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Nothing closer to this
He was leaning on the door jamb when Amelia came out of the bathroom. He smiled and looked at her appreciatively.
"What's the occasion?"
She turned around and smiled at him. "You like?"
He motioned for her to turn around with his finger. She obliged with a small giggle. "That is a very beautiful dress. I like it very much."
"Thanks. I bought it for you."
"Why?" He frowned a bit.
"Because I want to look good for you, silly. Is there any other reason?"
"Amelia..."
"Oh! I put dinner in the oven. I've got to check it out lest it burns." She walked past him, ignoring his attempt at a rebuke.
He chuckled as he followed her. "Nobody uses the word 'lest' anymore."
"Which is such a shame, really. It's a nice word." She called out from over her shoulder.
"Amelia..." He called her gently. It was the tone that set her warning bells off in her head. "Baby..." He used baby. She's in trouble now.
Amelia looked at him with pleading eyes. "Can we do this some other time? Please?"
"Amelia, we keep on ignoring this - we have been postponing it for months now. It has to stop."
"Why? Why should it stop?"
He sighed. "Because it's not good for you. Because it's wrong..."
Tears started falling. Angry tears. Bitter tears. Desperate tears. "Who gets to dictate what's good for me? Shouldn't I be the best judge of that? How is this wrong? I'm happy, Leone, HAPPY! Is my happiness wrong?"
"You know that's not what I mean." He stepped closer to her space.
She sat down and buried her face in her hands. "Don't I deserve to be happy?"
He knelt in front of her. "Of course you do. You deserve every bit of happiness in this world but not like this Baby. Not like this. Not with me."
She couldn't stop the tears now. "Why not you? You're the one that I want..."
"You have to let me go, Amelia."
She knelt to face him, touching his face, kissing him but it felt he had already slipped away.
"I know, Leone. I know." She took in a crushed breath. "I know you're not real but I don't want to let you go because you're the closest thing I've ever had to love and happiness and if I let you go and be normal, I'll go back to being unloved. I'd rather be called insane and happy than normal and miserable."
But he was already gone. She had already let him go.
She sank into herself and let go of the torrents inside her.
"What's the occasion?"
She turned around and smiled at him. "You like?"
He motioned for her to turn around with his finger. She obliged with a small giggle. "That is a very beautiful dress. I like it very much."
"Thanks. I bought it for you."
"Why?" He frowned a bit.
"Because I want to look good for you, silly. Is there any other reason?"
"Amelia..."
"Oh! I put dinner in the oven. I've got to check it out lest it burns." She walked past him, ignoring his attempt at a rebuke.
He chuckled as he followed her. "Nobody uses the word 'lest' anymore."
"Which is such a shame, really. It's a nice word." She called out from over her shoulder.
"Amelia..." He called her gently. It was the tone that set her warning bells off in her head. "Baby..." He used baby. She's in trouble now.
Amelia looked at him with pleading eyes. "Can we do this some other time? Please?"
"Amelia, we keep on ignoring this - we have been postponing it for months now. It has to stop."
"Why? Why should it stop?"
He sighed. "Because it's not good for you. Because it's wrong..."
Tears started falling. Angry tears. Bitter tears. Desperate tears. "Who gets to dictate what's good for me? Shouldn't I be the best judge of that? How is this wrong? I'm happy, Leone, HAPPY! Is my happiness wrong?"
"You know that's not what I mean." He stepped closer to her space.
She sat down and buried her face in her hands. "Don't I deserve to be happy?"
He knelt in front of her. "Of course you do. You deserve every bit of happiness in this world but not like this Baby. Not like this. Not with me."
She couldn't stop the tears now. "Why not you? You're the one that I want..."
"You have to let me go, Amelia."
She knelt to face him, touching his face, kissing him but it felt he had already slipped away.
"I know, Leone. I know." She took in a crushed breath. "I know you're not real but I don't want to let you go because you're the closest thing I've ever had to love and happiness and if I let you go and be normal, I'll go back to being unloved. I'd rather be called insane and happy than normal and miserable."
But he was already gone. She had already let him go.
She sank into herself and let go of the torrents inside her.
