Emily ◇ Cinderella

Chapter 8

I stiffened at his sudden embrace. I could feel him relaxing into me; his shoulders must've lowered an inch as the stiffness was released from them. Getting over my surprise, I wound my arms around his neck, holding him tightly to me in an attempt to comfort him when I had no idea what else to do. After a couple of seconds, I felt his arms around my waist and tears on my shoulder, holding me as though I would drift away if he didn't keep a tight grip. 

His forehead leaned against my shoulder, letting sobs shake his body. For every tear that slid down onto my dress, my heart began to grow sore. I hadn't known Will for long, but I was aware of how kind he was, how strong he tried to be for his sister, how dedicated a friend he was. It tore me apart to see him in emotional distress with no one around him to truly help. We stayed like that for a few minutes, and I just held him, whispering gentle nothings to get him to calm down. 

"It's okay to feel like this, Will." I whispered, one of my hands running up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him. "It's okay to feel vulnerable after such a loss." His head shook against my shoulder, disagreeing with me. 

"I feel so useless." He murmured, breaking my heart. I cared so deeply for this family, I realized, that I simply couldn't leave them. It was usual for me to stay at a customer's house if the performances wore deep into the night, so Ella would think nothing of my absence. I felt him inhale against my shoulder, no doubt trying to regain control over his emotions. He pulled away from me, removing his hands from my body to wipe under his eyes. "That was pathetic, I'm so sorry." He apologized, turning his face away in embarrassment. 

I placed a hand on his cheek and turned his face towards mine firmly, forcing our eyes to meet. "Don't you ever apologize for having emotions, William Thatcher. You aren't pathetic; you're human, and I could never think less of you for grieving the loss of your parents." I said gently, his beard scratching at my palms, although I couldn't care less in this moment. "Come." I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, shutting the oak door behind me. 

Will looked at me in confusion, watching me kick off my shoes and tip over a bucket of soapy water that a maid had been using to clean the floor. The soap covered parts of the hall, making the floor slippery and wet. I grabbed Ana's hand, pulling her out of the chair she had been crying in and guiding her to the beginning of the puddle. "What are you doing?" She asked, holding my hand tightly to stop herself from falling. 

"When I was younger, my sister and I would miss my father when he went away to foreign countries. The maids would do this for us, so that we could slide around and have fun." I reminisced, pulling Ana along with me. "Hold my hands, now run!" Together, we ran a few feet before we hit the soapy water, our socks skidding on the floor. Ana shrieked at the sudden movement, although I saw a smile wind its way onto her face. We went flying over the width of the hall, slipping a good few feet before we struggled to find a balancing point. 

Once we had come to a stop, Ana gripped my forearms and held on tight, her feet sliding all over the floor. I waited, unsure if my childish memory would give her any form of comfort or happiness. I was met with her smile, not as wide and energetic as it usually was, but it was there. Her eyes had regained a little of that sense of brightness, restoring some of the light I had seen yesterday to her personality. "Can we do it again?" Ana asked me, looking at the floor with interest and anticipation. 

I nodded, readying her again and sliding across the floor, this time keeping a hold of her hands so we went flying in circles. Ana laughed, an actual, genuine laugh, twirling around with me like we were completely insane. The fun was just a bonus; what helped Ella and I wasn't the fact that it was fun, but because it was so ridiculous you couldn't help but laugh, smile, or join in. It distracted even the strongest of people with its idiocy, as it was doing for Ana now. Once we came to another stop, Ana extended her hand to Will.