The Window

Heartbreak and Hermès

Seraphina Fauset sat by the window and heaved a sigh, twirling a golden strand of hair between her fingers. Her laptop was perched on the table in front of her on which her teacher was explaining how to achieve the maximum profit of a mathematical model using linear optimization. She was usually the class's star pupil, but recently her heart just wasn't in it. Outside she could see a few people, all wearing masks, walking briskly by. No one interacting with anyone, just everyone minding their own business. The Coffee shop across the street was wearing the "Closed due to Covid-19" placard as the new usual.

The floor above Ford's cafe was the Ford's residence, and through the window of the Ford's residence, she could see Matthew Ford speaking to someone on the phone. He looked just as good as always in his just-tumbled-out-of-bed style. His shaggy brown hair fell on his forehead as he patiently talked to someone who she guessed must be a customer. She kept looking at Matt until their eyes met and they shared a small smile.

Things have been rocky between them since the lockdown started. She didn't like how circumstances were playing to keep people apart at all. Some people were saying that maybe some good can come out of this quarantine, but all she could see was gloom. She hadn't met her friends in forever, and now her relationship was on the verge on ending. Even posting pictures of homemade Sunday brunches held appeal for only so long.

Just then her phone rang, curious as to who it could be, she picked it up. Seeing Matt's name on the Caller ID her heart picked up pace. She looked across the street again but there was no sight of him anymore. They hadn't talked in three days, and the last time they talked, it had seemed forced and obligatory. Her heart accelerated to a mile per second as she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello," she said in a breathy voice.

She immediately reprimand herself for sounding so desperate. She was supposed to sound cool, sexy.

""Hi Raph..." He said, as though unsure of what to say next,"Um, I was wondering if..." he heaved a sigh," You know what, I think you should come over. I have just baked some pretzel rolls, I'll whip us both some coffee as well."

"Sure, I'll be there in ten," she said like it was no biggie, even though her heart was doing somersaults at the thought of seeing him after more than a week.

"You know I can never say no to your baked goodies, they're just too good to not devour on sight," she added with a little sigh.

"Great! And just a run-through of your obnoxious order,' he said with a chuckle,

"An iced, venti, almond milk latte with vanilla mint syrup, the foam made at exactly 60 degrees or scooped out by hand."

Both of them recited from heart, and then collapsed laughing. This was why Seraphina liked Matt so much. They got each other, that and the fact that no-one else could get her order just that perfect.

After hanging up, she felt better for a while, a really short while. Sighing, she checked her appearance in the mirror, and even though she looked as immaculate as ever, she reapplied her mascara and lip-gloss.

Just as she picked up her favorite baby pink mask, a feeling that she couldn't place washed over her. It was like she could feel something was wrong, that something bad was about to happen and she just couldn't shake it.

Then at the last moment, she grabbed her eyeliner and applied it in a quick, practiced motion. She sprayed her perfume all over herself, and chose a bolder shade for her lips. Looking pretty had always been a source of confidence for her, and the weird feeling in her stomach told her that she would need it now.

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Matt saw Seraphina cross the street towards the cafe. He was sitting at a booth with her order made more perfectly than ever in front of him. He knew she loved her caffeine and was hoping it would lessen the blow of what he was about to do. He saw her blonde bob of hair peek inside the cafe, she turned and spotted him at his booth. He managed a smile hoping it didn't look too forced.

Seraphina stepped inside, and the door jingled as it slid in place behind her. She took her mask off in a swift, graceful manner and gave him one of her sweet smiles. Before her smile would send a flutter in his stomach and an instant, easy smile to his face, but now as he waited for it, there was no skipping of heartbeats, no sudden shyness that would make his nails suddenly seem interesting. There was just this dull, queasy feeling in his stomach that he could recognize as nervousness and guilt.

He knew he was sad as well, Seraphina may be a bit... demanding, but there was no way she deserved to have a boyfriend who was cheating on her. Which was why he needed to do this, he reminded himself just as she slid into the seat opposite his.

"Hey Raph! You're looking mighty fine!" Matt exclaimed, which caused Seraphina to do a double take.

"I'm sorry?" she said shocked, pretty sure that no one used 'mighty fine' in a sentence unless she was watching a 90's movie, specially not Matt.

"Heheh, I mean you're looking... Great! Right! Great!" he exclaimed again, and then immediately wanted to facepalm himself for being so stupid.

"You sure that you're feeling alright Matt?" she asked with genuine concern.

She would have reached over to touch his forehead but refrained from it because he could be ill, like ill. Besides, she wasn't even wearing gloves.

"Yeah, Of course I'm alright, do you see me coughing my lungs up and self-isolating myself?" He asked jokingly.

Matt could never joke about that.

So it was then that Seraphina knew that something was horribly wrong.

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Twenty-five minutes later, as she emerged from the cafe, her eyeliner making its way down her cheeks in the most unbecoming manner and staining the pink fabric of her favorite mask, did she realize that she didn't just 'not like' this lockdown, she hated it with every fibre of her being.

The Queen Bee who had always gotten what she wanted and had been able to remove any and every obstacle of her life with as ease as swatting a fly, was helpless. For the first time in her life, Seraphina realized there was nothing to sooth her pain and ease her problems. This was nature at it's worst and fate had just decided to leave her side when she needed it the most.