by Tyra Lynn
Gabriel looked almost embarrassed. “I failed to ask your favorite meats and cheeses, so I hope you see something you like.”
My stomach growled for the first time since on the porch, and Gabriel and his father burst out laughing. I was so embarrassed; I crossed my arms over my stupid stomach and wanted to crawl under the table. I could feel my cheeks burning hot, until Mr. Knights’ stomach growled, too.
He patted me on the back, “It seems we are in complete agreement.”
I laughed a little then, relaxing, and walked to the chair nearest me. I thought Gabriel was going to break a leg rushing around the table, and it took a moment for it to sink in why. He pulled out the chair for me, and scooted it to the table as I sat.
Mr. Knight sat at the head of the table; Gabriel walked around and sat directly across from me. Mr. Knight looked to Gabriel. “Grace, please.”
The last time I had said grace at a table was with my mom. She was always the one to remember, and to insist. I felt guilty as I dutifully clasped my hands and bowed my head. ‘Sorry, Mom,’ I said in my head.
Gabriel’s voice rang out, “For food in a world of hunger, for faith in a world of fear, for friends in a world of loneliness, we give thee thanks, Oh Lord. Bless these, thy bountiful gifts. Amen.”
“Amen.” I echoed.
“Forgive my informality,” Mr. Knight said as he stabbed a few slices of meat with his fork. I watched as he assembled a sandwich in what had to be record time. I tried not to giggle.
There was so much food! I was still trying to decide what to get, and my stomach began to protest. Gabriel smiled and asked, “Is there something you particularly like?”
“It all looks so good; I think my brain is overloaded.” I was still looking, trying to figure out what was what.
“Say the first sandwich meat that comes to your mind.”
“Ham.”
“Sweet, or smoked?” He asked.
“Smoked.”
“Smoked ham, it is. “ He said, turning the correct ham toward me, his eyes so bright they were unsettling. I stabbed a couple of slices with my fork and moved them to my plate.
“Cheese?” He asked.
“Swiss, of course. It goes best with ham.” I didn’t know what half the other cheeses even were.
He turned the cheese platter, and I stabbed the swiss. “Vegetables?”
“Hmm. Lettuce and tomato.” He turned the vegetable platter, and I removed the mentioned veggies.
He glanced up, looking at me through his dark eyelashes. “Bread?”
“I like wheat, but not dry wheat.” I couldn’t look away from him until he looked down again.
“Try this one.” He suggested, pointing to the slices on one end. I plucked out two pieces, trying to ignore the quiver in my stomach that was quickly replacing the hunger.
He then held up the mustard. “I’m only assuming.” He smiled.
“You assumed correctly.” I replied, taking the mustard and avoiding eye contact.
I built my sandwich in a rush. The first bite was the best thing I had tasted in I don’t know how long. It could have been because the food was that good, it could have been because I was so hungry, or the third reason could have been that Gabriel had gone to such trouble over simple sandwiches. The following bites, nevertheless, were just as good as the first.
There was little talking, but between biting, chewing and swallowing, we somehow managed a few words of conversation. I was feeling completely comfortable again, the earlier awkwardness nearly forgotten.
During our meal, Gabriel suggested his father call my dad and invite him over for dinner. Mr. Knight suggested Gabriel call instead, since he was not a stranger, unlike himself. Gabriel looked at me for permission, so I nodded my assent.
After we had stuffed ourselves with bread and cold cuts, Gabriel stood and began to clear the table. I started to scoot back, and Mr. Knight almost fell out of his chair scrambling to stand before I could, and Gabriel once again rushed around to hold my chair.
I couldn’t help but laugh this time. “Why do you do that?” I looked from one to the other, and they looked at each other.
“It is polite.” Gabriel said, shrugging his shoulders a little.
“But you shouldn’t nearly break a leg running around a table. I am fully capable of standing and sitting on my own.” I stated.
“Are you?” Gabriel asked in a teasing voice.
