"A Dance of Irony"

Natalie's eyes welled up with tears as a wave of memories washed over her, memories that she had tried to bury deep within her mind. She remembered the days when she was consumed by her obsession with Rory Silva, the way her heart ached with longing every time she saw Rory's smile, every time she heard Rory's laughter. And then there was Emma, the object of Rory's affection, the one person who had captured Rory's heart. Natalie's thoughts drifted back to the times she had seen Rory and Emma together, the way Rory's eyes would light up when Emma was near, the way Rory's voice would soften when she spoke to Emma. Natalie had hated Emma for it, for being the center of Rory's attention, for being the one person who had Rory's heart. She had envied Emma, resented her, and even loathed her for being the one person who had captured Rory's love. But now, as she looked at Emma, Natalie felt a mix of emotions swirling inside of her. She felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, and she couldn't help but laugh at the irony of it all. The very woman she had envied, the very woman she had hated, was now her girlfriend. The thought was almost too much to bear, and Natalie felt her emotions boiling over. She cried, great big sobs that shook her body, as she thought about the twist of fate that had brought her and Emma together. She laughed, a deep, throaty sound, as she realized how wrong she had been about Emma, about Rory, and about herself. Emma had never been the enemy, not really. She had just been the one person who had captured Rory's heart, and Natalie had been too blind to see it. As Natalie cried and laughed, Emma got up from her seat and walked over to her. She wrapped her arms around Natalie, holding her close as she sobbed. "It's okay," Emma whispered, her voice soft and gentle. "I'm here for you, Natalie. I've always been here for you." Natalie looked up at Emma, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She smiled, a weak, watery smile, and Emma smiled back at her. In that moment, Natalie knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be, with the one person who had shown her mercy, who had shown her love.