Meetings, Time, and Expectations
Victoria's thoughts were perceived to be true as she stepped out onto the street outside the hospital.
The instance she was fully out the doors, several heads snapped towards her, just from passerbys walking on the sidewalk. Next to her was Ethan, his arms folded protectively in front of her, almost like the bodyguard she had wished for earlier.
Her wish had come true, but far too late. If Ethan had been there in the first place, he would've protected her against the soda that was flung at her head. He would have been there to block the elbow thrown at her stomach, the crushing feet that threatened to stampede her as a crowd pushed in and out, similar to a tide.
A tide, it's brute force slamming into a figure as a hurricane raged above. The desire to dive in deeper, yet the fear that keeps one away from doing so, and in the process, getting swept away.
The tides were comparable to nearly everything in life; anger, sadness, pain, even happiness. Waves, crashing in before slowly receding, fading into soft memories that fade in the face of time.
"This isn't going to be easy, is it." Victoria asked Ethan. At her words, his grip tightened on the sleeve of his suit jacket, almost protectively. It seemed as if, even though the two were not mates, Ethan's primal instinct was rearing its ugly head.
"Of course not." The usually bright man's face was twisted into a sour expression, one Victoria never thought she'd see. Yet, here she was, standing outside of a hospital, heads turned towards her.
"We best leave now." The two both knew the implications of Victoria's words; they knew that no matter what time it was, the looks she was receiving would not disappear.
"You're right, Ms. Grey." As they began to walk, the name began to shock Victoria more and more. Throughout the entire time Ethan had worked for her, he had called her "Ms. Grey,"or "Boss,". Usually, although she was a stern woman, after a few meetings everyone was calling her by her first name. She allowed this, as well as everyone in Omega Rights Foundation who called her "Victoria." It was close, and personal. It was endearing in all the right ways to feel as if you knew the person actively working to help give you a better life. Yet this man... he had never once stepped past the boundary of formal names.
"Victoria." She said, startling Ethan.
"Hm?" He asked in response, his arms still wrapped around his torso, and his neck corded with tension.
"You can call me Victoria, Ethan." The words still managed to shock him, but as expected, he loosened his grip on his jacket.
"Thank you, Victoria." Ethan replied.
The rest of the walk was silent as the two passed by many different buildings. Seeing as how they had been brought to the hospital in an ambulance, neither of them had a car to drive. They had also ruled out taking a cab, seeing as how one might be operated by someone of a "higher status," someone reeled in by an off-putting scent.
Seeing the town as she was in the moment startled Victoria; she didn't like to consider herself rich, or privileged, but looking at all the small shops lining the busy street made her question a few of her morals. She may be working to regain civil rights that should have been granted ages ago, but it didn't come without its costs; one of those being the lack of culture in her life.
A memory, as small and grainy as a mineral of sand flashed before her eyes.
Victoria could remember the day she arrived in the city. She had travelled far and wide, working odd jobs to get her life started. After a while, her pack started to become toxic, overwhelming to any outsider that stepped in. Her being an Omega didn't help this in any way. She was more than ridiculed; her teenage years were almost as bad as those of her early childhood.
This street was the first one she had set foot on. Her first apartment had been on this street, above a small insurance firm owned by a friend. That was where she started her company; she would forever owe that friend of hers.
Victoria could still remember the amazing cupcakes from a small bakery further down the street. They had been the best in the city, before she had switched over to delicacies and donating most of her profits to others.
"Victoria." Ethan said, startling her out of her thoughts. She had been lost in a whirlwind of memories, this time more pleasant than the last.
Memories were truly like tides, washing in and out, continuous and unique.
"We're here."