Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.
You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.
Click here
"Look after her for me," he begged Astrid. "She's the dearest person left in my world."
"I will," she promised him, her eyes sparkling with tears she'd not yet shed. "For all our sakes, I swear it."
She held my hand as we walked to the bus stop. Neither of us said a thing at first; but she knotted and her fingers in and out of mine. I waited patiently, knowing that she would speak when she was ready.
"You're awfully quiet, Becca," she said, at last. She stared down at me; I shivered as she stroked my cheek with her fingertip.
"Just... giddy and processing," I answered.
"I hope I didn't scare you..."
"I'm not scared. Not exactly. Just... a bit overwhelmed. I... didn't expect to be here again. Like this. With... with someone who wants to be mine like you do. Forever."
"I'm glad you decided to fight for me in the end," she said. Her eyes were dark, and I shivered as she leaned forward to kiss my brow.
"It's getting cold," she said. "Come. Let's go home so I can warm you up again."
She smiled - there was just the merest dash of wickedness in her eyes - and I felt like my heart would burst from the knowledge of how much she loved broken, unworthy little me.
We walked into the deepening dusk - homeward bound - and I was not afraid.
Because I had my bright and beautiful Morning Star beside me every step of the way.
- COMMENTS
Roti8211Chanai6436 days agoSo so good! So well written, such good character development, such an emotional journey!
Thank you Wanda
PerfectStranger827 days agoAh, the innocence of youth, where everything is either heaven or hell, and not another thing ‘twixt the two…
At least Becca was able to help Astrid cope with her loss, and Astrid could — mostly inadvertently — distract Becca from hers, starting the process of filling the void with different thoughts and longings, though of course it’s never a straight road to walk along.
Their time apart gave Astrid some perspective and let her grow as a person so that her square peg could fit Becca’s peculiar and idiosyncratic round hole. To learn the ever-important lesson that the key is not to replace one person in your heart with another, but to grow one’s heart to encompass a new love, whilst still remembering and cherishing those one has lost.
As so often your genius create a truly delightful tale with interesting well-rounded characters and beautiful poetic prose. I really like Lizzie’s da; very calm, centred and down-to-earth. And I take ‘anneal’ with me; one should always strive to grow.
Looking forward to your next endeavour.
P.S.
ShelbyDawn5711 days agoYou have such a gift. Your words, they way they play and dance on my emotions, tearing my heart to pieces and ever so gently, deftly sewing it back together. This one was especially devastating for me as I lost my second son at 24 weeks. There is no pain like that kind of loss and you described it so well. I don't know whether to bless you or curse you. Thank you for an emotional marathon. Now if you'll excuse me, I need a new box of tissues.
EmptyOwl11 days agoYou have a nice way with putting words together. There were several I noticed, but the first one, and easiest to find, "...my heart full of sympathy for this fellow pilgrim on the road of bones," really expressed so much.
I very much like most of the stories and characters you write. That said, I really ended up disliking Astrid and this story. It felt like an incongruous jump for a year to go by and her to punish the woman she loved for a simple slip up that even her adoptive father understood in a flash. And for both her and Rebecca to continue to feel it was all on Rebecca just makes me disappointed in both characters, A terrible lack of empathy and maturity that speaks to me of a rocky romance ahead :-(
