blondexhurricane:

soldierheartcd:

Of course I do. I love you more than
anyone else in the whole world. The
words were right there on the tip of
her tongue, but it was sadly where
they would stay. Her gaze quickly
dropped to the floor below as she
instead replied, “I shouldn’t even
be here right now. I really need to
go before I end up getting you in
even more trouble than I already
have.”

“Please tell me you didn’t decide to paint it
neon yellow or something,” Delia teased in
a futile attempt to keep the current mood as
light and positive as possible. That nagging
voice in the back of her head that refused to
go away was not going to get the best of her.
The only thing that mattered in that moment
was making sure she made the most of her
time with Teddy, because God only knew if
she’d ever get the chance to again.

                “It’s a little late to mention it, but you didn’t have to
                get such a big place, you know. I mean, I know we
                aren’t exactly poor, but I could’ve just slept on the
                couch or something. I didn’t have to have my own
                room, especially since you’re obviously not going
                to be living here  f o r e v e r.” At least she hoped
                it wasn’t going to be a permanent arrangement. It
                couldn’t be. Delia needed her  f a m i l y back, no
                matter how much she had to sacrifice for it.

“I’m  flattered  that you think so much of my
decorating skills,”  Teddy  joked, but not as
genuinely  as  she  used to.  The smile that 
creased the corners of her eyes were made
harsher by all these months of worry, aging
her face by years.  She  hoped,  if anything,
that Delia couldn’t see it — the last person
she  ever  wanted to wish her own qualms 
upon was her daughter. 

                At Delia’s next words, Teddy felt a twisting in
                her heart;  a honest sort of agony that caused
                her  a  pain  like  none  else.  Because, for all
                Delia had seen, Teddy knew her daughter had
                still clung on to hope. Now, it might just have
                fallen to her to crush it. 

                “Delia…”