Florence watched Reese intently as she told her story. The coldness of Charlie's words echoed through her thoughts, and she just couldn't forget them. Soon after she had told her everything, Reese went silent. Florence looked over to see tears spilling out of the confines of Reese's deep blue eyes. It was her turn to comfort her defeated form captain. As she hugged her close, she said, "I'm so sorry, Reese." She heard a small wail as Reese leaned into her and kept her in a tight embrace. Although Reese was usually taller than her, always standing proudly, she had sunk a few inches below Florence and was leaning on her shoulder. Florence had just lost a friend that was dear to her, but Reese had put all of her trust in her. She had released something that had been tearing her apart inside for years, and a tidal wave of sadness was perfectly reasonable. They sat there for a few more minutes, Florence gently combing Reese's blonde hair with her fingers, "Reese look at me." She complied and wiped a few of her tears away, making room for more, "I know this it hard to hear, but you've got to let her go."
"But I just can't,"-she sat up straighter-"I still love her."
"Well, she let you go in a matter of seconds. It's not worth sobbing over someone who only caused you pain. Florence looked into her misty eyes, trying to get through to the person behind them. While Reese thought her words over, Florence looked at her once prideful face. Reese really was quite beautiful, her usually cold expression had softened, and her eyes, still distant, but sparking were fixed on something only visible to her. Florence's heart was fluttering, as it always had when Reese was around, and it practically leapt out of her chest when Reese finally spoke.
"But she was kind most of the time, she was funny, sweet, and generally caring." She said, clearly thinking of it fondly.
"That may have been how you saw her then, but it's time to look at her in another light." Florence saw her eyes narrow, as if she had been offended by what she said.
"But she's the only person who has ever really cared about me…" her voice, filled with longing, trailed off.
"Bullsh!t." Reese looked at her questioningly, "You have two people right here for you. Amiya cares for you deeply, and she always wants to make sure that you're alright. She will always be a good friend to you. She's been there for you throughout these few years, and now I'm here too. I care for you. I want you to be able to let it all out with me, I want you to come to me with your problems, and I want us to always be there for each other. I care for you," She paused as she found the right words, "as more than just a friend, Reese. I love you."