Page 56 of Honoring Freedom
She watched Keller pour himself a cup of coffee.
“What about us?”
He didn’t answer.
“Are you still refusing to speak to me?”
Still no answer.
“I guess you are then.”
She missed him. She hadn't appreciated how much she enjoyed everything about him until he wasn't around. Her feelings were suspiciously like love. Did she love him? Could it be possible?
“Keller…”
“Freedom…”
They said in unison.
She gave a light chuckle.
She had to fight the urge to cross the room and hug him. Instead, she folded her arms across her chest, a protective barrier against the whirlpool of emotions swirling inside her. "You know, Keller, I never wanted us to stop talking. It just... happened."
His eyes met hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of the old warmth. "I know," he said quietly. "Pride got in the way. On both sides."
"Yeah," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper. "But it doesn't have to stay that way."
He sighed deeply, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavily in the air. "It's not easy, you know. Pretending everything's fine when it's not."
"It's never easy," she replied, stepping closer. "But I'm willing to try if you are."
His hand found hers, and for a moment, the tension melted away. "Alright," he said, squeezing her fingers gently. "Let's try."
They stood there, their past grievances unspoken but not forgotten, a silent promise hanging between them. It was a start, and for now, that was enough.
“I don’t want you to ever think that I’m embarrassed or ashamed of us,” she said.
“But we can’t keep going the way things have been,” he said.
She dropped her arms to her sides. “What do you want from me?”
Several expressions flitted across his face. “I’m not asking for anything. If this is all you have then that’s that. I can’t change that.”
So many emotions rushed through her. “The past…”
“Freedom…”
She nodded, understanding the gravity of his words. "We've been through so much, and it's hard to just put it all behind us."
"I know," he replied, looking into her eyes. "But we can't let the past define us. We have to move forward, somehow."
She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of their shared history. "I want to believe that we can find a way. That we can heal and find a clean slate."
"There will be days when it feels damn near impossible," he admitted. "But I think if we hold on to each other, we can make it."
For a moment, they stood in silence, the enormity of their task stretching out before them. She reached up and touched his face gently, a gesture of reassurance and hope. "Let's take it one step at a time," she suggested softly.
“I’m sorry to hear about Liberty, about the baby.” He looked concerned.