Gatecrashing Gatecrasher

Chapter eighteen

"Miss Grace-" She was about to say something when I stopped her.

"Just call me Lauren, Mrs. Lopez," I beamed.

"Sure, Lauren. I've taught students for so many years and some of them came to me for a pep talk. Broken, happily ever after, roller coaster journeys, and even those being called in heaven." She summarizes all the people she'd talked to in her past times. She's in her mid-40's and I am quite sure she came across different stories from her students.

"I guess I'm categorized in the first one," I sucked in breath, laughing nervously.

"I've been in love. But I never married someone I love. I married another man," she states, staring at newly manicured nails.

"How so, Mrs. Lopez?" I inquired, leaning closer.

Lifting up her head, she stares at the white board stood before us, "The guy's named Luke while I am Helena. Completely living in the opposite worlds. Family feuds, fighting over legacies to take over, even choosing who to marry. Luke soon gave up in his family's decision and left me."

Her eyes glimmered with liquids but it never came out. She bit her lip, trying to show courage in front me.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Lopez. That must have been terrible." My voice cracked, terrified I must have triggered some immediate flashbacks to her.

She lets out a weighty sigh and gave me a rueful smile, "You don't have to, I've talked about it to my students for the past years. I learned talking about it without bursting out in tears."

My eyes were frozen, as I stared at her, wondering how she survived from the brokenness.

"Surviving brokenness is like trekking the stairs of the Great Wall Of China," she stretched out her hands as if measuring its length.

"... it starts like you're feet have walked the grounds of hell but when you reached the top, you'll be completely amazed by its breathtaking scenery and how far you've gone just to see that. Like a shattered heart, people never stop wasting tears for days, weeks, months or even years. But if they continued fighting, they'll be amazed by how far they've come."

My mouth parted yet no words came out of it. Seems like Mrs. Lopez had been engulfed in too much brokenness several years ago but she completely moved on from it.

"Wow," I gasped in awe.

She chortled softly, completely wondering what to say next after I wowed at her story.

"I should've been listening to your burdens right now instead of making an autobiography, haha." A pink glow coruscated her face as she laughed nervously.

"That's fine. I mean, it's delightful and an honor to hear such story from you." I gave her a genuine smile.

"We would need a cup of coffee to keep us awake at this hour. I've written all my feelings in a journal while I was with Luke." She warns me, wondering if I have the time to stay and listen to their story.

"That's a dedication, keeping track of  your emotion doing at that time. Luke sure would feel much better if he scans it and remember every words in it."

She shook her head, "I gave it to him when he tells me he'll marry another girl. I didn't know what he felt upon reading it, never heard of him ever since."