Imagining Us

Chapter 6

It was around midday when the children began to trickle back inside from their games. The group leaders took them to wash their hands then led them inside the open hall to get their snacks. They were organized so that the younger children received their snack boxes first. Esi stood at the end of the line handing out juice boxes and directing the children to their seats.

During a lag in the line, she had briefly glanced around and breathed a brief sigh of relief as she didn't see him. Even though she was a bit relieved, there was also a measure of disappointment because a small part of her did hope to see him.

As the number of children dwindled, the group leaders began to join the line for their refreshments. She was down to the last three juices when she felt a gaze on her. Looking up, she realized that he was still actually there—the last person in the line, and he was staring directly at her.
Those eyes.

That gaze.

She remembered it.

There was one person left between them. Esi licked her lips nervously with anticipation. Would he say something, because she certainly wasn't planning to. When it was his turn, she held out his drink to him, and he grasped it with his left hand. She noticed that he wore a ring on his index finger with some symbol on it.

It was hard to make out the symbol or crest on it without leaning much closer, and that probably would have been strange for her to do. But was it weird that she noticed the sinews of his forearms—who even used the word 'sinew'?

The veins ran from his hands, along his arms then up under his rolled up sleeves. It was only when she felt the tug of the bottle that Esi realized that she was staring and hadn't let go.
"Sorry," she mumbled embarrassingly. For some reason, Mrs. Chandler had sidled up to her—probably to find out why she wasn't giving him his drink—and she was probably experiencing second hand embarrassment for Esi.
He wore a smirk on his face just like he did that day in the bookstore.
"It's fine, