Natasha leaned against the window, staring at the rain soaked street, memories swirling in her mind like the autumn leaves caught in the gusts outside. It had been a simple invitation-- a dinner with her husband's friend, Xander.
She had thought little of it at the time, just another polite gesture in a life that often felt like series of social obligations.
But what started as a casual outing had morphed into something bigger, something unexpected. After that first outing, Natasha and Xander found themselves slipping into a routine that felt alarmingly comfortable.
Coffee breaks turned into long conversations where they shared secrets and laughter. He became her confidant, the shoulder she leaned on when her husband was too busy clubbing and getting wasted or when life felt a little too heavy.
Xander was everything Natasha needed in those moments; kind, attentively and surprisingly insightful. He listened without judgement, understanding her struggles in a way that felt both refreshing and dangerous.
As they spent more time together, Natasha and Xander developed a unique bond. He seemed to understand her in a way that no one else did.
Xander knew that Natasha was never a shy and reserved person. Her husband was the one who let all her adventurous spirit die, but Xander had a way of bringing her adventurous spirit out back again.
Whenever she needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to, he was always there for her. He became her confidant, her rock, and her best friend.
Every laugh shared felt like a step into an unknown territory, and every glance lingered longer than it should have. Amidst this budding connection, the shadows of life loomed, and Natasha's world was about to shift in a way she never saw coming.
Her phone rang, slicing through the comfortable hum of their afternoon. Natasha plucked it from the table, her heart racing with the familiar rhythm of a six years old's footsteps echoing in her mind, that playful dread that something important always follows a phone call.
She answered, a smile at the ready, but it faded as soon as she heard the voice on the other end.
"Natasha I'm so sorry, it's about Mia."
Her best friend's name felt like a punch to the gut. Mia, the person who had known her since childhood, through every heartbreak, every triumph. Natasha's breath caught in her throat, panic rising as the ominous words tumbled out. There was an accident, Mia was gone.
"No, no!" Natasha gasped, her knees buckling as they hit the floor. The phone slipped from her grasp, thudding against the hardwood as her world spun around her.
Mia was supposed to be back in town that fateful day, Natasha eagerly waited for her arrival. Both friends were supposed to some catching up, but tragedy shook.
Every smile, every joke she had shared with Mia played like a montage in her mind. The laughter during sleepovers, their whispered secrets in the dead of the night, the promises to grow old together. All of it now felt hollow, shattered by the reality of loss.
Xander was by her side in an instant, his hand warm and reassuring on her back. "Natasha, I'm here," he murmured, but his voice felt miles away as she drowned in grief.
These were the moments her husband should have been with her, a steadiness she craved in the wake of this devastation. But as he held her, Natasha couldn't help but feel a smattering of gratitude.
Xander was there, grounding her, though his presence felt like an unspoken promise she couldn't define. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she clutched onto him, finding comfort in his steadfastness, even as guilt clawed at her insides.
"I still haven't told her anything about what I'm going through in my marriage. She promised we'd talk about it when she gets back, and also help me out. We were supposed to go to a friend's birthday party tomorrow. How could she be gone? How?" Natasha wailed.
Hours faded into another, Natasha found herself sitting in the dark, surrounded by memories of Mia, spirited, vibrant, and taken too soon. She scrolled through her phone, pausing at the images of their last beach trip, their sun-kissed faces beaming at the world. A fresh wave of tears leaked from her eyes as she thought of the moments she would never have with Mia again.
"Want me to stay?" Xander asked quietly, recognizing the depths of her despair. His voice was soft and sincere, pulling her back from the brink of grief.
For the first time, Natasha faced the truth; Xander's presence was a lifeline, a comforting beacon in the dark.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. What would she even say? Thank you felt so inadequate, but in this moment it was enough.
Natasha attended Mia's funeral with Xander by her side. They stood together, holding hands tightly, the world around them drowned by the aching finality of the loss. Natasha embraced her sorrow fully, allowing the memories of Mia—the laughter, the debates, about everything between life and love, to fill the emptiness that had taken root in her heart.
Afterward, they drove through the rain, silence resting heavily between them until Xander broke it with a soft "You don't have to go through this alone."
Natasha turned to look at him, searching for a hint of something she couldn't place, a willingness to share burdens, perhaps. "I don't know how to do this," she admitted, her voice cracking. "I feel so lost without her."
Xander's gaze held her steady. "It's okay to feel lost. Grief isn't a straight path; it twists and turns, and sometimes, you just need someone to walk it with you."
But as comforting as his words were, Natasha couldn't shake the nagging feelings of complicity that nipped her heels. It felt wrong to find solace in Xander while being married to his friend, and also grappling with the absence of her best friend.
Natasha found a strange comfort in Xander's company. He helped her unravel the knots of grief, reminding her to speak about Mia, to share the memories that made her smile even through the pain.
Slowly, with each passing moment they spent together, Natasha began to bloom in the warmth of their connection, grappling with the tension that lingered between friendship and something more.
Yet lingering questions hovered, was it fair to grow closer to Xander in such a raw moment? What would Mia have thought? What would Reynolds see her as? A whore?
A million thoughts raced through her mind, but amidst that turmoil, Natasha also felt an undeniable spark growing within her, an attraction that felt both right and wrong at the same time. As the world continued beyond the walls of grief, Natasha knew she had a choice to make.