Chapter 29
The first time you felt the warmth of a smile tug at your lips in what felt like forever, it caught you off guard. It was a fleeting thing at first—a flash of joy that sparked when you played your fingers over the piano keys. The simple, comforting sound of the notes was something you had taken for granted for so long. Now, it felt like an anchor, bringing you back to life in a way nothing else had.
You were sitting at the piano in the corner of the living room, your fingers gently pressing the keys in a rhythm that was familiar, soothing. The melody was a quiet one, but it filled the room, weaving its way around the space like it had always belonged there. You hadn't realized how much you'd missed playing until this moment, how much you'd longed for the simplicity of just creating something with your own hands.
As the melody floated through the room, you heard the sound of footsteps behind you, steady and firm. You didn't have to turn around to know it was Vi. Her presence was unmistakable, her energy always surrounding you like a comforting blanket.
"You're smiling," she remarked, her voice low but filled with an undeniable warmth. You turned slightly, glancing up at her over your shoulder.
"I guess I am," you said softly, your fingers still tracing the keys. The smile was small but real, a genuine expression of joy that had been absent for too long.
Vi's eyes lit up, her fierce gaze softening with emotion. "God, I've missed this. You've been so distant for so long, it's like I'm finally getting you back." Her voice cracked slightly as she stepped closer, her strong frame leaning against the back of the piano.
You stopped playing for a moment, turning fully in your seat to face her. Vi stood there, a slight tremble in her usually unwavering stance. You could see the weight of the past months in her eyes—the uncertainty, the worry, the way she had clung to the hope that you would eventually find your way back to her.
"I'm here," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "I'm really here."
Vi's lips parted, her expression raw with a mix of relief and something deeper, more vulnerable. Her gaze flickered between your eyes and the piano, as if unsure how to respond. Then, without a word, she crossed the room in two strides, kneeling down beside you and pulling you into a tight embrace.
Her arms wrapped around you with a force that felt almost desperate, like she was afraid to let go. You felt her trembling against you, her breath coming in shaky inhales as she held you close.
"You don't know how much I've missed you," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I've been so scared. I didn't know how to help, how to make it better, but you're here now. I've got you, and you've got me."
You let her hold you for a while, relishing the feeling of her warmth, her presence, the love she radiated. You had missed her, too. You had missed her strength, her boldness, the way she seemed to always know what you needed, even when you couldn't find the words.
"I've missed you too," you whispered, your hand resting on the back of her neck as you leaned into her embrace. "I just... I needed time. I needed to find my way back to myself."
Vi pulled away slightly to look at you, her hands gently cupping your face as she studied you with that fierce, protective gaze of hers. "You don't need to explain, babe. I get it. But I'm not letting you go again. You hear me? Not again."
You nodded, feeling a sense of peace wash over you. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. And for the first time in a long time, you felt like you could breathe again.
Over the next few weeks, things began to shift. Slowly but surely, you started to find your way back to yourself, finding joy in the little things that had once brought you comfort. You started playing the piano more, letting the music flow through you like it used to, as if it was the missing piece of your soul. You laughed more, too—at Vi's ridiculous jokes, at the silly things she would do to make you smile, at the moments of joy that you'd forgotten existed.
But as much as you were healing, there was still a part of you that felt raw, exposed. You had changed. You had been through something that had altered you in ways you didn't fully understand, and though you were starting to feel more like yourself again, the scars were still there. Vi saw it, too. She saw the lingering sadness in your eyes sometimes, the way you would retreat into yourself when things became too overwhelming. But she never pushed you. She was patient, letting you take the time you needed to process, to heal.
And yet, despite all of that, she became clingier—more protective, more attentive than before. She couldn't help it. She had been afraid of losing you, of not knowing how to help, and now that you were returning to her, she wasn't about to let go.
It started with little things—her hand always finding its way to your back, to your shoulder, to the small of your back, like she was trying to keep you grounded. She would linger in the doorway when you were playing piano, watching you with that proud, affectionate smile. She would slip into bed with you at night, pulling you close and wrapping her arms around you as if afraid to let go.
One night, as you lay in bed together, you could feel her warmth against your back, her breath steady and calm as she held you. It wasn't new—she had always been affectionate, always ready to protect you—but there was something different about the way she was holding you now, as if she was afraid you might disappear if she let go.
"You're gonna break me," you said softly, your voice playful despite the heaviness of the moment.
Vi chuckled, her hand rubbing your arm soothingly. "Not gonna happen. I've got a death grip on you now."
You turned in her arms to face her, raising an eyebrow as you took in her mischievous grin. "You're being clingy," you teased. "What's going on?"
Her smile softened, and she leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. "I just don't want to lose you again," she said quietly, her voice vulnerable in a way you didn't expect. "I don't want to let go. Not when you're finally coming back to me."
Your heart swelled at her words, and you reached up to cup her face, pulling her closer to kiss her gently. It wasn't passionate or urgent; it was tender, full of love and reassurance.
"I'm not going anywhere," you whispered against her lips. "I'm here, Vi. I'm here with you."
And in that moment, you knew she believed you.
As time passed, the two of you began to build a new rhythm together. It wasn't perfect, and there were still moments when the grief would sneak up on you, or when the weight of everything you'd been through would feel too heavy to bear. But the difference now was that you didn't have to face it alone. Vi was there, every step of the way—her steady presence, her love, her support always surrounding you.
She had become your safe haven, just as you had become hers. You learned to trust her in ways you never had before, to lean on her when you needed it, and to offer her the same strength when she needed it, too.
Together, you were stronger than you had been apart, and though there would always be challenges ahead, you knew one thing for certain: you had each other. And that, in itself, was enough to face anything life threw your way.
In the end, it was love—the kind of love that didn't need to be perfect, that didn't need to be flawless—that made all the difference. It was love that pulled you out of the darkness, love that helped you find your way back to yourself, and love that built something stronger than the weight of the past.