When Different Worlds Collide ✔️

Enough- Erik's POV

She grimaced. "You sure you don't want to stay in here and kiss some more?"

"I absolutely do," I laughed. "But we can't. Come on, Kat... You're going to have to have at least a few drinks tonight at the party. I don't want you to get too drunk."

She reluctantly followed me out the door with a frown. She was getting better, but I knew it was still struggle. I knew those intrusive thoughts still plagued her.

----

My mom's sweet potato pie was the best. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It was amazing.

"Do you want to try it?" I asked Kat.

I was worried about pushing her too hard, but I didn't want her to miss out on anything either. She had done pretty good with the meal; she ate a bite of everything and even ate all her greens. Compared to how she was doing the week before, that was a huge improvement. I was proud of her.

"What?" She asked as she gazed at the piece of pie in my hands.

"Do you want to try a piece of my mom's pie. It's worth it, Kat. I promise that it's worth it," I told her gently.

I saw her steel her spine and take a deep breath. "Yes, I'd like to try the pie," she answered me finally.

It caught me off guard. Kat was not one to go for sweets, even when she severely wanted it. It made me happy but also a bit skeptical. I knew that a cookie had once set her off and I didn't want that to happen again. However, I knew that I had to trust Kat. I knew that I had to trust her to know her own limits. Plus, the pie was absolute heaven.

I cut a small bite off my piece and held it up to her. She stared at the bite for a long moment. She exhaled sharply before leaning over and taking the tiny bite from my fork. Her eyes closed as she chewed with conflicting emotions flitting across her face. I could see her visibly having a hard time swallowing, but eventually she got it down.

"That was..." she looked at me with confusion on her face for a full minute.

"It was what?"

"One of the best things that I have ever eaten," she answered with a swallow and a hurt look.

"Why do you look so grief stricken then?" I asked.

"Because even though it was so good, I still feel absolutely guilty," she sighed. "I don't want to feel guilty for eating," she whispered.

"One day, Kat... You're going to be able to eat a whole piece plus a second one from a different pie, and be completely guilt free," I told her calmly.

"How do you know that?"

"Because you want that. And you can do anything that you set your mind to, love. I've seen you conquer your deepest fears inside your own head, you've won practically my whole neighborhood over, and you have not given up... Even though it'd be way easier to just give up, you haven't. That's who you are," I assured her with a soft kiss to her forehead.

Still, she didn't look completely convinced. So, I just kept going. I could talk about her strength all day.

"You're not the person that your parents say you are, you're who you decide to be... And you've showed me time and time again that you are the strongest, most loving, and amazing person. You've decided to be that. Despite being taught and told completely differently, you're still so amazing. Don't give up on yourself because that would be a complete disservice to the whole world. The world needs you, Kat... I need you," I told her as I continued eating the pie.

I got to the last bite and held it up to her. She stared at me skeptically before finally taking the bite and chewing it. That time, her face was calmer, and she looked to be really enjoying the taste.

"Carla was right... Desserts alone are almost enough to make you want to fully recover. Your mom's sweets are absolutely worth living for," she said as soon as she swallowed the last bite.

"Well, I guarantee you that my mom will make anything that you desire," I told her with a grin, glad that she wasn't freaking out. "Thank you for pushing yourself, Kat. I know that it's really hard for you, and I am so happy that you're trying."

"I want to get better, Erik. For you, for Rosa, for me," she told me firmly. "Also, I want to show my parents that I am not their puppet. I am my own person, and even though they've tried so hard to get me to be someone else... I can't be anyone other than me. I am enough. I want to believe that. I know that it's the truth, I just have to convince myself of that."

I kissed her lips softly as soon as she was done talking. She was absolutely enough... She was everything that I ever could have dreamed of, and I was glad that she was finally beginning to see that.

A/n-

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-KAF❤️