Lovers in October

EIGHTEEN

M A R Y - K A T E

The pages smelled fresh and ready to be read with anticipation as Mary-Kate snuck her nose close when no one was watching, the smell bringing a small smile to her lips. It was the first time she had the opportunity to sit down and relax in one of the tables at the small, cosy bookstore she had discovered when she was looking for the book written by his mother. She was craving to sit at it and read a newly found book ever since.

It was a pleasant evening, the calm snow falling silently, almost in slow motion if Mary-Kate looked at it a little too closely. The chair she was sitting in could almost swallow her whole, warm and soft beyond imagination. She was still dressed in her long coat, loungewear and sneakers, her body losing its temperature every time she would take it off.  

But it was okay, because she was too wrapped up in the story of Faeries and humans, getting hold of a much need time to read a book she had on her list for ages. It was nice, sitting there with nothing else to do, even for an hour until Charlie was finished with her doctor check-ups, assigned to meet her at the bookstore when she was done.

As if Charlie had heard Mary-Kate's thoughts drift to her, she entered the bookstore, the little bell on top ringing to let everyone know another person had entered.

"Hello!" Charlie sung cheerfully, plopping down on the chair in front of Mary-Kate.

Mary-Kate grinned and rested the book on her legs, her index finger keeping the pages from merging together and losing where she had stopped.

"Where are the guys?" Charlie asked with curiosity, shredding of her jacket and leaving it pile down behind her back.

"Clayton's helping Antonio put together a playlist for the Marlon Festival, then they're gonna practise for the fundraiser." Mary-Kate said, her mind drifting off to the first night she talked with Antonio at the mention of his music.

Where she heard his songs for the first time, his voice for the first time. When she had actually sat and had a conversation with the man she had gazed in art class, who smiled at her with the grin she now found herself to love. She wondered; did she ever think that it would all come down to where they are now, that they would grow so close? Was there a hunch, or somewhat a feeling?

But there was nothing that could have warned her so vividly of how precious Antonio would turn out to be to her. And yet, when he smiled, Mary-Kate immediately knew she wanted to see it more often, she wanted to create it more frequently. Since they where nothing but friends, she enjoyed watching him be happy, laugh and grin with every opportunity. And she was incredibly proud of herself whenever she made that happen.

***

Mary-Kate glanced at the clock on her wall that ticked dangerously close to her first class of the day, tying the laces of her shoes tightly to avoid any unpleasantries on the way.

Antonio had left early for his own classes, not daring to walk out the door without giving her a kiss, promising to catch up with her the second he finished. The absence of him in her bed made it look bigger somehow as Mary-Kate looked back at it, the space his body used to lie in perfectly made before he left, like he was never there at all.

Cat food filled Grey's bowl before Mary-Kate scratched his head and moved away, leaving him to eat peacefully as she grabbed the last of her things and headed out the door. She met Charlie half-way and walked to Broadshare together, chatting about their schedules and Mary-Kate's extra hours of work for this week.

Working harder for the second week in a row for the fundraiser was an exhausting dream come true for Mary-Kate, not once complaining over the hours of her time she was giving. The finish line was looming closer and closer, and every minute that passed, Mary-Kate felt herself grow more prepared to face it.