𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚

𝘰𝘯𝘦

Evie got the call in her apartment, that afternoon on that fateful day. It was as if her entire world began to shatter around her like a mirror, into millions of shards and fragments, beyond repair. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight, couldn't even stand.

Her phone hit the floor with a mundane thud, but she paid it no heed. Her hands trembled aggressively and she felt her heart suffocating. Tears welled in her eyes and cascaded down her cheeks as her vision was clouded and turned into a whirlwind of colours.

Her husband of 2 years, the love of her life - was dead, perished in an explosion in his family mine.

Despair shrouded every inch of her being and she felt cold. Ice cold. What would she do now? A maelstrom of helplessness ran down her heart and into her soul.

The thought of her never being able to see Doug again, to touch him, or just talk to him, shook her to the core and left her trembling violently on the tiled kitchen floors, crouched over herself and the puddle of salty tears she would shed.

//Scene Change//

Evie had remained on the kitchen floor for the past 2 hours, unmoving, unthinking. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, nothing was worth it anymore. She hadn't even bothered to move from her rigid position when the doorbell rang. Repeatedly.

The shrill voice of Mal floated through the door as the purple haired girl pounded on the door destructively, almost knocking it down when Evie didn't answer for 5 minutes. She was worried. Everyone was. The love between Evie and Doug was undeniable, and now it seemed to have vanished in such a terrible manner. Poof. How would Evie react? Mal didn't even want to know. All she knew was that her best friend needed her support.
After a few moments of silence, the door bust open with a 'click', indicating that Mal had probably picked the lock.

Spotting Evie curled up miserably on the ground, Mal rushed over to her, wrapping her arms gently around the fragile girl. "Oh, E," She murmured, pulling Evie into her embrace.

//Scene Change//

Evie hadn't budged much from her bed in days, preferring just to stare out of the windows and admire the scenery she could yield from it. She had recently moved into the castle, courtesy of Mal, to recuperate. She could no longer stand the sight of that dreaded apartment. Whenever she looked at it, flashes of memories of her and Doug would flood her mind, from the time they had painted the apartment upon their move in, and the paint had gotten all over themselves instead of the walls, to the times where they would curl up on the couch after a long week and just bask in each other's company. It was all too painful.

So, she accepted Mal's invite to live in the castle, in hopes that time would eventually ease the pain away and she could think about Doug without feeling like someone had stabbed her ten times over in the chest. She wanted to reminisce him nobly, with the beautiful love they shared.

Evie had done a lot of thinking lately. Between the visits to the Dwarf Family to attend the funeral, the tiny breakdowns she would succumb to, and occasional visits from Jay, Carlos and their other friends, she had quite a large amount of time.

She took the time to think. About Doug, about her job that had been put on hiatus, about pretty much everything she felt like thinking of. She had the time, sitting on the bed in her chamber, the maids bringing her every meal, so of course, she had to decide on her next plan in life.

She once had everything. A loving husband, a cozy home, a stable job, and they were even trying for a child. What could have gone wrong? Her previous self would think. Now, she regretted ever taking those advantage. What would she do now? She would think.

Sometimes, she thought of how she would have to get back on her feet soon, to earn money to support herself, without Doug. She couldn't keep relying on Mal. She didn't want to.

On the best, yet worst days, she would remember Doug, all the gifts and compliments he had once showered her with, the security she felt when she had his arms around her. He was never a prince, and never would be, but in her heart, he was the king.

Time really proved to be the best medicine. After 2 weeks passed, she felt the agony of losing Doug ebb away slowly. Though it still hurt to process any mention of his name, the tears had backed down. Maybe she had run out of them, or maybe, she really was getting better.

A few weeks would pass before Evie finally found the courage to step out of her room voluntarily. She joined Ben, Mal, and their 2-year-old son Maxwell, who Evie, as godmother, had so joyously named when he was born, which now seemed eons ago, for breakfast in the dining hall.

Mal and Ben were surprised, but mostly, strangely proud, when Evie had exited her room, as if to announce that she was no longer grieving.

Evie decided to ease her way back in, to act like nothing had happened. She sat herself next to Max, giving him a tight squeeze as he attempted to wriggle out of her embrace. Evie didn't mind, because perhaps he was almost going through his terrible twos, or simply took after Mal, hating every form of affection. She laughed. That melodious delight echoed through the huge dining hall and bounced of the walls in excitement. Mal and Ben shared a smile.

Their friend was back.