the peace that has been torn to shreds. Maybe foundations built on unspoken secrets crumble in a moment and cause pain for a lifetime.

Then again, life is not all sadness and pain. Sometimes experiencing heartache is what it takes to see yourself in a new light. To feel yourself crumble allows you to go back and rebuild better. Knowing what made you break can help you understand what needs to be strengthened. In that rebuilding process, you may find pieces of yourself that you want to throw away and other pieces you want to grow. Maybe that was the reason for heartbreak: to learn to rebuild the broken.

And that's exactly what Kate was going to learn. Losing her sight taught her that even darkness could not stomp out the light of a full life. Happiness and joy could be found in places never expected. Even if it took years, one could build a satisfying life despite obstacles. Now, with a broken heart, she was learning to find herself again. Humans were meant to change, to evolve. A person will not be the same today as they were yesterday. So maybe that was the point of it all: to change. To know that though certain doors are destined to close, it will be okay. Maybe you will find that while you were focused on the door, a window had been opened...

Kate's POV

The Same Moment Sasha is at the Chateau

When I lost my sight, I thought it was the end of the world. I wasn't sure how I would go on. But eventually, I found the strength to stand. I learned my way around my home, and I found myself. The borders of my world were smaller, but I was happy. It wasn't until I overheard my parents talk about Lord Michael's ball that I felt something missing. That ball made me feel like someone I wasn't, and I guess for a moment I saw the life I thought had been taken from me. But now, left to face the reality of the situation, I realize my mistake was ever hoping for the impossible.

I frown as I lay in bed. There is no point in going on. I mean, there must be, but I don't know what it is. I haven't been out of bed in three days. I have not slept either for the lack of peace in my heart. How am I going to get up this time? He was...he was...I loved him.

My dead eyes have no more tears to shed. My eyes... I...I must do something...

The door to my room squeaks as it opens. I don't want anyone to see me. I don't want to talk to anyone. Oh, if only the bed could swallow me, and I never had to interact with another person again.

"Katelyn," my mother's gentle voice says as she sits on the bed behind me. "How are you feeling today?" When I say nothing, she continues, "I'm having the chef make some soup. You should eat something, love."

"I'm not hungry," I manage to say.

"I know, dear." She strokes my hair. "I know it hurts. You have every right to be sad. This is hard, but you've done hard things before, and I believe you will get through this. Until then, I'm going to love you through it. So, take your time. The world will still be here when you're ready."

For a moment, I just lay there, unsure of how to process this. My mother was so supportive, and I couldn't help but start crying again. I turn toward her and sit up, hugging her.

"Shhh, Kate. I'm here for you," she says as she holds me and strokes my hair. We stayed like that for a long time before I finally stopped crying. My mother was right. This is hard, but I have beaten hard things before. My mother did not raise me to give up. She didn't raise me with a wolf in my chest only to have me howl over losing a boy.

Sometimes you need a reminder. A reminder that you were the one that carried you through the heartache. A reminder that you are the one that lay awake all night with nothing but self-destructive thoughts and made it through. It takes courage to live through suffering. It takes strength to pull yourself up and continue on, but you can do it. You have the strength, and it is amazing, sometimes, you just need the reminder.

My mother was the reminder I needed to remember the woman I was becoming before Prince Wilfred and the woman I will become after. It's okay that there is no future with him because there is a future for me. I don't know who I will become. I'm not sure of where to go from here. All I know is that I need to change. I need to pick myself up again and walk forward. It will be a slow process, but by next year, I will be glad that I started today. I just need to take it one step at a time.

"Mom," I say, pulling away. I've made up my mind; I don't care if the risk of death is higher than the success. "I want to go to Oriens. I want the surgery."

To Be Continued...

Thanks for reading!