“It… it’s okay…” he said quietly, pushing his hands through her hair slowly, carefully. “S-shh… Katelynn… I’m okay… you’re okay… we’re t-together… that’s what matters, n-now. It’s what always matters to me…” Jack whispered as he pulled her hand away from her mouth slowly.
“Paintings can be done any time… they can be replaced, remade even but… but not you… you’re irreplaceable to me.”
She turns pained eyes to him, seeing him comfort her instead of the other way around. The tears fall anyway, tears she thought she wouldn’t shed so soon after hearing Six’s story. Wasn’t there supposed to be balance in the universe? For a bit of sadness there had to be happiness, right?
“B-But..you work..still..and now you’re comforting me when I should be..” She pressed a hand to her forehead, taking a deep, shaky breath. “Being so weak instead of strong. It’s a shock..I wish I could turn back time a little..”
She felt so frustrated with herself at that moment, feeling weak, useless. She knew how much his art meant to him.
He’s suddenly leading her from the room, and Katelynn finds herself sitting on the bed and Jack sits besides her. Looking up at him, though, she sees the tears. Of course he’s crying as well. Even if his art isn’t as priceless as she is, it is still his art. His soul had gone into so many pieces, everything he did, even for the people who hired him to paint their photographs larger.
The loss was horrible.
“I’m just. G-glad that. That nothing t-too big was lost. That. That’s all. M-my painting of you is… is in your apartment… it’s safe…”
Jack Maple 