Love Always Wins| ✓

34|° gemheart

{please enjoy!}

A tear slips down her face, mapping down a path for those that follow after it. She wipes it hastily, feeling her heart clench in her chest, as if there were chains yanking it tighter from the inside — just as she now clings to Nate in a bonetight hug.

Another tear soundlessly follows its predecessor, falling on Nate's grey sweater before she can wipe it away.

One week has never felt so short. It feels like the time escaped right through her fingers, no matter how much she tried to hold onto it. It is not even like sand, which you can see the last remaining grains on the palm of your hand as proof that you were previously holding something therein. It is like liquid — water — slipping through your fingers in unnerving speed and leaving only wetness that soon dries out on your hands.

So elusive. So damn elusive, time is.

Hope has tried to spend every waking moment utilizing her limited time with Nate to the fullest while also thanking her mom for pushing her out of her confines. Her mom really is a blessing.

By now, Law has uncountable portraits of Nate alone, Nate and Alice, Nate and Collins, Nate and her and all of them together. As she releases Nate from the hug, she's so happy to have documented such precious moments with him whether as tangible evidence or intangible memories, to refer back to with nostalgia.

He smiles at her, his growing teeth in display and one dimple dotting his cheek.

"I'll come back, mommy." Nate assures her, his gaze flicking to her dilated eyes. He brings up his tiny hand and wipes away a tear that was just beginning to fall from her eyes.

Despite herself, she releases a hearty chuckle at the gesture and takes him in for another embrace.

"We will play even more games next time," she promises.

After a flurry of goodbyes between Alice, her and Nate and her mother, she finally stands with Alice outside in the glow of the setting sun as they watch her mother's Premio become just another vehicle in the highway.

Alice turns to her and smiles. Hope smiles back and with joined hands, they walk back into the house.

» «

Hope gasps in surprise the moment she beholds her image on the mirror.

After Nate left, she had to get ready for the ball and Alice, who had already called dibs on painting her face— as if Hope was ever going to let anyone else do that— took to masquerading her with make up.

Her braids are held above her head in a messy bun, the ends curled so that they fall over her face and back in soft trickles. Her face — oh her face. Soft shades of gold line the edges and angles of her face, cutting through her nose, to her chin, to her cheeks before meeting other cracks that trail down her forehead. Her face is beat up darker than usual, to allow the contrast of the gold lacquer make up.

Hope feels her heat tighten and she inhales deeply to stop the tears before they have the chance of ruining Alice's hard work.

She forces herself to take her gaze off her breathtaking image and instead peers at Alice through the mirror. Alice meets her gaze and smiles, such a tender look clouding her eyes. Emotions deeper than words are spoken in that brief exchange.

"You always loved kintsugi and when you said make up masquerade, I couldn't think of anything better." Alice says. She takes a step forward and places her right hand on Hope's bare shoulder. "This is not to give you hope of a better tomorrow and a better future. No, not entirely anyways. This is because you have held onto hope even on the darkest and scariest of days. This is because you are now living your better tomorrow. This is because you inspire me and it's because you are, at this moment, more beautiful with those cracks that have now been filled with lacquered gold and glitter. This is because I love you, Hope."