Chapter 6

Since the Moonlight festival, Pete and Dia became closer. That is to be expected, their feelings were made pretty obvious to one another. Pete knows that Dia enjoys his company at the Sanitarium; so much so that it can bring her to tears. He also knows about Dia's illness which prevents her from moving around no further than the sanitarium’s walls. Despite the limitations, they are still willing to spend time with each other.

Fall continues. The leaves turn color, the air is filled with the fresh scent of cakes and pies, and the air is progressively becoming cooler by the day. The cold air doesn't rally bother the young couple at all. Dia is clothed from the neck all the way down. Pete is used to the cold since he works outside all year long. Anyone can agree that with the variant colors of fall, Flowerbud Village is absolutely stunning around this time of year.

Dia looks out her window like many days, wondering when the next time Pete will visit. Before she came to the village, she was used to being alone. Nobody to talk to other than doctors and nurses for years. Her parents would come to see here every now and then, but they are busy people. They must keep working to make sure Dia has the best treatment available to her. Pete knows that Dia has a condition that prevents her from moving around too much. But the harsh reality still looms over her mind, like a dark cloud only she can see. There is still so much that Pete still doesn't know. Things that make Dia feel uncertain about his feelings for her. How much of the truth can he handle until he can't take it anymore.

Ignoring these thoughts are impossible for her. Every time she takes a bath or does anything that requires her to undress reminds her of everything she went through. The painful scars printed all over her body, the scars Pete cannot see because she hides them so well. Even with her clothes, her painful nightmares of her past still haunt her from time to time. The loud crash, the shattering glass, the blazing fire, the painful surgeries. The single mistake a young woman can make to change her life forever.

When Pete visits, those thoughts and memories fade for a brief moment. Pete's warm heart and blueberry eyes brings her warmth and comfort to her cold solitary world. What kind of person would she be without his calming aura, goofy jokes, and tales of harvests and winning animal contests. Before she knew it, Pete has become precious to her.

Pete also cares deeply for Dia. Behind that cold hard shell, he knows that Dia is a young girl who starves for attention. Her illness makes her incapable of making a lot of friends, and her cold front is proof that she has a lot of painful memories. Trust is hard to find, especially with strangers. Once she shows her true self, she is warm, curious, compassionate, and loves the company of others. Since she is confined to the sanitarium, any sort of conversation is interesting to her.

Naturally, there are some concerns Pete has. Pete likes Dia, but he knows that he cannot treat her like a normal girl. When he went out to seek his significant other, he imagined that girl coming over to his farm and bringing him warm home-cooked meals. He would walk around the village with her, and talk about anything with her. He cannot do those things with Dia, all he can do is visit her when he has some time off his farm.

He knows that there are hard limits, but he still wants to be closer to Dia. Some way to spend time outside the Sanitarium. Then one Fall day while he is brushing his horse, he gets an idea. But the idea cannot become reality without the cooperation of Doctor Alex.

As soon as he gets a free moment, he goes over to Doctor Alex's office to have a serious conversation with him. "You want to take Dia out on a date?" asks the Doctor.

Pete nods, "I know that she can't move very much, but I think I have an idea to make it work."

"Go on, I'm listening," says the Doctor. Pete then describes his plan to help Dia move around the village. The doctor nods and answers, "I see, that could work I suppose."

"I know that I am asking a lot, but I do want to spend time with her. But for that to work, I need to know more about Dia's condition."

Doctor Alex sighs and answers, "Dia's medical history and records are strictly confidential. Only she is allowed to talk about her disorder. But there are a few things I can tell you. First, she cannot walk for more than a few minutes before she'll need to rest. For every minute of walking, she'll need to rest for about an hour. She cannot lift more than twenty pounds, and she cannot carry ten pounds longer than twenty feet. Exceeding these limits could be dangerous. Do you understand?"

Pete nods. "So I do have your permission to take her out on a date?"

"I am not Dia's father, and this is not a prison. Dia is allowed to make her own decisions, and may choose to do as she pleases. But even so, this is Dia's home, and I have a few rules. First, I want Dia home before the sun sets. If Dia is not feeling well at any time, I want her brought to the Sanitarium immediately. Am I clear?" Pete nods. "One last thing." said Doctor Alex in a serious tone."I am required by Dia's parents to send them daily reports. Everything and anything that happens to Dia is in these reports. Everything that I know, they know."

"They even know about me?" Pete asks curiously.

"Of course they do. So I advise you to to be very careful with her. But on the positive side, if I trust you, then they trust you too."

Pete nods. After their conversation, Pete returns to the farm. Tomorrow, he will surprise Dia with their first date. The next day, Pete wakes up at 6:00 am like he does every day. The day is cool, yet crisp. Not a single cloud in the sky, a perfect day for a date. It's still early, so he goes on to do some work while the village wakes up and rubs the sand off it's eyes. Pete feels like it's going to be a great day.

Pete does his usual daily routine around the farm; care for the crops, animals, and property. Ashe is working, he has a pie in the oven baking just for the date. He works diligently, but finds that he is beginning to run out of time. Despite Dia not knowing what is going on, he doesn’t want to be late for the secret date. He feels that he can finish later, so he puts his tools away and heads home. The pie is finished baking, all he needs to do is get his date. He mounts his horse and heads over to the sanitarium.

Pete greets the doctor and Gina who has kept the date a secret from Dia. He nods at them, and they nod back. They remain quiet so that Pete’s visit will be a surprise until he gets upstairs. As he reaches the steps going up, he gets butterflies in his stomach. Everything can go right if he’s careful, but anything can go wrong in so many different ways. He trust his gut and walks up the stairs to meet the girl of his dream. He looks over at her almost hidden as she reads a book. He feels that it’s now or never, so he knocks on the railing to get her attention.

Dia looks up at Pete and smiles. "Hello there. It's nice to see you again."

Pete walks up to her, and says, "it's great to see you too. Actually, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?"

"I want to go out on a date with you. Right now. Outside this place," said Pete full of excitement.

Dia's eyes widen at the shock. She looked down sadly saying, "but.. . We talked about this before. My condition. . ."

Pete smiles, "Do you trust me?" Dia looks up, and looks into his blue eyes. He repeats, "do you trust me?"

Dia doesn't say a word. Pete reaches his hand out, and Dia places her hand on his. Pete pulls her up out of her chair and leads her down the stairs and out the sanitarium. She is nervous, but allows him to lead her. Just outside, she finds his horse waiting for them.

"We're going to ride on that?" asked Dia nervously while bracing on to his arm tightly.

"Of course. His name is Koni, and he'll take you anywhere you want to go. We can see the whole village on his back."

Dia pulls closer to Pete and says, "I'm scared, what if I fall off him?"

Pete wraps his arm around Dia, which makes her feel much more comfortable. "Don't worry, Koni is gentle, and he won't let you fall off. Besides, I'll be right here with you the whole time.

Dia doesn't like the idea of being on a horse, but she still allows Pete to lead her to it. As soon as they get close, Pete picks her up and helps her mount his horse. As soon as she is safely seated, Pete pulls on Koni's reins, and they walk off into the distance.

As they leave the Sanitarium, Doctor Alex watches them go from his office window. Gina stands by him, and rests her head on his shoulder. Alex places his arm around Gina, and pulls her close.

"Are you worried about them?" Gina asks curiously.

"Dia is a young woman, and Pete is a young man. This was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"I wanted to, believe me. But I have no right to interfere with Dia's life. It's her's to live, not mine."

"Do you think this will last?"

"I don't know. But for their sake, I hope so."