Bridge over troubled waters

31| Going To Be Okay

Corey

After Bailey and Mark broke up she hit a bit of a rut in her life. And by that I mean she was a complete mess. Like throw his things out the window and cut him off kind of a mess. Her month in the limelight at the museum was over and she was figuring out how to be single for the first time in half a decade. A lot was changing all at once and she didn't feel like she had a handle on her life. And I tried to help her, be there for her and bring her ice cream. Just be a good friend who is there for her as her heart heals. I wasn't really sure what to do at this point. I can tell this was hard for her, her paintings were dark and her pictures were depressing. She doesn't smile as much and she's not trying to hide it from me. Not like she used to at least. While I'm happy she's not hiding her true feelings from me... I hated seeing her like this. I've never seen her so sad in my 18 years of knowing her. And while I didn't want them together, if this is what was going to happen once the broke up then maybe they should have just stayed together.

I sit in my room and look up at the painting I bought from Baileys art show and let out a sigh. Sometimes I feel like we're never going to get to that point where her and I find our love in this city. Where everything we love is at our feet as we dream together. The world always seems to find a way to keep us apart and I hated it. I really did. But seeing her like this, I don't think I could ever be with her because what happens if we break up? Who is going to be there for her if I'm the one that hurt her? We could fall from the top of the city and I no longer have the one person in this world I want to go through life with. I can't imagine losing her, I can't imagine being the reason she feels like this. My heart can't take it.

So I give her some space. I let her know I'm here for her but I'm not going to sit here and tell her everything is going to be okay. I can't promise her that.

I hear a knock on my door and let out a sigh. I leave my room and the painting and all the thoughts I had about it as I answer the door. I see Bailey standing there in a Blackhawks sweater and I just had to smile. It was one of mine she stole the first second she got here and she refuses to give it back. But that's okay because she looks better in it anyway.

"Hey babes, what's up" I wonder as I welcome her in.

"I'm hungry and don't feel like going out by myself. You wanna come" she questions.

"Don't you have tons of friends you made here? I wouldn't be mad if you went out with them instead of me for once" I assure her. 

She just smiles up at me as she shakes my head. "I have other friends but they're not you" she insists.

"Alrighty" I smile, "let me go grab a coat and we can grab a lunch."

I slip inside my room and grab my phone and wallet before pulling on my coat and stuffing everything in my pocket. We hop in my car and go out to the Cheesecake Factory which is her favorite place to eat at. We walk in and go to get seated. Once we order our food we just sit there. Usually we're cracking jokes and messing around with the salt or other food that's set out on the table. But instead it's just silent as she spins her straw around her water.

"You don't have to walk on glass around me. I'm gonna be okay you know" she says as she looks at me through the top of her eyes.

I let out a long sigh as I look at my hands in my lap. "I just don't want to say something wrong" I defend.

"You say wrong stuff all the time and I'm still here with you" she teases as I chuckle. I rub the back of my neck as I look up at her.

"I just... I want you to be happy again. I miss seeing that smile on your face. I miss you randomly dancing every single time you hear a song you know. I miss that sparkle in your eyes you get when you think up of something you love" I explain.

"I'm gonna be okay, Corey. I promise you I am. It hurts like hell right now but one day I won't remember any of this. Instead my memories will be filled with happy times, but only once I get out and make happy memories again" she says.

"I would love to make some more memories with you" I admit.

"Okay. So what do you have in mind" she wonders.

I sit there for a second before I smile. "After lunch you want to go to the aquarium" I ask her.

Her eyes get big and I swear for the first time in a long time I see a sparkle. "I've been wanting to go there" she admits.

"It's pretty cool" I admit. "I know you like all the different animals and it's too cold for the zoo so we can see the sharks and otters and stuff" I shrug.

"I can't wait" she smiles.

So we eat our food and finally we got back to being the terrible two I've always known. We share a lot of laughs and a few happy tears as we reminisce on the good times. I see my best friend start to come back to me and I start to feel better. I could tell she was starting to feel better too.

After eating our cheesecake it was time for us to go to the aquarium. So I get us two tickets and we walk around just looking at all the different things they had here. As soon as we get to the otters I thought Bailey was going to explode.

"Oh my GOD they're so cute" she squeals as I just watch her. She puts her hands against the glass as she watches them swim and float and do other cute things.

"They are pretty adorable" I agree.

"Remember when I was a kid and I wanted to work at a zoo because I thought you just got to play with the animals all day" she giggles. I smile to myself as I remember the simpler times.

"If I remember correctly you wanted to own a zoo" I shake my head.

"I did. And it would have every single animal known to man. And I wanted to protect them. Man, how off was I" she shakes her head.

"I think you could have done it. But I think you ended up just fine" I insist.

"I sure hope so" she sighs.

I buy her a stuffed otter and she holds it to her chest. She had the biggest smile on her face as she looked at it. "Thank you for getting me this" she says.

"Anything for you" I promise.