Chapter 48 the hope of a new dawn
the hope of a new dawn
elena
When I closed my eyes, the sky was beginning to paint itself with the colors of dawn.
Now, the soft glow of the sun filters through the curtains and bathes my room in a warm, comforting light.
I’m lying in bed, with Victoria’s arm under my neck and the other wrapped around my waist; she’s sleeping soundly, her face serene and her lips curved into a gentle smile that steals mine.
Hours have passed since we gave ourselves completely to one another, and although it hasn’t been the first time since she returned to the island, it has certainly been the most special of all.
Celebrating our seventh anniversary wasn’t something we had in mind at the start of the year, but now everything seems perfect even though it isn’t.
I know I’ll have to wake her up soon, that there’s another reality outside these four walls, and that we have to face the day ahead of us.
But for now, I want to hold on to this moment, to the feeling of having her by my side, because once the spell is broken, she’ll have to catch a plane, and I don’t know if I’m ready to let her go.
Our relationship has been a journey full of ups and downs and moments of uncertainty, yet everything else now seems to fall into place.
I want to trust that whatever happens from now on will be for the best, that we’ll be together, and that I just have to be strong and wait for her to succeed.
Victoria isn’t the same as she used to be; she’s much more mature, more self-assured, and I know she’ll give it her all for us.
The clock on my nightstand reads nine in the morning. I reach out carefully and trace small caresses along the contours of her face. I can feel my heart beating as I touch her, and just as the day breaks, my love for her grows even stronger.
“Vicky…” I murmur softly. “You have to wake up, sweetheart.”
She moans softly, blinks a couple of times, and once her gaze meets mine, I can see the confusion reflected in her eyes as she returns to the reality around us.
“Good morning,” she replies sleepily, hugging me a little tighter. “What time is it?”
“It’s nine…” I reply with a smile, resting my head on her chest. “We have to get up; your flight leaves at noon, remember?” She sighs, tenses up, and as soon as I look into her eyes, I see worry clouding everything. “I don’t want you to be late…”
“I know…” she says, sitting up in bed and running her hands through her hair. “To be honest, I don’t want to leave. I hate having to do this and missing out on these days with you.”
“I don’t want you to either, but we’ve already talked about it—it’s for the best. Besides, you have to go talk to your bosses and…
” Before I finish, I crawl across the bed to hug her from behind.
I can’t help but feel worried about her, about us, but one of the things I’ve learned over these five years is that I should have supported her more and been much less selfish.
“Everything will be okay; we’ll be together no matter what.
I trust you, Vicky. I trust that what we have is strong. ”
When she hears me, she turns her face toward me, and our eyes meet in a knowing glance that makes me smile; together, we can overcome anything that stands in our way, and no one is going to change that.
We’re meant to be by each other’s side; our love is strong, and no matter what happens, I know we’ll be okay.
“Come on, let’s go. I’ll walk you to get your things and take you to the airport.”
“You don’t need to do that; I know you’re busy and…” she replies once I stand up and pull her along to follow me to the bathroom.
“You know you’re not going to change my mind; I’m very stubborn,” I remind her with a raised eyebrow. “I’m going to be without you for many days, so let me decide for myself.”
“All right…”
“I want to be with you as much as possible,” I confess. “This is going to be painful, and I’d like to believe we’re doing it for a good reason.”
“It will be,” she assures me.
Under the shower water, we kiss as a day begins that I never expected to live through; a farewell that tastes of hope, an ending that will have another new beginning once she returns and we can give free rein to the love we feel.
Victoria and I never had to part ways; I’ll always regret these five years without her, but I’m glad to know that, after all, we’ve learned, and that now that we’re together again, we’re clear about what we want.
Often, the hardest things happen to open our eyes and help us grow, and we had to lose each other to realize that we couldn’t be without one another.