The love letter and the suicide note

12:27pm

"So, how long will this take?" Astra asked as they walked into the kitchen.

Orson gave her a look as he pulled out a teapot and a couple teacups. He didn't answer her as he filled the pot with some water and then set it on the stove, and turned it on to heat it up.

"Oh my god, you have an Alexa? My mom always had one, I don't know where it went." Astra rushed over to the echo sitting on the counter next to the sink.

"Yeah, I don't use it. That was mine when I was younger." Orson turned to look at it.

"I remember every single Christmas my family would be in the kitchen making fudge and cookies and we'd be blasting Christmas music. We would dance around and enjoy that precious time together. It was fun." Astra smile when she remembered the fun memories she had with her family. "I miss it."

"Christmas?" Orson teased her.

"Yes, that too." Astra laughed. "I miss dancing in the kitchen with my family while making fudge and cookies."

"Well, there's no cookies and fudge to make, but there's someone to dance with." Orson walked over to the echo and turned her on.

He turned to Astra and she smiled at him.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" She laughed.

Orson gave her a smile as he held his hand out for her. The echo started playing Christmas music, and Astra laughed as she immediately took his hand.

She put her hand on his shoulder and held tightly onto his other hand as he put his on her waist. They started dancing to the music, and Astra smiled as they didn't break eye contact, not even for a second.

Orson spun her around in a circle and smiled when she started laughing.

"I don't know how to dance, I'm so sorry." Orson laughed as he accidentally stepped on her foot. "I'm trying my best."

"It's okay, you're getting the hang of it. You seem to be doing perfectly fine other than stepping on my foot." Astra made a face at him to tease him.

Orson stepped on her foot again, harder this time, and she gasped as he immediately started laughing.

"Whoops, I'm sorry, I told you I don't know how to dance." Orson raised a brow with a smirk as Astra scowled at him.

"Oh, you're going to regret that." Astra let go of his hand to grab a cup of water on the counter and she dumped it on his head.

He gasped as the cold water soaked his hair and shirt, and she started laughing as he took a step back from her. The Christmas music was still playing behind her as she took a step back, laughing, as Orson looked down at his soaked shirt.

"You won't get away with that."

Astra squealed and turned to run away, but he ran forward and grabbed her waist, picking her up and pulling her towards his chest. She crashed into his chest and screamed as he started tickling her.

"No!" She laughed. "Stop!"

Orson laughed as she started kicking and squirming, laughing, and screaming at him to stop. She fell to the floor, and Orson climbed on top of her as he continued to tickle her.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Astra laughed and tried to pull his hands away from her. "Stop! I'm sorry!"

Orson stopped tickling her and stood to his feet. Astra took deep breaths of air as she sat up, scowling at him and holding her arms out in front of her to make sure he didn't start tickling her again.

"That wasn't fair." She complained between breaths of air.

"That was completely fair." Orson shook his head.

"I couldn't breathe." Astra scolded him.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I take your breath away?" Orson put a hand to his chest and laughed when she smacked his arm.

"Go to hell."

Orson laughed as she stood to her feet. She brushed herself off and fixed her hair before she walked over to the echo, making sure to scowl at Orson again when she walked past him.

"You totally ruined a good moment." She shook her head as she pushed the talk button. "Alexa, stop."

The music stopped playing.

"What made you think we were done?" Orson walked over to her and continued the music.

"I don't feel like dancing anymore." Astra admitted.

"Did I do something? I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Bear Cub." Astra grabbed his face in her hands, immediately shutting him up. "You didn't do anything, you're amazing."

Orson swallowed as her thumb stroked his cheek.

"I just miss my family that's all. Thank you for trying to make me feel better, but it just brings back memories and I just... I can't do this right now." Astra's bottom lip trembled as she tried not to think of her family.

"Hey."

The tears fell as Orson spoke softly to her, and without a warning, she started crying, and he pulled her close to wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly.