October 22nd, 2015

Mace sighed. He tapped his pencil against the desk, making a tappity-tap-tap sound.

He could hear the scratching of the pages, as the students around him worked silently.

All was quiet.

Except for a few whispers.

Mace didn't do anything. He wasn't eavesdropping - at least not on purpose. He just heard stuff. "Karen, come on! If you apply in the Show, I know you'll win!" Mace stopped tapping his pencil. The voice was musical in itself, a sweet resonating string of sounds. Every word like a sonnet. It was female. "Avery, for the last time, no. Singing and music is your forte, remember?" This voice was also female, and he guessed it belonged to Karen. Her voice made her sound a lot more of a worrier. He guessed it was one of those platonic positive-negative kinda friendship.

Mace turned back to his desk. He didn't want to hear the enticing voice anymore. Not when it was so tantalizing, and yet he couldn't even see her face. Couldn't know what she looked like.

Mace put on his headphones. The audio file that was his workbook began playing automatically. He tried to focus on it. But his mind kept wandering back. Avery, huh?

He had no chance whatsoever.

Blind guys didn't have much game. Who wanted to love someone who could only identify you by your voice or the way you moved?

Who indeed?

Mace furrowed his eyebrows. Workbook.

* * *

Avery glanced around the classroom, her fingers tapping the desk rhythmically. She was are foul to not let the sounds be too loud that it'd disturb others. She looked at a boy. He had headphones on, and Avery first thought that the teacher would call him out as Mr. Hunter walked around the class. His eyes rested on each of them. Avery glanced from the corner of her eye at the boy.

And then she remembered.

Mace Reynolds.

Blind Boy.

She glued her eyes back to her paper. Avery couldn't believe she didn't remember. Mace Reynolds had been the guy who'd gotten into a car crash, whose head injuries had caused blindness, but that was all that the news channels had said.

Avery remembered when Mace had returned to school. In the start, he wore black sunglasses, but a few years later, she remembered looking through the crowd and seeing these two clouded grey eyes.

But other than little glances, Avery didn't know Mace. And he didn't know her.

* * *

Mace heard the click that occurred a minute before the bell rang, and began gathering his stuff. E heard the loud ringing sound and got up. All of the students shuffled out, their feet thudding against the floor.

He stopped. Maybe he could talk to her. He didn't speak to people much. But maybe, just to get her voice out of his head, he'd speak to her.

"Karen, come on."

There she was.

Mace walked towards her. He didn't use the cane that blind people used. He didn't need to rely on anything, except for himself.

He stopped. "Avery, right?" He asked. There was a pause. Mace could imagine the uncertain awkwardness of being randomly approached. "Yeah. That's me." Her voice had a hint of awkwardness.

"Sorry. But what're you doing tomorrow?" He blurted out. He mentally slapped himself. She'd definitely say no.

"Not much."

Mace smiled. "Would you want to grab a coffee?" Another pause. "Sure. What time?" He shrugged. "Whatever works for you."

"Okay."

* * *

May 15th, 2017

Avery smiled as she looked down. Mace's eyes were closed, his head on her leg, his breathing steady, asleep. He looked peaceful. His hair shifted with the wind. She idly played with it, looking out at the grassy meadows. She knew he wouldn't be able to see it. He wouldn't be able to see her, or the beauty of this moment. It was sad. Not for her. For him. Avery sighed. She'd have to show him the beauty. Somehow.

They'd been together for two years now, a steady two years, with fights, with tears, with fears, and with love. This was their last year of high school. And she planned on leaving it with memories.

Avery smiled to herself. She'd show him the beauty.

She didn't know when he woke up. Maybe it had been minutes, maybe hours. But when Mace stirred, he turned upwards, his clouded eyes opening and focusing on her.

Sometimes she forgot he couldn't see.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." He said back, smiling.

He was attractive. She down a moment, just appreciating her boyfriend's featured. Skin that was a bit tan, just enough to look alive. High cheekbones, a nice jawline, and a smile that made her heart melt. And his eyes, those were beautiful too. They must've been piercing grey before. Now, although cloudy, that same grey was there. His hair was almost black, and messy.

