A Heart Full of Love: An Eposette Love Story

Another Night with Her-Eponine

August 1831

Eponine had never felt happier before, not even when she was with Marius. Cosette made her spirit soar more than anyone else could. In the early morning, Eponine had snuck home and creeped into the bedroom she shared with her little sister, Azelma. Her mother and sister were both asleep, her father was out with his gang, and of course, her brother didn't live with them.

It had been two months since Eponine had found Cosette, and every night they shared was special in its own way. None of them were perfect, and sometimes the girls even fought. But Eponine loved every moment she shared with Cosette.
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On a crisp August morning, Eponine was on the streets with Azelma and her brother, Gavroche, looking for food to steal, but she was thinking too much about Cosette to focus.

"'Ponine help us and stop day-dreaming,"Azelma scolded. "What are you even thinking about?"

"Uh, n-nothing," Eponine stuttered.

Azelma gave her an odd look, but simply shrugged and turned away. But Gavroche kept staring at Eponine.

"No 'Zelma wait, she's definitely thinking about something," he said. "I think-someone!"

Azelma laughed. "What boy would Eponine know,, Gav, calm down."

Eponine's face went scarlet at the thought of almost being caught, but her little siblings didn't think she knew any boys. If only they knew that it wasn't boys that Eponine was after.

"Maybe 'Ponine has a crush," Gavroche giggled.

Azelma laughed and she and Gav made mock kissing noises at Eponine.

Eponine rolled her eyes, but playfully shoved Azelma away. But there was no time for teasing, or thinking about Cosette. Neither Eponine or her siblings had eaten in maybe two days and they had to get something.

They crouched down behind the alley wall they were currently hiding behind, and looked around. The Thenardier children had already searched the trash cans and filthy floor in the alley, but had come back empty-handed. Eponine's stomach growled and ached relentlessly.

"Ugh, I wish I could just make it shut up," she complained.

"Me too," 'Zelma agreed.

"Wait!" Gavroche was pointing at a box next to a food vendor up ahead. "There's some bread."

Eponine followed his finger and saw what he was pointing too. Fresh, steaming-hot bread loaves packed together in a wooden crate with the lid off! The owner of the vendor wasn't even watching it, he was busy talking to a man nearly ten feet away from the bread box.

It was perfect.

"I'll get it," Eponine said. "You guys wait here."

"You're just trying to get more than us," Azlema whined.

"Oh shut up," Eponine snapped at her. Azelma rolled her eyes and slid to the ground, clutching her stomach.
Eponine ran as fast as could and snatched a loaf from the crate. It was warm on her skin and smelled amazing. She was about to leave when a thought came to her head. Why not take two? Her, Azelma, and Gavroche could all share one loaf for lunch and have a second one for dinner. It would be grand. But, unfortunately, staying there to ponder this was Eponine's mistake.

"Run idiot!" she heard Azelma scream, as she turned around to see her siblings racing away.

"Hey!" a man yelled, the owner of the vendor.

Eponine ran, clutching the loaf of bread to her chest.

Her bare feet pounded the dirty pavement and her matted hair flew behind her as she followed her brother and sister into the alley.