Nova Luna

One - Neoma

"Elios!"

Her voice pulled me out of the void I was blankly drifting into. I couldn't recall the last ten minutes of our conversation. She seemed pissed but was laughing at me. Thankfully, that call woke me up from this daydream. Could you blame me? This was the first time in years I'd taken a vacation from work, so I was trying to clear my mind.

I raised my eyebrows and snapped back into reality. I suddenly felt how hot the coffee cup I was holding was. The blurry music became clearer and the sound of the rain's drizzle outside the cafe felt very soothing.

"I'm sorry, I lost you there, what were you saying again?" I asked.

"I asked if you would like to order some blueberry cheesecake? I'm getting one," she replied.

"Yes please," I told her, though I was still a little bit lost as to what we were talking about a couple of minutes ago.

This happens a lot, and I'm surprised that Helen still hangs out with me. I barely give attention to our conversations and oftentimes, when she says something, I just nod yes. 

Maybe that's why she thinks that I'm a great listener, and treats me as one of her best friends. The truth is that I have no idea about half of what she's saying. Thankfully, she repeats everything over and over again, so it always feels like I've heard these rants for the first time.

"I can't stop thinking about her," I told Helen, as she was talking about something I could barely understand

"What was her name again?" Helen asked.

I stared at Helen, trying to remember everything about Neoma.

**

I was walking home on a moonless night when I saw a girl, lit up by one of the few working lampposts in the street, struggling to carry these gigantic boxes all by herself. I approached her so I could offer my help; the boxes looked cumbersome.

She had wavy, midnight-black hair that flowed just over her shoulders, which, even from a distance, smelled like the fresh province air. That scent would make you feel as if you were "returning home" after a long period of homesickness. She doesn't wear any make-up, and her bare face emphasized her soft rosy-cloud cheeks. She had long and velvety eyelashes. Her glossy eyes shone like the moonlight, or at least, they made you feel the same as you do when you're looking at the Moon. 

It's funny, because the curve of her smile, with her blossom-soft lips, was as pretty as the crescent Moon. You could say that she was the Moon on a moonless night.

"Need a hand?" I offered. I could barely hear her muffled voice as the big boxes she tried to carry covered her face. But I could only assume that she said no. And of course, everything fell out of balance, and along with the boxes, she fell to the ground.

"Curses!" She was pissed.

I helped her anyway. I held her soft hands as she stood up, and she dusted off the dirt caught on her black jeans. I helped her reorganize the boxes that scattered all over the ground.

As I was holding the last box to stack them neatly, her soft voice made my head turn.

"Thank you, stranger." She sounded a little bit confused, but I felt her sincerity.

"You really needed my help," I chuckled while teasing her. The boxes weren't really heavy, but they weren't that light either.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks again." She smiled.

**

It's been five months since I carried those boxes full of appliances. Five months since I helped her move into her new apartment, just across from the coffee shop where we used to see each other every night. 

Those nights in the coffee shop when she'd draw random sketches on my work-filled notebook. I'm an astrophysicist, my notes are boring as hell, and she wanted to make my dull notebook look more fun with her cute doodles. I always loved how we laughed at each other; so loud that we'd annoy other people trying to quietly enjoy their coffees.

**

"I win!" She laughed. She covered her mouth while doing so; the smile she hides reminds me how beautiful these tiny moments can be.

Hearing her laugh is the best thing in the world. I wish that I'd never win this game of rock, paper, scissors. 

It's cute how happy she gets every time she wins against me. She's got that high-pitched, frenzied giggle that would make you smile and laugh the same way.

**

"Order up!" Helen's voice was distracting. But the slice of blueberry cheesecake made up for her interruption of my flashbacks.

My hands were beginning to numb after holding the hot cup of coffee for a little while. I used my fork to grab a bite of the soft cake before me. The sweet taste somehow lifted my energy up. I became a little more attentive to Helen.

"So, is it a yes?" I never heard her, but as usual, I just nodded yes. She was thanking me like I had just saved her life, but I had no clue how or what for.

"Thank you! I really appreciate it. Here's the company address." She was showing me her phone. I squinted a little bit, seeing her phone in full brightness. 

Now I get it, she was asking me to take her for her job interview later today. I had no other choice, it was my fault for not giving her some attention.