Memories

Chapter 35.

Anakin's POV

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I stood nervously outside her door before knocking quietly. I held my breath as I heard footsteps approaching from the other side, then the door hissed open, and there she was. Dressed in a flowing white gown, trimmed and embellished with gold thread, her beauty once again stunned me. Those earnest brown eyes gazed back at me, shimmering with a sea of emotions as her delicate fingers rested on the panel that opened the door. 

Neither of us said anything for a couple of moments, then she stepped to the side, silently welcoming me in. Breathing a mental sigh of relief, I entered her quarters, automatically checking to see if anyone else was here. We were alone.

She closed the door behind me, maintaining the silence until she was sitting next to me on one of the low couches. "Hello, Ani," she greeted me softly, her hand finding mine.

"Hello, Padmé," I responded breathlessly, unable to get over that radiant beauty that seemed to increase every time I looked at her. Reaching up, I gently tucked a lock of her loose, curly hair behind her ear. "You look beautiful tonight," I whispered, kissing her cheek.

She smiled in embarrassment, looking down. I placed my finger on her chin and lifted it again, so that her gaze met mine. "Did I tell you that you look beautiful tonight?" I murmured, then grinned at the laugh my comment prompted.

"Yes, Ani," she answered, her voice soft as always. She trailed her fingers down my face, kissing me briefly. "You did mention that."

"Then why are you embarrassed?" I pressed, lightly teasing. "Are you afraid I haven't noticed?" I asked between quick kisses, pulling her into a hug. "Do you think I've forgotten how beautiful you are? Is that what this is about? Is it? Because I can tell you again and again, if it is!"

"No, of course not!" She pushed back from me, though she kept her hands on my shoulders, her smile lighting up the whole room. "I'm sure you could never forget about me." Then she looked down, her expression saddening. "You would never forget me."

"And neither would you," I said softly, placing my finger on her chin to raise it again, but she took my hand, wrapping it in her own and moving both back to my chest.

"I'm sorry, Ani," she sighed regretfully. "I haven't been making time for you. I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for shouting at you."

I put my other hand over hers and mine, squeezing her gently. "It's alright, Padmé. I understand. I shouldn't have come to you when you were so busy, and I'm sorry for that. Would you forgive me?"

Tears sparkled in her eyes as she leaned in close, whispering before kissing me, "Of course, I do."

I wished the moment would never end, but one of us had to break it, and this time it was Padmé. She leaned back, gazing at me adoringly for a while. Eventually, she spoke, her tone genuine. "So what did you want to talk to me about? I know you said it was pertinent to the time, but I'm here if you want to talk."

I smiled gratefully, brushing her hair back off her face. "I'm not sure I want to ruin such a happy moment as this one."

"It might make it better," she countered softly, giving me her full attention as she settled down for a story.

I paused a moment, stroking her fingers thoughtfully. "It ... it was an anniversary. My mother died two years ago, on that day. I didn't sleep well, and I-I guess I was looking for a little comfort."

"Oh, Ani," she breathed, cuddling closer to me, "that must have been awful. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you."

I rested my chin on her head, wrapping my arms around her. "It's okay. It's been rough, if I'm honest, and I do miss her a lot."

"I know you do," she said sympathetically. "She was a lovely person."

"Yeah," I sighed. "So many scenes and times from when I was with her have been coming back to me. It hasn't been easy."

"Of course it wouldn't have been ... but not all of it was bad, was it?" she asked, looking up at me. "There would have been some really beautiful memories. She would love it if you remembered her for what was, not what isn't here. That's the amazing thing about memories: you get to carry the joy of the past into the hope of the future."

I fell silent, processing her words. "I suppose you're right. But you always are, aren't you?" I added, my tone a mix of cheek and contentment. "I'm just glad that you're here with me. You make it much easier to bear."

She exhaled gently, simply happy to be with me. "I'm sure I don't deserve all the praise you give me, Ani."

"Maybe not," I mused. "Maybe you deserve more." I tilted my head to look at her, and she laughed softly.

"If I can't win, I'll just have to take it," she said sweetly, giving me one of her gorgeous smiles.

I smiled back, kissing her. "Yup – take it on the chin."

We lapsed into comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and savouring the much-treasured time we could spend together. As we sat on the couch, Padmé lying against me, my head resting on hers, my eyes began drifting shut. Exhaustion finally caught up to me, slowly wrapping itself around me and leading me to the sweet embrace of sleep. I would have followed it with barely a hesitation if Padmé hadn't sat back, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"We should get some proper rest, Ani," she informed me softly, straightening up, her dress flowing down to her toes like a willow's leaves. "I've got some clothes in my drawers you can wear."

I pulled a sleepy face as I forced my tired legs to work. "Your girl clothes won't fit me, remember?"

She swatted me lightly, then shooed me into her room. "You know what I mean! Now get changed, you cheeky monkey."

I grinned at her before obliging, digging around in her drawers until I found a sleep tunic and some loose pants. It always touched me that she had clothes for me on hand. When I finished, I found Padmé, who had already changed into a light sleeping dress, one with gradient pale pink from the hem upwards. She was standing on the balcony, gazing across the city as she ran a brush through her hair.

"What do you think, Ani?" she asked without turning around. "Do you think we'll ever have children?"

I joined her at the balcony, leaning against the railing and watching the blinking lights and tiny speeders. "I don't know, Padmé." I knew the sensible part of me would never have agreed, warning of all the dangers and risks that would come with it, but tonight, things seemed different. Maybe we could forget the world for just one night. Right now, anything seemed like a possibility. I smiled at her. "Maybe."

She smiled back, then kissed me on the forehead. "Maybe." She went back into her room, so I followed, closing the glass doors behind me, then joining her as she climbed into her bed. We hunkered down under the covers, and I pulled her close to myself, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love you, Ani," she murmured, already falling asleep as she snuggled against me.

I smiled, gently kissing the top of her head. I didn't know if I could be any happier than this.

"I love you, too."

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Wow, this book is actually finished!! That is the end! I loved writing this last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. ^-^

Thanks so much for reading, everybody!!! I appreciate so very much that you've kept with me as I've been writing, and your votes, comments, and reads are simply amazing. Once again, thanks so much! ^0^

Also, I'm planning a sequel to this book, called "Dreams," so keep an eye out if you're interested! ^.^

La Fin

(The End)