“Told you that you’d be sorry, Casi.  One day you’ll be very sorry…”

Those words ran on a loop in her mind daily, reminding her of her disastrous past, convicting her anew. She’d made mistakes before but nothing like what she’d done all those years ago. As if on cue, the familiar ache in her heart throbbed and she exhaled heavily as she kept her head down, wiping at the tears that welled in her eyes. She had tried to erase the memories, to eradicate the fear but it was no use; her actions that day had led to the demise of something beautiful, something lasting and she couldn’t help but wonder if her life would have stayed on the same destructive path if she hadn’t fucked it up royally.

Wrapping her arms tightly around her curvaceous frame, she frowned and shook her head, realizing that she was reliving the disappointment and pushing herself closer to the precipice of madness.  Ten years was a lot of time to pass and despite that fact, she hadn’t given herself an inkling of forgiveness. How could she forgive herself if she blamed herself for everything that went wrong? Again, the ache in her heart pulsated against her chest and she sighed heavily, her shoulders slouching. She wasn’t worthy of forgiveness.

“A penny for your thoughts, pretty lady?” a gentle voice asked from the shadows.

Casi stopped a few feet away and kept her eyes forward. The tension in her body increased   as she felt his presence   invade her space. Almost instantly, she relaxed and turned to face the unknown voice. Relief swept through her as their eyes met and she even found herself smiling. There was serenity in his cerulean blue eyes and his kind smile quickly eased her aching heart.  Generally, Casi didn’t trust anyone but she trusted him and as such, she made to approach, her eyes intently focused on his.

“Do I know you?”

“No, you don’t but I know a conflicted mind when I see one…Cassandra,” the man said as he moved his hand slightly. Although perplexed as to how this man knew her name, she cast her gaze toward his hand and saw a red box adorned with a silver bow. “This here is a chance to fix whatever’s broken.”

“Broken,” Casi whispered. The memory of the pain of that day funneled through her mind and she hesitated but only slightly. She’d do anything to circumvent the disaster that had become her life.

 “Understand what you’re doing, Casi. This box represents great power.”

Casi reached for the box and opened it, her eyes stayed on the glimmer of light that seemed to grow with each second passed. After a second, she blinked and then looked up to see the familiar towering brownstone and knew instantly this was her second chance. Instead of leaving, she ascended the steps and placed her hand on her stomach. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. She’d tell him. He deserved to know.