Julia Lelieveld and the fifth element

~12~

I looked at Daan questioningly and yet also expectantly.

As he looked at the road, I saw his eyebrows twitch for a moment.

He turned his head and looked at me.

"Yes, why not. I like it," he said, nodding his head. It seemed as if he meant to say that he also had to persuade himself to do something fun, but that he deserved it.

Wow, he just said yes.

"Do you know anything nice around here? Since I've been living here for less than three weeks, I'm totally ignorant of all the fun stuff here," I said, making quotes as I said fun, raising my eyebrows.

"I'll have to think about that for a while," he said with a small smile.

He had to think about that, I was curious.

"Do you mind if I change at home first?"

He looked at me again and nodded.

"It's fine. What number do you live in?"

I looked up and saw that we were already driving in Eikenlaan.

"76".

We stopped in front of the door and sprinted into the garage.

"Come on, you can hang your coat by the heating, it will be dry in no time." I opened the door to the kitchen and he followed.

I always left a light on at home, I liked that better if I came home alone. I quickly turned on the heating and I immediately heard the pipes filling with the hot water. I took his coat and hung it by the stove.

I looked at Daan and saw him looking around.

"Isn't anyone home?"

"No, my father is still at work."

"Okay."

And he happily left it at that.

"I'm going to get changed. Make yourself at home. There's drinks in the fridge and the room's that way." I pointed towards the living room.

"I'll be fine." And he laughed a little.

I quickly ran upstairs to my room.

I'd love to take a shower, but then I think I'd be gone way too long. I put on my dark blue jeans with a beautifully falling cream-white sweater. Over the jeans I put on my dark blue boots. I grabbed my gray leather jacket and I was done. I looked at myself again in the mirror. I put my hair back in a ponytail and put a little Vaseline on my lips. If I were to put on lip gloss right now, it would be so noticeable. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

I rushed down. I just saw Daan step away from the photo wall. I stood in the doorway for a moment and looked at him. A stab of pain went through me.

In the first week I hung them with difficulty. With tears down my cheeks I hung the pictures there, and since then I've tried to avoid the wall as often as possible. I knew it wasn't right, but I just couldn't do it yet. I thought if I really started to feel a bit at home here, it would get better.

When I see them now, the big gaping hole in my heart only starts to hurt more. She was gone and would never come back.

I knew I would have to keep remembering the beautiful moments, but they would never leave my heart. I would always remember her. I tried to put the good memories first, but with a lot of pain in my heart I still often saw her when she died.

Trying to breathe slowly, I walked into the room and stood next to him.

He looked at me for a moment.