dawn bell

no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted

a little tag to 4.15, dawn’s thoughts on zach

"That person your friend was describing... I'd drop off the grid for that woman." His words lingered long after the man himself had walked away and Dawn was left dumbfounded by the declaration. Zach, whom she’d only recently been getting to know, (despite actually having known him for seven years) had all but just admitted to having feelings for her. She didn’t know what to think.

She did know, however, that it’d been incredibly stupid of her to assume he simply pitied her. Looking back, the care and kindness - and dare she say, love - he’d shown her since that first panic attack had been nothing short of genuine affection. He made regular efforts to check in on her well-being and though she still kept herself guarded, she could feel the walls start to crumble around her.

Even today, he’d come to her office to find out how she was doing after the arraignment, then chose to stick around and help when Reba called. Dawn wasn’t sure which of them his presence benefited more, herself or Reba, but either way she was grateful to have had him there. Barring her friend’s distress, she actually enjoyed the time with Zach, reminiscing about her college years, all the while tossing that ball of crumpled up tape back and forth.

The real panic began to set in for Dawn when they lost connection with Reba, who was still out there on her own. Zach was once again there to comfort her, gathering her into his arms as she let her head fall against his chest. In that moment, he was her safe place, and she hugged him back, savoring his warmth and strength.