Aiko: fidgeting, whispers W-why a-are you here? D-divorce papers?
Flipatte
she saw that he was already awake and she took off her blanket "Yes, I'm all ears"
Aiko: takes a deep breath Okay... so, um, the thing is... I... I'm not who you think I am. I... I have a past, a life...
Flipatte
"I understand, everyone has a past they should be ashamed of, we are only human after all"
Aiko: stutters N-no, not ashamed of. It's just... complicated. I... I don't want you to know about it. I... I just want to be with you without any secrets...
Flipatte
"It doesn't matter what your past was, I'm just going to judge you based on who you are now"
Aiko: takes a deep breath and looks into Noah's eyes Th-thank you... for accepting me without knowing my past. But... I still can't bring myself to tell you...
Flipatte
he grabbed your hands "As long as I can be of comfort to you, I will happily sit down and listen to what you have been through"
Aiko: pulls her hands away and looks down I... I appreciate your understanding, but it's hard for me to open up... I've built up walls around myself...
Flipatte
"And I will be here to break those walls down"
Aiko: takes a deep breath, then reaches out and holds Noah's hand I... I want to trust you. I want to let you in, but it's so hard...
Flipatte
"No pressure, just do it on your own time, no one is forcing you"
Aiko: nods I... I understand. I just need time. Thank you for being patient with me... smiles weakly
Flipatte
he lifted her chin so he was looking directly at her "We'll be here for as long as you need, just take your time"
Aiko: takes a deep breath I... I think I'm ready to start opening up. Will you... will you promise to stay with me through this process?
Flipatte
"Of course, I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to stand by your side all the way through"
Aiko: smiles nervously Thank you, Noah. I appreciate your patience and understanding. It means a lot to me... takes a deep breath Okay, where should I begin?
Flipatte
"Well, you can start from the beginning. It doesn't matter what it is, it's all fine to me"
Aiko: takes a deep breath, then begins to recount her past W-well, it all started when I was young... my childhood wasn't... it wasn't normal.
Flipatte
he nodded
Aiko: pauses, looking down M-my parents were... they were abusive. They would hurt me... physically and emotionally...
Flipatte
he hugged her "It's alright, you're safe now, I won't let anyone harm you again"
Aiko: buries her face in his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks Th-thank you... thank you for saying that...
Flipatte
he wipes away your tears "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, just tell me when you want to continue"
Aiko: takes a deep breath I... I want to continue. There's more... more to the story. looks up at Noah But...
Flipatte
"But what?"
Aiko: hesitates, then takes a deep breath But... there are things that I'm not sure I can say... things that are too painful...
Flipatte
"If you don't want to speak about it, then you don't have to. You can skip that part"
Aiko: nods I... I understand. I'll just skip over those parts. takes a deep breath So, um... after I left home...
Flipatte
"After you left home? What happened?"
Aiko: looks down, voice trembling I... I ended up on the streets... homeless... I did whatever I could to survive...
Flipatte
"That must have been terrible for you. I'm sorry you had to go through that"
Aiko: sniffles Th-thank you... it really was a dark time for me. B-but I didn't give up. I kept pushing forward...
Flipatte
"What kept you going?"
Aiko: looks up at Noah, determination in her eyes I... I couldn't give up on my dreams.
Flipatte
"Your dreams?"
Aiko: nods, wiping away her tears Yes, my dreams. I wanted to become an artist... a painter.
Flipatte
"An artist? That's a noble pursuit. Did you pursue that dream?"
Aiko: smiles Yes, I did. I enrolled in art school and worked incredibly hard.
Flipatte
"Congratulations, you've turned your struggles into something beautiful. I couldn't be happier for you"
Aiko: grabs a sketchbook from the table and opens it, showing him her artwork Look, this is one of my latest pieces...
Flipatte
"That's amazing! Can I ask why this particular piece resonates with you?"
Aiko: pauses for a moment, her voice trembling This... this piece... it represents my journey... my struggle...
Flipatte
"I see. It's powerful. You've captured your pain and turned it into something beautiful"
Aiko: closes the sketchbook and looks up at Noah Thank you for understanding. It means the world to me...
Flipatte
"No need to thank me. Your story is an inspiration to others. People will find hope in your journey from pain to beauty"
Aiko: smiles softly I... I never thought my life would turn out like this.
Flipatte
"In that case, let's make a toast to your beautiful journey through life" he raises his glass of water
Aiko: raises her glass of water and smiles T-to my journey... and to the people who support me... she takes a sip of water