Magic Touch

Chapter 42 - And They Lived...

When Kate woke in the morning she was surprised to find herself on the couch before she remembered that Rose was staying over. She felt nauseous when she recalled Rose's response to the revelation about her magic. Rose was upset, of course, the question was whether she would get over it like Kate had expected or if she had miscalculated.

Kate headed to the bathroom and got herself ready, resisting the urge to knock on the bedroom door to find out if Rose was awake. She silently magicked herself a simple breakfast and sat down to eat. This way she could almost pretend that she was the only person in the apartment.

The illusion was broken by the sound of a door opening when Kate was halfway through her breakfast. She turned to see Rose who had gotten dressed.

"Morning," Kate said, not sure if anything more was going to upset Rose.

"Morning," Rose yawned and sat down next to Kate. "I did a lot of thinking," she said, punctuated by another yawn. "To the point of barely sleeping at all, as you probably can tell." She sighed.

Kate stayed silent not knowing whether the sign was a good or bad sign, though she steeled herself for the worst.

"I've come to realize that I wasn't treating you all that fairly either," Rose continued. "I didn't tell you my intent before the very end. If I had worked up the courage to do that in the beginning things might have gone differently." A slight smile rose to her face.

"So, what conclusion did you come to regarding us?" Kate asked, not wanting to get her hopes up in case Rose wanted to break the relationship off anyway. The smile Rose wore was too small - it could mean anything. She forgot to breathe for a moment, that was how tense she felt awaiting the response.

A frown shadowed Rose's face. "I'm still upset that you lied to me regarding your magic. On the other hand, there's a limit to the amount of trust I can reasonably expect you to put in me at the start of a relationship. I'm not happy about being deceived, but... it's not like you did it without reason. You also did say you were meaning to tell me. I'd like you to answer honestly, at what point were you planning to?"

"Later that day, or perhaps this morning," Kate responded. "I wanted to find the right moment to do so. Not reveal the fact by accident." She bit her lip.

Rose thought things over for a moment, then she nodded. "All right. I'm going to trust you. It's a relief to hear that you weren't planning on putting it off indefinitely."

"So you don't hate me?" Kate asked.

"No," Rose smiled. "Sure, I'm still upset to some degree, but I'm also aware that not all of those feelings are justified."

Kate let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "Do you still want to date me?"

Another moment passed before Rose answered. "I think I do. As long as you're not hiding any other big secrets."

"I promise, I'm not," Kate said in earnest.

Rose stood and took her hand. "Let's go then. We have a date to get to."

---

One year later

Rose chuckled as Kate made her fried egg do a loop in the air in front of her face, before gently touching down on the plate. It wasn't the first time Kate employed the trick but Rose still seemed to enjoy it just as much.

Kate occupied the same apartment as before, though the walls now sported several photos of Rose, Rose and Kate, and the pair together with Mari. A few potted flowers had also moved in, gifts from Rose when she returned from one of her work trips.

"Not many people can boast about being served a magical breakfast in the literal sense," Rose commented as she warmly regarded Kate.

"Please don't," Kate laughed. "At least not where others could hear it."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Rose smiled. "Though you have to admit, it would make for a good anecdote."

"I guess, but not one worth risking my career over." Kate leaned in and gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek. Then she sat down and started on her own breakfast.

"Of course." Rose reached across the table and placed her hand on top of Kate's. "My favorite ex-surgeon just doesn't have the same ring to it," she chuckled.

Kate had the day off, as did Rose, so once they finished breakfast they cuddled up on the couch together. By now, being in Rose's arms was the most relaxing thing Kate could imagine. It was funny how things could change. She inhaled the soft scent of her perfume and closed her eyes.

"I'm so glad you gave me a chance," Kate said.

"As am I," Rose responded as she gently caressed Kate's cheek.

Kate grudgingly opened her eyes when she heard her phone buzz. She waved it over and checked her messages. "Oh, it's from Mari. She wants to know if we'll come along to that newly opened amusement park next week."

"Well, can you fit it into your schedule?" Rose asked.

"Hmm." Kate waved the phone back to its usual spot and thought for a moment. "I think I might, unless anything major comes up."

"Then let's go for it," Rose said. "Amusement parks are always fun, and I heard their big attraction is some monster rollercoaster."

Kate laughed nervously. Rose had a fondness for those things, and she knew she'd be dragged along as well. She did fine on smaller rides, but the high-intensity ones weren't her strong suit.

"Just don't blame me if I throw up in your lap."

"Aw, I'll take good care of you if that happens," Rose chuckled. "There might even be some compensatory cotton candy in you for it..."

"You're trying to bribe me with food?" Kate smiled. "I'm not that cheap."

A sly smile appeared on Rose's face. "Well, in that case I'll just have to throw in plenty of loving kisses."

"All right, now you got me."

They both laughed, then Rose drew Kate in for a passionate kiss.

One Kate never wanted to end.

---

Author's note: I don't usually leave author's notes, but I wanted to do so this time as this chapter marks the end of Kate and Rose's story (the part we're privy to, at least). 

When I first started uploading to Wattpad it was as a way of motivating myself to write more regularly, by aiming to stick to a self-imposed update schedule. 

I never imagined that this many people would have an interest in reading my story. My heartfelt thanks goes to all of you, and I hope you've enjoyed following Kate on her journey as much as I've enjoyed writing the story. Your support  means a lot!