A Love Restored

1 smiled, “So, what were you going to tell me, in the morning?”

“Come here,” he said. He opened up his arms and I cuddled into him, my back against his chest. His head atop mine, I could feel the warmth he radiated from his chest settling into me. God, it felt so safe, so right. Like nothing in the world could hurt me right now.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Flora.” He said softly. I shrugged, “I’m fine, Felix. It was nothing. I just got a bit flustered cause it was early in the morning.”

“I’m sorry, flower,” his arms tightened around me as his voice was laced with emotion. “I’m sorry I can’t protect you from everything. Its not in my power right now. Someday, it will be. And you will never be sad or afraid again.”

I looked up at him. “I am not sad or afraid. As long as I have you, Felix.”

my chest.

God, it was in moments like these that I felt my heart was going to burst out of my Sitting like this, I wanted to just merge into him. Be one with him if I could. I already was.

Who was I without him? I was Felix’s Flora, I always would be.

He shifted slightly. Had I said something wrong?

“I got into Princeton.”

I whipped around so quickly to look at him, my head hit his jaw. He fell back, clutching hist

face in pain. “Ow, Flora!”

I gasped and shifted away from him. “Oh my God! Felix, I’m so sorry.” Tears welled in my

eyes, and before I knew it, I was sobbing.

“Hey, hey,” he touched my shoulder lightly, “Its okay, I’m okay, you didn’t hurt me.”

I could feel my cheeks turning bright red as embarrassment flooded over me. I hadn’t meant

to headbutt him with such force.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I stammered, my voice quivering. “I just got surprised.”

Felix, still rubbing his jaw, couldn’t help but chuckle despite the pain. “Flora, it’s okay! Accidents happen. I’m fine, really. He reached out and gently patted my shoulder.

But the tears were already flowing, and I couldn’t stop them. I felt like the world’s biggest klutz, and my attempts at being playful had turijed into a disaster.

Felix pulled me into a hug, his laughter turning into comforting words. “It’s just a little bump, Flora. No harm done. Besides, you make the best accidental comedienne.” He grinned, attempting to lighten the mood,

“I’m so sorry,” I continued sobbing. I looked up at him, and he did look okay. He was peering down at me with a concerned look on his face. “Congrats on getting into Princeton.” I

sniffled.

He smiled. “Thanks, flower. I’m not going.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “Why? Are you going somewhere else? Cornell?”

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He had gotten an acceptance from ago but hadn’t responded to him yet, still weighing his options.

He shrugged, “I’m not sure yet. Somewhere close by. I want to stay home.”

I stared up at him. Why the sudden change in-plans? Going to a good university out of state, especially Princeton had been all he had spoken about since he was like, fifteen.

Why was he making this huge change in his plans suddenly?

“But why?” I asked incredulously.

“I’m going to stay here and take care of you.” His gaze on me was tense, “You need me here,

Flora.”

“But Felix,” I wrestled out of his embrace, “You can’t do that.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, “And it doesn’t matter where I get my degree from. I know what my future looks like. I’d rather not spend four years away from you unnecessarily.”

“Its not unnecessary.”

“Nothing is more important than you, flower.” He said with conviction. He truly did believe this. He was decided on staying here.

“I can take care of myself,” I told him. “You’re not going to give up on Princeton because you think I need you here or something.”

“But you do need me here.” His voice was small but his tone remained strong. “With all the shit that is going on. Your parents.”

“I can handle it,” I snapped.

“Yeah.” he sighed, “But I want to stay here and be with you through it.”

But Felix, it’s your dream school! You’ve worked so hard for this, and I can’t bear the thought of you giving it up for me.”

Felix took a deep breath and looked into my eyes, his expression filled with love and concern, “Flora, you mean the world to me, and I can’t stand the idea of leaving you

behind. I want to stay here, take care of you, and be with you every day.”

Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I reached out to cup his cheek, my hand shaking. “Felix, I want nothing more than to see you succeed. I don’t want you to give up on your

dreams because of me.”

He gently covered my hand with his and kissed my palm. “But I can’t bear the thought of being away from you for so long. What if something happens, and I’m not here to keep you

safe?”

I shook my head, my heart aching with the weight of the decision before us. “Felix, you need to go to Princeton. It’s your dream, and I can’t let you give that up for me. I’ll be fine, I promise. I have my family and your family and my friends and your friends here to support me, and I’ll be waiting for you at home, counting down the days until you come back with that degree.”

He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping with the weight of the decision. “But what if something happens to you while I’m away? What if I regret not being here with you?”

I took his face in my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes. “I want to see you thrive, achieve your dreams, and be the amazing person I know you can be.”

Felix blinked back tears, his gaze unwavering. It was not the first time I had seen him cry. But in this moment, it meant so much more. “Are you sure, Flora? You won’t resent me for leaving?

I leaned in and kissed his cheek softly. “I’m sure, Felix. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader from afar, and when you come back, we’ll have a lifetime of dreams to chase together.”

As we sat there, hand in hand, I knew that letting him go to Princeton was the right choice.

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“Promise me you’ll be safe. You’ll tell me if any problems occur.

I looked into his eyes and nodded. “I promise.”

Chapter Comments

Valeri Burnet Lauletta

I don’t understand how he could love her so deeply and 5 years later treat her like she’s nothing to him