Disabled.

Thirty-Four

Previously

"Okay, I admit it. I like you. But we can't be together--"

"Why not?" he interjected.

"Because! Because...I'm afraid that I'll lose you too."

He looked at her, shocked. She felt a few stray tears falling on her face and she attempted to quickly wipe them away. But before she could touch her face, Mason stopped her by holding onto her arm.

"Is that it? That's the only reason why you can't accept my feelings?" he asked, to which she nodded her head. He smiled at her reply, causing her to feel confused. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him in a tight hug.

But before she could allow herself to be surrounded by his warmth, she pulled away from him, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"I'm sorry Mason," was all she said before pushing herself back to the house. She heard him speaking behind her as she pushed herself inside but she couldn't stop. Because she knew that if she did, there was no way that she could reject him anymore. And if she let him in, there was no telling how that would end.

- - -

In the week following the Christmas dinner party, Nadia hadn't been able to think of anything else other than how she and Mason had confessed to liking each other. And after a week of thinking about it, she still found herself wondering if they could ever work together.

There was so much to consider when it came to being in a relationship especially with him. She had just gone through a loss with Jackson and him with his cousin Selena. Even though she was now finally able to think about Jackson without breaking down, feeling that that wound was beginning to heal, Mason had just received his wound. 

Would it be fair to him if they were together?

She realized that there was a chance that they could help each other through their pain but she didn't like the thought of being with someone solely based on the fact that they both had experienced a loss.

When the wounds from those losses healed, would they still be able to stay together?

Nadia messed up her hair as she felt her mind going round in circles.

"Everything alright sweetheart?" her mother asked from where she sat on the couch beside her. Nadia looked at her mother without saying anything to her as she considered asking for her opinion. She bit her lower lip as she decided to ask for her mother's opinion.

"Not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?" her mother asked. Nadia nodded.  

"I want your opinion about something." 

Her mother nodded. Nadia took in a deep breath before saying, 

"So I have this friend who's been friends with a guy for a while now. My friend and this guy have both been through a lot but they've realized that they like each other. The guy wants to be together with my friend but she doesn't know if she should do it. What do you think she should do?" 

She noticed the corner of her mother's lips twitch as she thought about what she had just said. And after a few moments, she said,

"If they truly like each other, then they should be together. Just because they have been through losses doesn't mean that they don't deserve to be happy anymore. And they shouldn't be afraid to be together because they're afraid of losing each other. Without trying, how would you know that you'll lose him? You can only find out after being together. And even if you do lose him, as hard as it is to accept, not everything or everyone lasts forever. So I say, go for it. You'll never know if you don't try."