“Usually.” I answered, thinking about how I’d fallen on him twice, and thinking of the near mishap earlier in the parlor.
He seemed to understand he had something to do with my recent clumsiness, and his eyes twinkled as a smile broke out on his face. “We’ll see.” He said with amusement.
I helped Gabriel clear the table, in spite of his frequent and persistent protests. I also helped him wrap and put away food and wash the dishes. I asked for a cloth to buff the table while he put the dishes away. When we were finished, all was back in order.
“You can tour the rest of the house now, or I can take you for a stroll around the grounds.” He waited as I tried to decide. “There is a small pond toward the back, a lovely garden with a bridge, and an ivy-covered gazebo.”
“A gazebo?” I asked.
“Yes, a beautiful gazebo, covered in ivy vines. It’s very shady and cool.” He was trying to entice me, and it was working.
“Okay, let’s see the grounds.” I said.
I waited as Gabriel ran up to the library, a room I hadn’t seen yet, and told his father about our plans. Once back downstairs, he escorted me through the house, and we exited onto the back porch. There were shady groves of trees, and open spaces throughout the back of the property. I could see the gazebo near a large, sprawling oak.
Gabriel held out his arm like a prom escort, so I placed my hand at his elbow. “Shall we?”
“Indeed.” I replied. His manner of speaking was rubbing off on me, just a little.
CHAPTER XV
The whole life of man is but a point of time; let us enjoy it.
—Plutarch
The breezes blew across the open spaces, lifting my hair and twisting it gently. The air smelled crisp, and sunny, if sunny had a scent. I was growing more accustomed to the electric hum I felt near Gabriel, and the stronger sensations I had when we touched. I was still very aware of it, even so. I wondered if he could feel it at all, or if it was only me.
The gazebo was beautiful. Two cascading cupolas capped the octagonal roof. The turned posts, balustrade, lattices, and fretwork were white, but the hardwood floor was simply stained a deep brown and polished. Ivy vines grew up and through the lattice, and clung to the scalloped edges of the roof.
We stepped through a swinging curtain of ivy. The inside had bench-type seating all around, with thick, inviting cushions. It was surprisingly clean for an outdoor structure. Gabriel seemed to like the place very much, and I felt him relax his posture immediately.
“What do you think?” He asked as he watched my eyes take in all the details.
“It’s incredible!” I admitted, walking slowly around, peeking out through the vines.
“My Father wants to remove all the Ivy, said it will compromise the structure. I argued the ivy is part of its charm. What say you?”
“I agree with you.” Through the swinging vines, I could see the pond to the north, partially surrounded by weeping willows.
Gabriel sat on one of the thick cushions, still watching me. “I should call your father.” He said suddenly.
For a moment, I wondered how I would feel if Dad said no. Surely he wouldn’t say no. “Go ahead. You’ll have to call the store though, and I’m not sure if he’ll be back.” Either way, he would have to talk to Steve, since he usually answered the phone. If Dad was there, I’m sure he would tell Steve anyway. I felt that twinge of guilt come back. It must have shown on my face.
“You’re not obligated to me, or my father, in any way. You can say no, and I will understand completely.” Gabriel was swiftly besi
de me, searching my face.
“Why did you say that?” I asked, trying to sound confused, and failing.
“I know what crossed your mind. I may not know exactly how you thought it, but I know what you thought. You are a good person, and though you argue that he is not your boyfriend, you do care for him, or at least care about his feelings. I can see that.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, he had me pegged, and any argument would make me look bad. He placed a hand on my arm, setting it on fire. I leaned against one of the posts, and closed my eyes. “Life was so much simpler a week ago.” I mused.
“Maybe it would help to talk about it?” Gabriel was gently guiding me to sit, and then sat beside me.
“There’s too much. Too many things, some too personal.” I was thinking about the porch-swing and my birthday. I thought of Steve kissing me there to make up for it. Steve was a good guy. And why did I keep telling myself that? Why did I have to keep telling myself he was a ‘good guy?’
