Midnight Wonders

2.3.2. An Unfamiliarity in the Routine

As spring faded into summer, the wind softened and the blossoms flew by in thinner clouds that grew less and less until they were gone. It satisfied him, the sight of a clean windowsill every morning, and the time he did not have to spend brushing away the flowers, he spent on packing hazelnuts for Catherine and preparing extra sandwiches for Emma.

Summer was a curious thing. The children were always looking forward to it, counting down the days, discussing their vacation plans. Luc was all too aware of summer approaching, being around the children, yet at the same time, he could hardly notice it. Summer crept up on him. It must have been the lack of anticipation, of excitement. It was not that he particularly disliked time off work, but it wasn't as if the time off was a vacation, either. If anything, summers were lonelier. He had little reason to go out except for groceries, and so inside the house all day he spent, hearing his neighbors hurry around with their jingly bikes and their busy shoes.

He knew this summer would be different. But it was hard to imagine.

He could see the changes already. Things filled up in Cora's room: foreign things, yet things that belonged. Books that Emma loaned to her, clothes and cosmetics, toys and trinkets. Emma had suggested Cora keep a journal to occupy and ground her when she woke. The journal lived on the dresser, and sometimes Luc found it open, a pen between the pages, when he came to check on Cora. He always took the pen out and closed the book so as not to ruin the pages. There was a slight temptation to read it, and Cora had never asked him not to, but it was unnecessary.

This summer did promise some excitement, though Luc could not quite register it. He was unsure whether it was because he was personally not excited or because he did not want to be. Cora certainly was excited, and every waking minute she had something to say about it: Emma had planned a vacation for them.

Luc hadn't asked her to; she'd wanted to do it herself. A cross-country trip, as if she wanted them to make up all the places they had not gone in that one summer. Luc had considered, before, how it would be like to travel with Cora in her state. But he had always come to the conclusion that it would be both unfair for Cora, who would likely only beat herself up about the things she missed asleep, and unfair for him, who would likely only fuss about Cora and forget about the things he missed.

Emma, though, seemed to know what she was doing, choosing quieter and safer amusements and calmer, more scenic locations. Luc let her do the planning; she seemed as excited as Cora about it. She had finally allowed him to repay her somewhat by letting him take on the financial burden.

Emma wasn't clear about all of their plans to Luc; he was sure Cora knew all the details. He had vague ideas of where in the country they were going and how long they would be staying in each place, but that was about it. He didn't mind a few surprises.

They were all going: he, Emma, and Cora. And Emma's plus one, her modest millionaire, who neither Luc nor Cora had formally met yet, but sometimes came to pick up or drop off Emma at the house and waved through the window, barely more than a shadow.

Luc still had not seen the man at the hill again. He wondered where the man had gone. Did he only leave the hill once a year and Luc had just happened to catch him at the right time? Luc was surprised that the hazelnuts were still littering the ground as abundantly as the first time he had been there. The trees seemed to bear endless fruit.

He wondered, ridiculously, whether the man would miss him when he was gone for the summer. As if the man knew Luc still came, which he couldn't have, because he was never there. Luc could not think to ask himself if he would miss the man when he was gone for the summer because, after all, he was never there.

The last week of school Emma informed him that she couldn't come over for a bit as she had to sort out the summer plans with her modest millionaire, and she was very sorry but had left Cora plenty of things in her room to engage herself with as well as left Luc a few things in the fridge to indulge himself with. She would come back the day after Luc's last day of work and then they could get started on their summer.