Mr. Knight

20| Mirror

The Girl In The Mirror 

As I stare in the mirror,

The reflection haunts me.

A scar stares back, hollow eyes looking at me

They are tired, ready to give up.

But I stare right back.

I smile, she does too

And that is significant enough for me to know that,

We are going to bounce back.

We will make it through.

We are one, and hence

I WILL MAKE IT THROUGH. 

A tattoo?

Did something ink on her body forever?

A constant reminder of the past? Something she had to carry on her body every day, look at it as she stared in the mirror?

Scarlett shook her head, quickly wearing her clothes not wanting to ponder on it for more than needed. 

 It was the next morning. Both of them had gone to bed but none could sleep.

Squirming in the bed for hours they both laid awake. And when Alexander wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in, they both dozed off in minutes.

Her demons left her alone for the night. 

She woke up to an empty bed.

After an extremely long and relaxing shower, she was standing in her robe in front of the celling-floor mirror in the closet. 

She was staring at her reflection, looking down upon herself. 

Because of those scars, she hated her body.

But she was way past the self-hate. She knew that she was enough and it was not her fault but moments like those, specific episodes around these memories made her feel like the helpless 16-year-old girl. 

She forgot that she had it all and she didn't need to hide.

Shaking her head and letting out a long sigh she smiled at the mirror.

Her eyes lit up. She felt happy again.

Quickly getting dressed she stepped inside the kitchen to make breakfast.

Black coffee for him, latte with extra sugar for her.

Pancakes with maple syrup for him, chocolate sauce for her. 

Taking a tray with all the plates she waked towards Alexanders study, knocking before entering. 

She placed the tray on one edge of the table and cleared some files from the table.

Alex looked up from his laptop. His glasses at on the bridge of his nose and a pen rested between his teeth. 

His sleeves were rolled up and he was already dressed up for the day in his formal attire. 

"I'm working here if you have failed to notice Carina.", he said. 

"And I've made food for us if you've not noticed. And my name is Scarlett, not Carina.", she replied teasingly. 

"Did you hit your head somewhere," he said standing up and placing them back on his palm on her forehead. 

She swatted his hand away and said, "What? Just because I have had a weak night doesn't mean that I am weak and I have to walk on eggshells around these topics. 

Alexander was stunned, to say the least.

He assumed that Scarlett would behave differently now that he knew a part of her past but she was still the old strong, independent and sometimes shy woman he had married. 

Alexander was extremely confused about how things would be between them from then.  

"So we pretend that it never happened?", he said.

"What? No why would we do that? I shared a part of my life that is not hidden from everyone. I am not discreet about it but yes I do not share it with every person I meet. Anyways, let's eat. I'm famished."

"uh-huh. Have a seat Carina.", he said.

"My name is NOT Carina for god's sake.", she said exasperated.

"Too bad that's what I'm going to call you from now on.", he replied taking a bite from the pancakes.

"Uh!! You're impossible Alex", she said and slumped down on the chair and took a sip of her coffee. 

"Well, thank you for that amazing breakfast Carina but I must get going. I need to get ready for work.", he said staining up.

"You're already dresser aren't you? And call me Scarlett that is my name.", she said.

"I am not. I need to get dressed yet.", he said standing up removing his glasses and messing up his unruly hair. 

"Wit, you are not? You are wearing dress shirt, formal clothes right that you wear for work? Why change?", she said.

She couldn't understand the need to have so many outfit changes in the same day. 

"This is for home Carina I wear different ones to work.", he replied amused at the confused expression on her face.

"Rich people", she scoffed under her breath. Unfortunately for her he heard her. 

"I heard you Carina."

"Good you were meant to. ", she said and poked her tongue out making a childish face at him. 

He chuckled shaking his head.

Off late Alexander had been expressive about his emotions around Scarlett. 

The monotonous life he had been living now had started to bore him and he wanted a change. He wanted to do new things with Scarlett and that thought alone had scared him.

After all no one openly accepts change, do they?