“You could try, I’m an excellent listener.” There was a gentleness and concern on his face mostly reserved for someone you knew much better than he knew me. It was disconcerting, because as much as I loved Julie, as much as she had been my best friend, I couldn’t tell her my most important secret ever.
I had the strangest feeling I could tell Gabriel everything, and nothing would change. He wouldn’t think I was crazy, and he would ask me questions, and let me talk, and maybe even be interested. I never realized until now what a burden those simple glimpses could be. They weren’t a burden, until they were no longer simple.
“Would it help if I said don’t worry about tonight, maybe another time? It was just an idea I thought would be nice. I like to show off, if you haven’t noticed.”
“I,” I didn’t want to say it, but I had to, “I think another time would be wonderful.” I tried to sound cheery.
“Certainly.” He was being noble, and I appreciated the effort. “I’ll hold you to it, though.”
I inadvertently reached up and placed my hand on one of the posts. The glimpse hit me like a ton of bricks, stealing my breath.
A young lady, in Victorian dress, her hair in sweeping curls—a young man dressed as finely, down on one knee, a ring in his hand. The girl was laughing, but not in a mean way.
The young man said “Please, Caroline, don’t tease me this way. Say yes.”
The girl, Caroline, suddenly stopped. “Yes, Michael, yes. A thousand times yes!”
I watched the young man slip the ring on her finger, saw them embrace and kiss passionately. I heard a distant voice shouting “Caroline! Caroline!”
“Here, Papa! I’m coming!” She slipped off the ring, handed it back and whispered “Tonight, my love.” Then she kissed him, and ran out of the gazebo, the young man, Michael, hiding behind the ivy that was growing even then. It was the clearest glimpse yet.
I released the post and took a deep breath. Gabriel looked concerned. “Are you alright? You were staring, and your face was blank and pale. I thought you’d gone catatonic!” He looked sincerely worried.
For some reason, my glimpses seemed stronger near Gabriel. In that moment, I made up my mind. Either he was going to be the one person ever to know, and he would keep my secret, or I would swear to anyone he told that he was some kind of perverted creep. If the latter, I would carry this burden to my grave, even if it meant losing my mind in the process.
“Gabriel, I want to tell you something not another living soul on this planet knows, but I have a question first.”
“Anything, if you promise that you are at least all right.”
“I’m fine. Fine for me, at least.” I could do this. I could say it. “My question is—can I trust you?” I looked as deep into his eyes as I could possibly see, or imagine seeing, looking for any sign he might betray me. I was still a stranger, and maybe, just maybe, that would make it possible for me to tell him.
“Unequivocally.” He replied, his eyes looking back into mine with the same intensity.
I was scared, truly scared. Time to release the crazy. “I see things.” I had no idea how I was going to explain this. I squeezed my hands together, my nails digging into flesh. Get a grip, Jessie.
“Can you elaborate?” He seemed more concerned than confused.
“I can, I just don’t want to. It’s ingrained in me not to ever say anything.” I struggled with how to put it into words, and tried not to tremble. “Okay, when I was a little girl, I could sometimes touch things, and then I would see things that had to do with the thing I was touching. Things from the past, involving the objects. I call them ‘glimpses,’ because that’s what they are like.” I looked into his eyes, and he didn’t seem surprised at all. He looked relieved, and happy.
“So you’re not possessed then, and it’s not a tumor, not if you’ve had them for so long. How old were you when you had the first that you can remember?” Not a bit of doubt was in his eyes – there was interest.
I felt such a rush of relief that tears came like a deluge, down my cheeks and off my chin. I was sobbing with the release, and I couldn’t stop. All those years of no one to talk to, no one to share with, no one to understand.
Gabriel’s arms came up around me, and he held on, rocking me gently, smoothing my hair with one hand. I could hear him saying “Shhh, shhh, I’ve got you.” I put my arms around him and hung on for dear life, as if he was the only raft in a raging flood.
