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“It is divine, isn’t it? Gives you a glimpse of how peaceful paradise is. I’m rather thankful for your presence. I was getting lonely drinking tea all by myself.”
“Don’t be lonely,” I encouraged and pulled my chair inward, then sat a little straighter. With a smile, I continued, “I’ll gladly keep you company.”
“I’d greatly appreciate it,” she confessed. “I’m waiting for my husband.”
“Viktor’s father. I…apologize for being a bit blunt, but I didn’t know either of you were…” I hadn’t thought my words through and I felt saying “I thought you guys were dead” would be a bit offensive.
My delay made her giggle as she bobbed her head in understanding.
“It’s reasonable for you to believe that my husband and I had perished. Viktor’s field of work is a complicated one, and it’s best for him to act like he has no strings to anyone so that he doesn’t give anyone the advantage of knowing who he cares dearly for,” she explained. “Though, I believe that’s about to change.”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess you can say a certain someone has moved up the ranks of importance,” she admitted as she picked up her cup and went back to sipping her tea. The move encouraged me to do the same, and my lips pressed lightly onto the cool surface before the flowing warmth of the sweet tea flowed into my mouth.
The taste alone was revitalizing, and I couldn’t help but drink some more. The warmth was lovely to feel as the hot liquid went down my throat and seemed to warm up my internal organs. It was like we were sitting in a winter paradise and enjoying a cup of tea instead of the rose oasis surrounding us.
“This is delicious.”
“I agree,” she replied. “It should replenish a bit of your energy while you wait.”
“What am I waiting for?” I inquired. “I mean, you’re waiting for your husband. I’m not waiting for anyone.”
“Actually, you are,” she revealed. “It depends on a few factors, but I’m rather confident that someone will come for you.”
“Why?” The single word escaped me before I could think it through.
“Well, for one, you’re loved by many people. I don’t think they’re ready to let you go,” she began and took a sip of her tea while her words simmered in my mind.
I’m loved. Many people care enough about me to not let me go?
Repeating her words in my head made me feel a little crazy because I was struggling to remember many things. Viktor was the easiest to remember because his face was so similar to that of the woman opposite me, but even with his mother’s company, I couldn’t remember everything I would have liked to recall to help me understand what she meant.
What she was really implying.
"Your journey isn’t destined to end here, Willow.”
“It’s not?” I decided to offer back because I lacked enough knowledge to understand why I was even here.Did I do something wrong? Did I accidentally trip or get caught up in something out of my control?The true riddle of this conversation was trying to decipher who I once was prior to reaching this place of serenity.
“Far from it,” she assured me as she laid her cup down once more to give me her full attention. As her smile dimmed, her soothing eyes were filled with striking wisdom. Sometimes I could just look at a person and know they carried so much knowledge and experience about our vast universe, and this moment reflected exactly that.
“You have so much potential to unlock, Willow,” she emphasized. “I won’t deny the fact that grasping such potential means unlocking doors you don’t wish to open.”
A lump formed in my throat as I stared back at her, and the intensity of our gaze grew with every second that passed.
“What if some doors are meant to be kept closed?” I whispered as my eyes closed. “Forever.”
“Some doors may never open again,” she agreed. “But that’s usually because you’ve already overcome their challenge. There are plenty that are left untouched, begging to be discovered and opened. Some may reveal rooms of gold. Others could be rooms of snakes, emotional turmoil, or an abundance of happiness. Anything could be awaiting you behind every unlocked door, Willow. However, you’ll never know what you’re about to face if you don’t open them.”
“I’m too scared to do that.”
My eyes opened again, and they were emotionless as I stared back into her prism eyes of wisdom. “When I opened too many doors as a child, where did that get me?”
For a split second, those memories came and then were gone, but my lip trembled as I whispered, “Emotionally damaged. Pushed off a cliff. Greeted by Death and forced to endure months of recovery. Tortured by people who hid in the shadows of the darkness. My screams only brought them joy while they struggled to collar me like a fucking dog. All my curiosity did was lead me straight into a hall full of suffering. Why would I put myself through that again?”
“Why, indeed,” she pondered to herself as she closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Have you ever thought those bad experiences were meant to be endured solely for a hidden purpose?”
“A hidden purpose?” I didn’t understand.
