"Rose?" The old lady called as her granddaughter stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked different now that she was full of colors. Her hair, her eyes, her lips... nothing was black and white anymore.
She thought she was beautiful, but now that she was colored with pretty colors, she realized that she was even more attractive.
Looking around her, she stared at her paintings full of life. Full of passion. Full of love.
"My dear," Her grandmother looked at her from the door, her eyes glistening. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
"Yes." Beautiful was an understatement, they were something else. "They're so..." It was hard to come up with the right words because it was something she only got to live a few times now.
"I miss that feeling." Her grandmother said and Rose's eyes softened. Her soulmate, Rose's grandfather, passed away some years ago and since then, her world turned black and white once again.
Her parents crossed her mind and she thought about her father. How his world was too depressing and colorless he decided to end it all. It must be hard, to get used to a world so full of life and to suddenly have it all taken away from you alongside your soulmate, the one you can't live without.
Rose didn't know her soulmate well, they haven't spent time together and hadn't loved each other, and yet, the moment he slowly stepped back and ran away, she felt half. She never felt that way before, but right then, it felt as if a part of her tore apart and gone away.
"They're beautiful," Rose said. "Colors."
It was quite the same with her condition too. She used to walk and run and now she couldn't anymore. She knew that nothing would make her legs work again, and she realized that people who lose their soulmates and colors feel it too, just like her. They feel helpless.
To lose the ability to walk, Rose saw it as a price for surviving the accident so she could move on, but to lose your other half and have a world so full of life taken away from you, was cruel and unfair.
"They are." Her grandmother walked towards her before placing a hand on Rose's shoulder. "I'm so glad you got to see it all. I'm so happy for you, my child."
"Thank you, grandma." Rose rested her hand on her grandmother's hand as she looked at her with soft eyes. "I'm happy you're here with me."
She would always be grateful that one of her family members was still with her, making her feel at home in a house without her parents' presence. She didn't feel alone, she knew that whatever happens, her grandmother would be there for her like she always did.
Looking back at her paintings, she let out a sigh before smiling. A new chapter of her life began, one so full of colors. She used to paint while pouring all her frustration out, but now, she could see the passion in those paintings. How her brush rested on the white canvas and created pieces people adore.
She felt incredible. She was.
"Harin is getting married soon," Rose muttered and her grandmother's widened slightly. "She wants me to paint in her wedding."
"Really? That's amazing." The old lady was Rose's biggest supporter and she knew that her girl could make wonderful pieces. She loved all of them as much as she loved Rose because they were pieces of her.
"Yeah," Rose nodded. "She's a really good friend, I hope I do a good job."
"Don't think of it as a job, just let your hands do wonders. Harin would be so happy with anything you make because it's all beautiful."
"Grandma, you flatter me." She chuckled.
"It's true."
"Thank you." Rose wrapped her arms around her grandmother and rested her head on her stomach. "You're the best."
"Ah," She let out a heavy sigh as she stared out of Rose's window. "The weather is nice today."
"It is." Rose nodded. "Do you want to go out for a walk?" Her question was answered with a big smile from her grandmother and before she knew it, they were outside. Everything around them was beautiful. The people, the scenery, the fresh air, the blue sky... Rose always felt blue, yet now, it was the color that brought her peace the most.
"Blue is my favorite color."
"Really?" Her grandmother muttered as she pushed her wheelchair. "Mine is green."
"Why?"
"Your grandfather's eyes were green. It was the first color I had ever seen." She said and Rose turned to look at her with a smile plastered on her face. "They were green but not the kind of shade that's easy to describe."
"That's beautiful." She smiled wider. "You should have been a writer instead of a florist."
"Well, I'm a bit of both I guess." She shrugged. "I used to write love letters for your grandfather and he used to do the same. We weren't writers though, we were just too in love."
Her words lingered in Rose's mind for days until Harin's wedding day arrived and they were walking down the very same road. The sky wasn't as blue as the other day, but it was still beautiful. People around them were running back and forth, each one too busy with their life. Rose just stared at them with a smile and greeted everyone she knew, wishing them a good day.
"You look so beautiful!" She heard it many times that day. The gentle wind played with her baby blue dress and her hair that she let down with a blue ribbon on.
"Thank you." She just smiled at them and waved, holding the bag where she put the canvas, her brushes, and colors. She reminded herself to draw the town and its people; they were that beautiful.
"Here we are." Her grandmother said as they stopped in front of a church, it was where the ceremony would hold place. "I'm so sorry I can't stay."
"It's okay, you have to go back to the store." Rose shook her head and smiled. "I'll let Harin know about your greeting."
"Of course." She nodded. "I'll let you go now, okay? Have fun."
"See you, grandma." Rose waved at her as the old lady turned around and walked away. And there she was, sitting in her wheelchair as she stared at the huge church. She remembered that Harin always wanted for her wedding to take place in a little town with her few friends and relatives.
Smiling softly, she rolled the wheels of her wheelchair and made her way inside. The place was lit with dim light coming from the glass windows. People were waiting for the couple as Rose stopped beside an unknown woman. She could see the aisle well enough to draw everything, and, taking her canvas out, she started painting the inside of the church.
The groom, Harin's soulmate, was waiting at the altar before his bride walked down the aisle with everyone cheering for her. Rose's glistening eyes were glued on her as she stared at how beautiful she looked and let her brush color the white canvas.
Without realizing that someone couldn't take his eyes off her either.
After saying their vows and being announced wife and husband, Harin, her soulmate, and the guests headed to the garden for the wedding reception. Rose was busy packing her things when someone stood next to her.
"Can I help you?"
The voice wasn't familiar, but it almost felt like it was. Rose turned her head and looked up at the man and her heart dropped along with her brushes and bag. She couldn't tell if she was happy or mad, but she felt weird.
However, she knew she felt whole because her soulmate was standing right beside her, looking at her with soft eyes that held so much depth.
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✓ IF YOU STAY | HEESEUNG
Fanfiction❝People come and go, but can't you be the one who stays?❞