"Mace?" He had a pleasantly peaceful expression on his face. "Mm?" She bit her lip, but focused on the purpose. To show him the beauty. "Come with me."

She led Mace around the little field near her neighbourhood. Avery was gripping his wrist. She stopped as she found a patch of daffodils near a little lake. Beautiful. Avery bent down, and put Mace's hand in the lake. His fingertips touched it. He was crouching behind her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Aves?" She smiled. "Can you feel the cold water, Mace?" He nodded. "...Yeah?" She focused on it. "That's the lake. The current is pushing the water. It's muddy, but up too is clear. I can see tiny fishes." Se grabbed his wrist again, putting it on the grass. "It's yellowed a bit, drying in the blazing sun." She moved his hand to the flowers, Mace gently touching the petals. "There's stalks of purple lavender, little petals poking out of green stems."

And that was what they did. Until nighttime. The wandered around. Mace felt everything. He saw everything. Because Avery showed him.

When the sky was rather dark, Mace pulled Avery to him. "How come you don't tell me what the most beautiful thin here is like?" She scrunched her eyebrows. "But I showed you everything." Mace leaned closer. Avery still found it hard to believe he was blind. "Aves, you're the most beautiful thing here." She felt her cheeks heat up. "No...Mace I'm not." She mumbled softly.

His hand brushed the side of her face. "You've git soft and smooth skin, you're voice is the most wonderful sound. Your hair is silky and smooth and soft. And every word you utter sounds like a song. How is that not beautiful?"

Avery blinked.

"Oh my God, how did I get someone like you?" She muttered before pulling him closer, and kissing him softly.

They stood there, just holding each other.

* * *

May 27th, 2021

Mace felt the little box in his pocket, and he felt nervous, even more than when he'd first asked out the love of his life.

Avery was holding his hand.

They were laughing.

All was right with the world.

The two had been together six years. High school sweethearts rarely made it. But they did.

Hopefully they'd make it even further.

Avery gently pulled his hand, leading him towards the bench in the park. Mace closed his eyes as he trustingly followed her, the cool breeze gently refreshing. He heard a pat and sat down. "What's up?" Avery's ever-musical voice sounded nervous, apprehensive. "I've been thinking..." Mace began. He heard a sharp intake, and found her apprehensive. "We've been together for six amazing years. Six years in which I've come to rely on you wholeheartedly. I don't know how I'd live without you. Now, I don't even see you like a regular boyfriend would, but I see what you are. And you're gorgeous. When I see you, I see the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Mace heard a clap as she lifted a hand over her mouth, he guessed by the direction from which the sound came. He slid off the bench. Mace kneeled, pulling the little box out of his pocket. "Avery Marie Flemmings, will you be my forever? Avery Marie Flemmings, will you marry me? " She laughed, and it was beauty to his ears.

"Yes, yes, Mace Reynolds. I'll be your forever."

* * *

November 18th, 2026

Avery played with her fingers. She'd been stressed lately. Her boss had been making cuts in staff, and God, she needed her job.

She's been taking it out on Mace.

She'd scream and snap and yell, slam the door and insult, but he just sat thee, taking all of it. He never shouted back at her, never cried, never did anything. After an hour or two, he'd walk into the room and hug her, and it calmed her down. It made her more mad when she was shouting and screeching for no reason, an he didn't stand up for himself. He was being treated like a stressball, but he did nothing.

Avery felt terrible about it.

They'd been married for five years, been together for eleven. They'd always gotten through these things. And Avery was certain they'd get past this too. She needed to control, to vent, to do something or other so that she wasn't hurting the one human who made her happy these days.

She turned over in bed, facing Mace. She was surprised to see he was awake. "I'm sorry." She whispered, genuinely meaning it. He focused on her. "It's okay Avery. You're worth it." She snuggled closer to him, the warmth comforting against the cold night air. "I don't deserve someone like you, Mace." She murmured, kissing his nose and closing her eyes.

"You're wrong, Aves."

