Whirlwind | W.M.

Epilogue

The first thing I did when I woke up, was check the clock.

I was dreaming again, watching the little digital clock sitting upon the nightstand go absolutely wild. I don't know how long I laid there, staring at the jumbling numbers, trying to recall all that happened. For a split second I forget, and for a split second my heart wasn't sinking and my bones weren't aching with grief.

But seconds pass, and I remember it all too well.

The way she felt in my arms, the press of her fingertip on my chest, the look in her eyes right before she goes limp. I remember everything, like the weight of the world had been dropped right on my chest. But I also remember the choice I made.

Maybe this time I wasn't dreaming, maybe when people die their subconscious takes over and we dream forever. I remember these walls, the distant sound of music and humming. Even when my heart was shattered, the thought that nothing more could hurt me here brought me undeniable solace.

No more fighting, no more loss, no more heartache. Up in my head, nothing can hurt anymore. I can smell the scent of coffee seeping through the door cracks, I can hear the ruckus of pans and her heavenly hums, I was home. Home in my head, home where i'll always be safe.

I wonder what Lara was dreaming about.

I stumble out of the same bed i've been before, only this time I was less disgruntled and more... relaxed. I knew what i'd find on the other side of the door and even if deep in my heart I knew it wasn't real, it was real enough to me.

With every step I took down the corridor her hums get louder and my heart grows fonder, thrashing in my chest even when there was little to no suspense of who it would be. Of course I knew, i'd know her voice out of a million if she had called my name. I never had to try.

When I get to the entryway of the kitchen, I lean against the frame, my arms crossed over my chest and a smile etched onto my face. There she was, my Wanda— or whatever version of her plagued my dreams. Her autumn hair a little wavier, balled up into a bun as she bopped her head lightly to the hums falling from her lips while she tended to something on the stove.

"It's not nice to stare." She suddenly says, I could hear the smile on her lips before she even turns around.

"I can't help it." I breathe, the overflow of emotions bleeding in my chest was almost too much to bear. If this was my finish line, if this— whatever this is, was where I'd get to rest then i'd be alright.

"Well... I don't mind anyway." She turns to face me and my heart swells. I almost cry, seeing her looking back at me with those cool green eyes and her vibrant smile.

"You sleep too much." She says just like she did the first time, treading over to me in a shirt that was too large for her body, stopping right above her knees as she throws her arms around my neck.

"I'm here now." I smile fondly. She looked so clear, so vivid, she felt real too.

Sometimes in my peripherals, I could feel things changing, I could feel the unsteadiness but with her it was like she was the one thing that could never be moved. Everything about Wanda was right in front of me, and I was happy.

"Do you want to go out later? Take a stroll? We haven't been out in the city in a while." She says, wiggling her eyebrows like she needed to do anything more to convince me. I'd do anything for her.

"That sounds perfect." I lean over to place a kiss on her lips, feeling her relax into me immediately like it was second nature.

"I'll get this done and we can start getting ready, yeah?" She hums, arms falling back to her side as I offer her a nod.