Pieces of the Past - [Danona] Book One ✓

08. isn't she lovely

A lot had changed in four weeks. A lot more than he could've ever expected. Although it seemed like everything was changing, there was one example in particular that shocked him. The guilt had gone quiet. In the oddest, most unexpected way, it was silenced. At least it was for the most part. There were moments when it crept up on him, reminding him that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, he was lying.

But he continued to ignore it. He couldn't fight it, so why ignore it? He couldn't walk away, so ignoring the guilt was all he could do... well, besides behind honest. 

It was the dinner that had changed his tune. Although it felt like he was only spectating on what the reality could've been, it was becoming a reality. The circumstances were different, but he was still able to visually see what he had missed out on. Not only see it but live it. Even if it meant only living half of it. 

It was a delusion. Did it make it any less delusional if he acknowledged that it was all just a mirage? Maybe not. All he knew was that he wanted to see what the universe was showing him. He needed to see it, to live it. Not just stand on the sidelines. 

Watching Katie and Winona interact more and more had started to warm his heart instead of breaking it. Despite the circumstances, it was an incredible thing to watch. They slipped into a bond so effortlessly, it was magical. Suddenly, it seemed as if they had known each other for years and years. They talked, they played games, they spent time together. They both deserved the happiness that they gave each other. 

Winona made her feel like she had a mother. 

Katie made her feel like she had a daughter. 

Little did they know. 

He was falling in love with the woman who had mysteriously walked back into his life. 

He was falling in love with the glimmer in her eyes, the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, the small nuanced touches, and the late nights watching movies. He was falling in love with how much popcorn would end up on the floor when they spent spare time trying to throw it in each other's mouths. He was falling in love with the wheeze that came from her chest when she couldn't breathe from laughing too hard. He was falling in love with the glare she would give him when he pretended her head was an arm-rest, and when he would tell her the stupidest dad jokes he could think of. He was falling in love with the evenings she would spend at his home, playing Wii bowling and Mario Kart with Katie. 

With the way she bites her lip when she's nervous as hell. With the voicemails she would leave on his phone during her bouts of insomnia, having a conversation with the silent end of the line like it was nothing. With the way she would steal his hoodie from his dressing room and never take it off. With the way she would turn her head and kiss his cheek when he would take a photo with her. 

Maybe it would be easier to list the things he wasn't in love with... if he could ever think of any. 

"Hey," Katie's voice pulled his attention as she stood in the doorway. He had spent most of the morning packing his carry on. The flight out to Vancouver was today and he could hardly contain his excitement.