I entered Vail’s house; the familiar smell of spices filled my nose.
“Hi, Rosie,” Vail greeted me as I entered. She was making us tea in the kitchen, and I looked around. She was alone, her grandmother must have been out.
“Hi,” I replied with a warm smile, though the weight of my decision hung heavily in the air. I sat down on the couch, my thoughts racing as I prepared to inform Vail that I would be leaving.
“You seem different. Is something bothering you?” Vail remarked as she handed me a cup of tea and sat beside me.
I took a deep breath to steady myself. “No, I feel fine,” I began. I traced the delicate flower details on my teacup; I couldn’t make eye contact with Vail. “Actually, Draven and I are going away for a while. An overdue honeymoon.”
“Where are you going?” she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
“He has this lovely little cottage along the coast that he talks about,” I said, trying to sound convincing. It wasn’t entirely a lie; we would be going to his cottage.
“How long will you be gone?”
“The whole winter … or at least until the snow clears, I suspect. We will not be able to travel back once the roads are covered,” I explained.
“I will miss you,” Vail said, moving herself closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder. She smelled of lavender, and I breathed in her scent deeply.
“I will miss you too.” I rested my head on top of hers.
We sat for a moment, and I looked outside the windows as the sun was high in the sky “Do you want to sit outside?”
“It is too cold.”
“I want to feel the sun before it is gone.” I caught myself. “Winter is so close now, I want to soak in as much sunshine as it has to offer us.”
As Vail hesitated, I reached for her hand, offering a reassuring smile. “Come on. I promise I will keep you warm,” I said.
“All right, but only for a little while.”
I took her hand and led her outside.
Stepping into the crisp winter air, we were greeted by the soothing warmth of the sun against our skin. I found a comfortable spot on the porch steps and settled down, patting the space beside me for Vail to join. She hesitated for a moment before sitting down, pulling her coat tighter around her frame.
As we sat side by side, I couldn’t help but steal glances at Vail, feeling a pang of sadness knowing that this would be one of our last moments together. The weight of my impending departure hung heavily between us, casting a bittersweet shadow over the tranquility of the moment.
“Rosie ...” Vail’s voice broke the silence. Her hair shone gold in the light, and I realized that this would be the last time I ever saw its golden halo framing her face. “I want to tell you how happy I am for you. At first, when you told me aboutDraven, I was nervous for you. I think maybe it was simply jealousy, not allowing me to feel happy for you. I felt like we were drifting away from each other, but you have shown me that even with Draven in your life, we are still inseparable. I have also not seen you this happy in a long time.”
Her words struck a chord within me, stirring up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. I reached out and gently took her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You are my favourite person, and that means the world to me.”
Vail kissed the top of my head.
“Thank you, Vail,” I whispered, my voice choked with emotion. “For being here, for believing in me. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
With a gentle smile, Vail leaned in closer, pressing a tender kiss against my cheek. “You will never have to find out,” she murmured, her breath warm against my skin. “I will always be here, for you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close, trying to etch this moment into my memory forever.
The sound of footsteps echoed from the path leading to Vail’s house, drawing my attention away from her and toward the approaching figure. Agnes emerged from the trees, and my smile faded quickly as I saw her. She looked at me, her brows furrowing as she squinted her face into a troubled expression.
“Hello, Grandmother. Rosie came to say goodbye. She is going on a trip.” Vail walked over to her grandmother, taking her basket from her.
“Vail, my child, something is amiss,” Agnes said, her voice low. She stalked past Vail and toward me like a cat keeping a wide berth. “I sense a darkness, a presence that I have not felt in many years.”
Vail’s eyes widened in alarm as she stared between Agnes and me. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, a cold shiver running down my spine.
“Grandmother, what do you mean?” Vail asked.
