A New Precious

Chapter 25

Later that evening, Aaliyah found Máiréad on the porch swing in the backyard. She looked as if she was very deep in thought and on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Aaliyah said softly.

Máiréad suddenly came back to Earth. "Oh... hey."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just thinking about stuff."

"Can I join you?"

"Sure."

Aaliyah sat next to Máiréad on the swing. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I..." Máiréad tried to find the words to explain what was on her mind, but she found it very difficult. She wiped a few tears from her eyes.

"Take your time, Honey."

"It's... it's Sméagol. I... I think I have feelings for him."

Aaliyah smiled. "I thought that's what it was."

"It's like... ever since I met him, he's been so insanely sweet to me. He's the first guy who looked at me, and saw a person, not a broken mess. He always treats me like a queen. He makes me feel beautiful and special and... and loved. I never felt that way around the other guys I dated. Then, watching him with the kids today... that did it." More tears swelled in her eyes. "The way he helped that one girl, it... it really touched me. He's just... I don't know. I can't think of the right words to describe him."

"I know what you mean. I saw it in him long before I brought him here. Even during the time he claims he wasn't a nice person, I saw it in him. He has an angel's heart and soul... and that's coming from an angel. He's always had it in him, and now, he's finally able to show it, be his real self."

"That's what I wanted to call him, an angel, but... I didn't know if that was the right word since–"

Aaliyah laughed softly. "I'm an angel."

"Yeah," Máiréad said awkwardly.

"It is the right word. He is an angel. He always has been. He may not have the same abilities I do, but he is a real angel."

"Is it crazy that I'm in love with him already? I mean, even though I've only known him a short time?"

Aaliyah smiled lovingly. "Not at all, Máiréad."

"But, everyone says that you shouldn't fall in love so fast, or if you're in love with someone you just met, you're being stupid or unrealistic or..."

"That is true a lot of the time, but that doesn't mean there aren't exceptions. Love is a strange thing. It has a mind of its own sometimes. And, it's not up to society to decide when it's a good time to fall in love with someone. It's not up to anyone else to say whether you should be with someone when you've known them for a short time. It's up to you whenever you feel ready. Heck with what society thinks. Heck with what's 'realistic' and 'logical.' Life isn't always supposed to be tidy and neat, and it's too short to follow ridiculous rules set by people who are way too logical for their own good. Trust your instincts. Is your gut telling you it's right? Not just your heart, but your gut."

"I... I don't know. I don't always know if it's my gut talking or my desires or paranoia or wishful thinking."

"Okay, well, let me ask you something. Are you over Dexter? Are you still in love with him?"

Máiréad thought for a moment. "No. I was never really in love with him. I was afraid of him. I'm... I'm over him, but... I'm still traumatized. But, Sméagol always helps me through that. I feel like I can tell him anything, and he won't judge me."

"Because, he's been traumatized, too. He knows what it's like to be trapped in an abusive situation." Aaliyah was referring to the One Ring. The One Ring was my abuser. "I won't tell you what it was. I'll let him tell you if he ever wants to, but all I will say is, he was trapped in it for a very, very long time. He's over his abuser now, has no desire to go back, but... he's not over the trauma. He gets it, and I think that you help him, too."

Máiréad still hesitated. "But... what if I drive him away?"

"How would you drive him away?"

"I mean... I have a lot of baggage. I'm super emotional, and I cry over the stupidest things. I get my feelings hurt easily. I read way too much into things. I dramatize everything, and... I'm super clingy because of my abandonment issues. I freak out when I even think that someone's gonna leave me... and I end up driving them off with my paranoia. Or, if it's not my paranoia, it's the other stuff I mentioned." She wiped tears from her eyes, trying desperately not to cry. "He's the sweetest person I've ever met. I don't wanna hurt him... and I don't wanna lose him." As soon as she uttered those words, she could not hold back her emotions anymore. She broke down into tears.

Little did she know that I had been listening from afar, but I couldn't hold back anymore. I ran to her. "Sweetie, come here." I wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her into a warm embrace as I sat down next to her. "You could never drives me off, never. I don't cares how emotional you are, how clingy you are, and I promise I can handles whatever you throws at me." I played with her beautiful hair. "I won't leave you, Precious. I promise."

"How much of that did you hear?" she asked.

"Every word. I had something I wanted to tells you, too, but Aaliyah came over before I could... and so happy I am she did. Baby, I wants you to know something. I falls in love with you the moment I lays my eyes on you. That first night, when I heard you sing for the first time, my heart sings with you, and when you looks to me when I got up to sing, in my heart, I knew you needsed love. I looksed at you, and I saw a precious butterfly. Your wings have been broken and bruised and battered, but you are strong and beautiful and so very precious." I held her close to my beating heart, and kissed her forehead. "So hard you are on yourself. So very cruel this world has been to you, and now, you don't believes you deserves anything good. You believes all you do is hurts people, but so far from the truth that is, my sweet. People hurts you. They don't understands you. Very afraid they are to. Different is frightening to them. My heart breaks for them so deeply, because if they truly knew you, they'd see what a precious soul you are."

"But, how do you know? You've only known me a couple weeks."

"But, Sméagol sees into your heart. Sméagol knows you are good, and my precious, so very worthy of love and happiness you are." I hugged her tightly. "You won't hurts me, Baby, and you will never, ever lose me." I kissed her forehead again. "You could never drives me off, Precious, no matter what."

"You promise?" Máiréad sniffled.

"I promise, Baby. When I sets my mind to something, I never gives up. So, why don't we gives it a try? Because, I believes we can makes it work."

Máiréad smiled through her tears, and took a deep breath. "Okay."

I giggled and squeezed her tightly. Awwww, don't worry, my precious friends. I didn't hurts her. I could never hurts my baby.