Something occurred to me, and I was able to regain my composure a little. I let go and wiped at my eyes, sniffling. Gabriel reached in his pocket, pulled out the priceless watch, unwrapped it, and handed me the cloth.
“No, I can’t do that. That’s gross, I...” He put up a hand to stop me.
“Please, it’s just an old piece of cloth. You can’t talk properly if you can’t breathe.”
“Turn away then.” I flapped my hand at him and he turned his head away, putting the watch back in his pocket and laughing a little.
“What?” I asked, honking loudly.
“I was going to say I would still be able to hear you, and ask if I should plug my ears, but too late for that.” He chuckled again and I swatted his shoulder.
“I don’t care about that as much; I just didn’t want you watching me.” I wiped my nose and put the gross cloth in my back pocket.
“When did your dad buy this house?”
“Tuesday.” He responded.
“Which Tuesday?” I asked.
“The Tuesday four days ago.” He answered.
“When was the first time you ever came to this town?” I was trying to get to something.
“Monday.”
My head started spinning. Monday was the day I got the mirror. Monday was the first time I saw him. Monday was the first time he was ever here. Could I have seen him in town?
He leaned in close and took my hand, my whole body felt charged and on fire. I just knew at any moment, I was going to spontaneously combust. He whispered, “Can you keep a secret?” I nodded, but I couldn’t speak. He held my hand tighter, “I saw you, too.”
That’s when the world exploded. Everything I knew, everything I thought I knew, meant nothing and everything all at once. My mind couldn’t focus. I knew he had seen me! Why was he here? How do you buy a house in a day? No wonder he believed me! Did his dad know? Who was Gabriel? What was Gabriel? Was he like me? Why was he dressed that way when I saw him? My head was pounding, and I was frozen to the seat.
“Breathe, Jessie. We’ll get through this. We’re meant to get through this, I’m certain. Do you know what this means? The odds are astronomical, immeasurable!” My world was exploding and he sounded excited.
“What odds?” I managed to stammer.
“Oh, Jessie, I have so much to tell you! And I want you to tell me everything! These past months have been excruciating.” His eyes lit up. “My father! I can’t wait to tell him!”
Those words sucked the world back into solid form and I jerked my hand away. “NO!
No, you can’t tell your father! He’ll think I’m crazy! He’ll tell my dad. NO!” I jumped to my feet in a complete and total panic. “I’ll tell my dad you’re crazy, you promised me!”
“No, Jessie, stop, listen. My father will understand, just like I did, trust me.” He was reaching for me, and I dodged his hands.
“What did you mean past months?” It had taken a few moments for that to sink in. “You said the past months have been excruciating. What did you mean?”
“I have some things to tell you, too. You’ll have to keep an open mind. I think, if we tell my father everything, he might even allow me to show you.” Gabriel’s eyes were nearly dancing. He patted the seat beside him, and I reluctantly sat down, only because I was afraid I might pass out from hyperventilation. Breathe, Jessie, breathe right.
Show me what? I was so confused. Before I told anyone else, before I left this gazebo, I had to have some answers. “I’ll consider talking to your dad, telling him everything, but I have to get some things straight. You have to explain some things to me.”
“Anything. Just ask, and I’ll give you any answer I have. But you have to answer something for me too, please.” He reached for my hand again, and I let him take it. “Do you believe in fate?”
That electrified tingly feeling was back. Either that or I was just noticing it again. “Mostly.” Did I?
“I believe in fate more than most people, I think. I’ve seen it at work too many times not to.”
He enclosed my hand tightly between both of his, and everything inside of me burst into flames, nearly stealing my breath. It was blinding, like a bright flash of light in a dark room, and for only a second, I could feel every molecule of my skin. When the feeling subsided, I tried to speak.
“Did you really see me that day, in the mirror?” My voice was a whisper. Until now, he could have meant he saw me in town. I had to know.
“I did, and I knew you saw me, too. I didn’t know what to think. You looked surprised at first, but then you just watched me. You were accustomed to seeing things, but I wasn’t. Not like that.” His voice sounded matter-of-fact.
