The Cutting Edge

The Bright Side

Paige hummed as she spun into the living room, dropping the laundry basket onto the couch before beginning to fold the clothes still warm from the dryer.

Her mind was blissfully distant, a small, dreamy smile on her face as she thought about the past couple months.

It almost seemed like she had dreamt it all, but then she would sigh happily and remember that this time, reality was better than dreams. Her and Liam had been dating for a while now, and had moved to official "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" status. She felt completely at ease with him, comfortable and confident enough to tell him anything. And although they were now a couple, things hadn't really changed all that much from the days in the coffee shop.

Sure, now there was more physical contact, an abundance of hand holding, hugs, and cuddles. And then there was the fact that they saw each other more frequently as well.

Paige's depression and anxiety had continually lessened and lessened, it hadn't vanished of course, there were still some days where she stayed curled up in bed or on the couch with the lights off, sometimes crying. However, if Liam didn't receive a reply to his once-a-day-check-in-texts he or Beth would show up at her door to keep her company.

She remembered the first time he had caught her on a bad day. He was so worried about her lack of communication that he rushed to her house, and found her curled up on the floor sobbing. Instead of trying to talk to her, he simply busied himself around the living room for a while.

Paige was vaguely aware of his movements, but lacked the strength and will to sit up and observe his actions. After a little while she felt him sit down beside her and put his hand on her arm, gently tugging to indicate she sit up.

Grudgingly she obliged, and when she sat up and opened her eyes, she stared in confusion, her former dark thoughts temporarily forgotten. "Wh-what...what did you...?"

Liam leaned his head toward her secretively, his voice hushed as he said. "I built you a castle, it'll keep you safe and protect you from all the badness in the world."

Paige stared at the blanket and pillow fort he had constructed around them, using the couch and several dining room chairs as supports.

He draped his arm around her and pulled her close to him, wrapping his other arm around her and enveloping her in a warm embrace. "You can cry some more if you need to, I just wanted to be here for you."

She closed her eyes, and breathed in the faint scent of his soap, he smelled like spring and sunshine. She was curled up and pressed flush against his side, his strong arms seeming to wrap around her petite frame completely, like a blanket of safety and comfort. Her head was resting against his chest, and she focused on the steady beat of his heart, along with the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

She allowed her body to relax completely, and let out a small sigh. "I don't want to cry anymore."

He nodded, his hand moving slowly back and forth between her shoulder blades. "Fine by me."

She snuggled a little more securely into his embrace. "I think I'd like to stay like this for a little bit."

He chuckled quietly. "That's just fine by me as well."

Paige's mind was snapped from the memory and back into the present as her phone rang. She hurriedly finished folding a pair of yoga pants and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe! How is my little girly today?"

Paige smiled at Beth's affectionate greeting. "Hi Beth, I'm doing really great."