Muse’s POV:
I was happy that I could be discharged immediately.
I don’t think I’m ready to spend any more time in this place.
Whenever I was here, I don’t know why but I keep on having flashes.
Flashes that I can’t seem to remember.
My head also aches any time I have these flashes.
Flashes that I can’t seem to make out any meaning of.
As soon as we got home, we were greeted by Aunty Irene.
She was patiently waiting for us outside.
Arden came down from the car and quickly helped me into my new wheelchair.
We had forgotten the last one at the Mall.
“Let me help you Ms” Aunty Irene said.
“It’s okay aunty, and what did I say about you calling me Ms” Arden said as she calmly carried me onto the wheelchair.
“I’m sorry my dear, I seem to always forget” Aunty Irene replied with a smile.
“Hello aunty Irene ” I said to her softly.
“Hello my dear” she replied with a big smile.
“Aunty would you mind taking me in, there’s something I want to discuss with you” I said to her.
Arden stared at me confusedly.
“Don’t you want me to help you?” She asked.
“No, I want aunty to help me” I replied.
Arden hummed and quickly walked in.
“So what is it you want to talk to me about Muse darling?” Aunty Irene asked as soon as we were alone.
“How do you know I wanted to talk to you?” I asked in confusion.
“Well you made it quite obvious darling ” Aunty Irene said with a soft laugh.
I smiled at her words.
“Yes, I do have something I want to talk to you about” I said softly.
“And what might it be about?” She asked softly.
“It’s about Arden ” I replied.
“Ahh” Aunty Irene said .
“What has she done this time?” Aunty Irene asked .
“Oh no, she hasn’t done anything ” I replied quickly.
Aunty Irene stared at me in shock.
“Really?”.
“Yes, she’s been amazing to me ” I replied.
Aunty Irene stared at me with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.
“So what is it about Arden you want to discuss with me about” she asked as she slowly wheeled me into the garden.
“Well. . . I wanted to know something’s about her, I wanted to know more about her as a person ” I said softly.
Aunty Irene let out a quiet sigh.
“My dear child, all I can tell you is that Arden has gone through so much” She said softly, her eyes filled with melancholy.
“What’s the matter aunty? What do you mean?” I asked in confusion.
“Arden has always been a good and caring child, but the world darkened her soul. . . they always threw jabs and insults at her, they insulted her for something that truly wasn’t her fault ” Aunty Irene said as tears slowly streamed down her face.
“Aunty.
.
.
Aunty Irene quickly wiped her face.
“I’m sorry my dear, I just feel so sad whenever I think about what she went through ” She said .
“Aunty could you please tell me what she has gone through, I want to know her more. . . I want to see her more” I said to her .
Aunty Irene stared at me for a while.
“Did I say something wrong?” I asked gently.
“No my dear, you didn’t. . .but most people don’t stay after they know” She said to me with a small smile.
“Will you leave her?” Aunty Irene asked.
Why does she think I’ll leave Arden?.
“Should I be honest aunty, I don’t think I can leave her. . . I can’t even bear the thought of it ” I said honestly.
It’s too late for me now.
Aunty Irene smiled softly at my words.
“Do not disappoint me Muse, I’ve put my trust in you” She said to me.
“I promise you, I won’t ” I replied.
We both sat in silence for sometime.
The cold air filled my lungs.
The gentle breeze passed through us.
“Arden was born different ” Aunty Irene said after a while.
I turned to stare at her.
“What do you mean different?” I asked.
“She was born with two reproductive organs ” She replied.
I gasped in shock.
“She’s intersex ” I said in realization.
“Yeah, what you lots call it” she replied.
“She was seen as different in her family and when you’re born into a big and famous family like the Whitlocks, this sort of thing are seen as stains. . She was seen as an embarrassment, a shame to the Whitlock name and everything it stood for” Aunty Irene said, her voice filled with anger.
“They didn’t want her to be known by the public for a long time, they kept her hidden, used her and then sent her here” Aunty Irene continued.
What do you mean sent her here?” I asked.
” The Whitlock family is a big name in the city of London, they aren’t based here in New York City ” Aunty Irene replied.
So that’s where the British accent came from.
.
“Arden was supposed to be known by the world on her 25th birthday, and on the day of her party. . . They broke it to her as a gift that she was supposed to come here and start a new, whole branch of Whitlock Inc here in New York” she said softly, her tears were now freely dripping down her face.
“She was denied her respect, her honor, she was denied everything for 25 good years and when she thought she could finally have those things in the family, they threw her out “.
“They sent her here, a young helpless woman who had been sheltered all her life to the big city of New York City to create a company here , they put it as though they were doing her a favor but in reality, they trapped her here with no way out” Aunty Irene said softly, her voice cracked in anger.
I stayed quiet.
I didn’t know what to say.
But I indeed knew one thing, I was angry.
I was angry for everything Arden had to go through.
I was angry for the misery they caused her all these years.
And I felt sorry.
I felt sorry for Arden.
I really wanted to find her and hug her.
So I did just that.
I controlled my wheel chair and went to find her.
Aunty Irene quietly let me be.
As soon I got to her room, I knocked softly.
Arden opened it with and slowly let me in.
“You know you could open it by yourself right?” she asked in amusement.
“I know but . . . I’m sorry ” I said suddenly.
“Sorry for what?” she asked in confusion.
I stared at her.
God was she beautiful.
This beautiful woman had to go through so many things just because she was termed ‘different’.
“What are you crying?” She asked in panic as she came over and slowly wiped my tears.
I softly laughed. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
“I don’t know either” I replied .
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” she asked softly.
She seemed to have forgotten that I can’t feel pain.
Not physically though.
.
.
But I felt this pain.
This kind of pain settled deeply in my chest like a log.
It felt so heavy that I could barely breath.
I hummed a reply.
“Where are you hurt?” she asked.
I slowly pointed to my chest.
“Your chest hurts?” she asked .
I nodded softly.
“Is that why you’re crying?” she asked in confusion.
“Yes, it hurts a lot” I replied with a pout.
Arden eyes softened.
“What should I do to make you feel better?” she asked.
She truly was an angel.
“Hug me” I replied.
“Uhh?” she asked in confusion.
“I want to hug you ” I said to her softly.
“Well I would love to darling but you’re not exactly equipped for that” She said as she stared at my legs.
God I hated this.
I hated this disability more than ever right now.
I slowly made to stand up.
“What are you doing?” she asked in shock.
“Standing up” I said as I stood up.
“Muse. . .”she said softly, her voice filled with indulgence.
I opened my arms wide as soon as I stood up straight.
She stared at me with hesitation.
“Don’t you want to hug me?” I asked softly.
She sighed softly and quickly went into my arms.
God did she smell good.
I held her tight while her arms hanged limply on my sides.
“I just want you to know that you’re amazing alright ” I said as I hugged her.
” Where’s that coming from?” she asked, her voice muffled.
I shook my head and hugged her tighter.
After a while, I felt her arms slowly circle around me.
I smiled softly.
I was going to make sure that she never went through that ever again.
I was going to make sure she knew just how much she was loved.
And I was never going to leave her side.
This is a promise that I’ve made to myself.
Hello everyone, this chapter really means a lot to me and I know that it might not seem as much to you but it does to me.
These are the songs I was listening to while writing it.
Futile devices by Sufjan Stevens.
Je the lassserai de mots by Patrick Watson.
Worlds collide by Hayley kiyoko