* * *

June 27th, 2035

Mace stared nervously off into the darkness, his hand tightly clutching hers. The doctor's shoes sounded against the floor, and he stopped in front of them. "Mr., Mrs. Reynolds. The results have come back from the trail treatment test..." Mace focused on keeping calm. "Well?" He asked, his voice tense. "It's come back positive. Of the trail treatment keeps up, well you may very well regain your sight." Mace felt his mouth gaping. Avery held his face and pulled him into a kiss, her hands wrapping around his neck. When they pulled away, their foreheads touched. "We can make it, yeah?" She said happily.

"Yeah."

Twenty years. Twenty years of saving each other. They'd make it.

Rebecca made a giggling noise of approval from carry-cot. Mace smiled proudly. His daughter. His wife. His family. And now, finally, his sight.

* * *

May 27th, 2041

Six years. The treatment had been six years of constant hospital visits, doctor appointments, and stress. But Avery had tried. When they kept Mace for over-night observation, she tucked Rebecca in. She sang her a lullaby. She promised her daughter that her father would finally see her. Over and over and over.

But this had been the final stage. They hadn't let them see Mace after the last treatment. He'd been kept for a week, and Avery's hands were nervously fixing Rebecca's hair. She'd made sure to dress up. Avery had her brown hair wavy and out, a high collar best accentuating her neck, a little eyeshadow, and lipstick on her. She'd dressed Becca up in a lilac frock and white tights, a flower headband in her braided brown hair.

As the door opened, Avery held in her breath.

She didn't know what to think. Her heart returned with the same butterfly feeling she'd gotten every time she saw him. But this time...it was more. Now he'd see her. Avery had spent countless sleepless nights thinking it over. If he thought she was gross, ugly, a mistake of a wife? Or if he was disgusted at her sight. If their love would break.

But when her husband walked out, he raised his head, and his eyes glued to hers. No more clouds. It was the piercing grey she'd thought it'd been. She smiled, and he walked over, dressed in a black shirt and pants. "Oh my God, Mace."
His eyes were hungrily capturing every detail, of everything. Her eyes, her cheeks, she saw him. And then he turned to Rebecca, who looked up at him with her big grey eyes and he picked her up and twirled her around, getting a giggle out of her.

"Avery, Rebecca. My wife, my daughter. You're botboth you're both even more then what I imagined. Rebecca Reynolds, you have the happiest Dad in the world right now, you know that?" She grinned, missing her two front teeth. "You've got the happiest kid!" She chirped. Avery laughed. "And the happiest wife." Mace smiled, gently putting Becca down. "The happiest family."

* * *

December 21st, 2078

Mace watched as Avery smiled back at him, her hand clutching his, both of them shaking as they were. Their skin hung against their bones but still, they held on to one another like they'd never let go.

Mace thought back on the memories. At Becca's wedding, he'd brought a shotgun prop and aimed it directly at Cyrus, who had looked rather alarmed and confused, but Becca's amused laugh put him to ease.

Mace still aimed the shotgun at him, making him recite one hundred things he loved about his fiancé and would never hurt her and if he did how he would be pained and suffering and a horrible shell of absolutely nothing.

It was amusing.

He closed his eyes gently, squeezing Avery's one last time. His last breath was weak, and the last thing he saw - with his remaining strength he made sure it was her - was his beautiful, sparse brown hair and wrinkled, brown-eyed and gentle Avery.

And he died with a peaceful smile.

* * *

May 27th, 2096

Avery sighed shakily. The beeping of the statistical heart monitor, the IV, the blood bag, and her daughter's hand around her own. Cyrus sat with them, looking as down struck as Rebecca did.

But Avery smiled. "Oh, are you two seriously so unable to live on your own? You'll be fine!"

She got a far off look in he eyes, now clouded with cataracts that weren't removable without endangering her fragile health.

"It's Mace's turn to lead me. And my turn to join him."

As the nurses finally cut out the lifeline, after being on it for thirty years, Becca cried, James held her close, and Avery breathed out one last time, a dead look blanking her eyes.

But now, she had found him.

And he had found her.

And they ventured through, their spirits together somehow, and their dancing souls returned to their most perfect state.

"You'll always be my forever."

"Because I may not be able to see you, but I know you better than most."

"Even if our story is mainly unseen, our love isn't."

"And we will forever, through darkness and light be one another's - "

"Forever."