Right Behind You

Chapter Sixty-Five: New Person, Same Old Mistakes

"Finally taking flight

I know you don't think it's right
I know that you think it's fake
Maybe fake's what I like
Point is I have the right
I'm thinking in black and white
I'm thinking it's worth the fight
Soon to be out of sight
Knowing it all this time
Going with what I always longed for

Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I don't care I'm in love
(Stop before it's too late)
Feel like a brand new person
(But you make the same old mistakes)
I finally know what is love
(You don't have what it takes)
(Stop before it's not too late)

Man, I know that it's hard to digest
But baby this story ain't so different from the rest
And I know it seems wrong to accept
But you've got your demons, and she's got her regrets
And I know that it's hard to digest
A realization is as good as it gets
And I know it seems hard to accept
But you've got your demons, and she's got her regrets
But you've got your demons, and she's got her regrets."

-Tame Impala (New Person, Same Old Mistakes)

Kae:

I've always had this feeling...you know the kind of feeling when you've been sinking long and deep in the water, feeling as if you aren't kicking or flailing your body enough to reach the surface of the water; something always dragging and pulling your leg, keeping you from ever breaking the line between the ocean and the air. Constantly in this limbo where you're struggling to breathe, knowing that nothing or anyone was ever going to save you but yourself. You just had to keep kicking and kicking until....

Your head breaks through the water.

I felt that the moment my mother and I locked eyes with one another.

No one had said anything, it was the longest time I'd ever seen the table this silent. All eyes on both her and Sabien... I still couldn't believe my eyes. I thought maybe I was in some sort of realistic dream and a couple of snaps I would really be awake, but this was way too real to be a dream.

She was standing in front of us, not dead.

And she still was as beautiful as the last day I saw her. My mother was a lot older now, but it barely showed on her face, her dark skin just glowed as if the sun only shone and reflected off her. The only thing that changed about her was the fact that she cut her voluminous hair into a swept to the side pixie-cut that framed her sharp features. She was dressed in a silk light-yellow dress that went down to her legs, it fitted her well and made her pop even more. Her lips were painted in a flattering nude color, her ears featured these beautiful wooden hoops that swayed whenever she moved her head, on her feet were simple white strap-like sandals that tied around her ankles.

She looked stunning.

Healthy.

And I was so shocked and angry to see her at this very moment.

"Uh..." I watched as she cleared her throat, "Hey, Riny." She said to me in French.

My heart was racing a mile a minute, I felt like I couldn't breathe at this moment. My head was spinning, this couldn't really be happening right now. I licked my lips that had gone dry and watched as my father stood up. It was the most emotion I'd ever seen his face displaying in my entire time that I've known him. He swallowed hard, walking slowly towards her as if she were an apparition that would disappear if he moved too quickly.

Her eyes moved from me over to my dad, she cocked her head to the side, "Omid." She said.

"Hazel?" He questioned her in a soft tone, so soft I almost questioned if I heard it.