The Flowers Within Our Reach ~ A Thomesa AU Story

| Chapter Eleven

""Don't you find it funny? How people forget about someone when they're not useful anymore?""

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"You don't even have time to hang out with us anymore." Teresa smiles upon hearing her best friend's complaints from the other side of the line, imagining the pout that sure has formed on Sonya's face.

"Aww, Sonya, you know why... And to be honest, I wanted to know how long you'd survive without complaining about my sudden absence." Teresa chuckles, happy to know that her friend (practically sister) has missed her as much as she has missed her.

"Well, yeah, and don't say you didn't miss me because I'm pretty sure you did."

"I did."

"Of course you did."

The two laugh for a moment, joyful that they can afford to spend some precious time on their phones when Teresa can use the time Thomas is still asleep.

"Have you been checking up on Ricky? I haven't had the time to do that."

"I did, he's alright. He said you don't need to worry about him because he's a grown-ass man and he can survive on his own." Sonya replies, her voice playful and light.

Ricky lives alone, in a modest house, and he does his own thing. He has several jobs he adores by heart, though none give him the monetary quantity needed to live in a house like Teresa, but as her brother once told her: "Life isn't all about money and wealth. It's about doing what you love. You won't need anything else if you commit to who you are and not to what a piece of valuable paper turns you out to be."

Her voice is severely softer when she speaks again. "How are you holding up?"

Teresa allows herself to think about the past month.

She hasn't had time to herself in long, and she's sure she has never worked this hard in her entire life, and that she hasn't had time to rest properly for a while, but overall, Teresa feels somehow content. She's having the opportunity to go ahead with the promise she made to her mother, and she's happy she's been allowed to do just that for the past few years.

This last month has been exhausting, but Teresa doesn't feel that way. No matter how rainy, how windy, how many lightning strikes, or how high the temperature in the air feels like, most flowers survive it and continue to blossom no matter the controversies. Teresa considers herself to be one of those.

"I'm fine, surprisingly." She murmurs, honest.

"Still taking care of that ass?"

"You know I'm not going to rest until I feel like I've done what I was meant to do. And don't call him that, he's actually a nice guy."

A fit of laughter is heard from the other side and Teresa moves her phone away from her ear for some seconds before her eardrum explodes with it.

"Geez, Sonya, almost got me deaf here."

"Oh my God, I'm sorry, Ter-" She starts laughing again and Teresa can't help but roll her eyes and chuckle along because she's quite missed her best friend's laugh. It's incredibly contagious. "Thomas? A nice guy? I never took you for a comedian but I'm sure you have a bright future ahead of you." She chuckles once again, this time more contained.

"Seriously. We've been talking more... ever since the accident." Teresa starts, and she gets her friend's attention. "And when he isn't pretending, when he isn't doing it for the cameras and the mass media, when he doesn't protect himself from other people, you can have a really nice conversation with him, Sonya."