Boundless Love

Where it all Began

Levi's POV...

Today marks another exciting accomplishment for me at the Charlotte Thomas Rehabilitation Center. I made it all the way up the twenty steps of the dreaded staircase and back down again. It was exhausting and frustrating at times, but I made it just like Charlotte said I would.

I reminisce about my very first achievement, when Charlotte magically entered my room on my first day here and helped me to move my right hand, it seems so minuscule compared to what I'm doing now. Although Charlotte would disagree, she says that my first accomplishment no matter how small, is what lead the way for all my other ones. She's celebrated each and every one, reminding me that they all took great courage and ability on my part to succeed.

Lately she keeps commenting on how inspiring I am to her and how watching me fight every day to be better helps her fight too. I'm not sure exactly what she means by that, she's the one person who's inspired me and has kept me going through all of this. Without her, I would no doubt be confined to a wheelchair alone in my flat, taking pity on myself. Her comments recently are subtle but enough to make me worry. I have this nagging pit in my gut warning me that there's something wrong, I just don't know what it is exactly.

It's not like Charlotte is obvious when something's bothering her. I wish I could easily read her mind like she easily reads mine. She goes about her day as she normally does. She's overloaded with work but she gets it finished, she meets me for lunch every day, does my afternoon therapy sessions, and we spend every night together at her place. The only thing out of the ordinary with Charlotte are her abstruse philosophical one-liners she's been trying to motivate me with. She's always said the most heartening things to me and I appreciate how uplifting she is all the time, but the way she's been speaking this week sounds like she's trying to influence herself as well as me. This is very concerning to me. I've asked her if there's anything wrong about a hundred times, and each time she assures me there isn't.

This afternoon we're skipping therapy and I'm taking her to the place where it all began for me. I've been waiting for this day all week. Charlotte has no idea where I'm taking her, I've kept it a surprise. She's always the one surprising me, now it's my turn.

"Levi, where are we going?" She asks me all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

She hops into the passenger seat of the jeep and I tease her by placing a blindfold over her eyes. I know that seems a little dramatic, but I don't want her to know where we're going until we get there. I've already told her how special this place is to me, if I say anything more, she'll figure it out.

I pull out of the parking lot and head south on Interstate 93. She keeps us entertained by trying to find and change the radio station without her sight. She managed to press every button and turn every knob before finding the correct one, and when she found it, she turned the volume up and sang to the tune. It was comical, we laughed the entire way to the secret spot.

I park the jeep and walk over to her side to open the door for her. She holds my hand as I lead her out and turn her to face the welcome sign. The sign I will always remember, declaring the most ironic name. Charlotte takes the blindfold off her eyes, and instantly she's all smiles.

"You took me to World's End?" She repeats the exact words that came out of my mouth when she took me here almost nine months ago.

I reach out my hand for her to hold again. "Remember when we were at the park in California and I told you I couldn't wait until I could hold your hand and walk beside you?"

"Yes, I remember," her words are slow as she gives me a curious look.

"I thought this would be the perfect place to hold your hand," I smile at her.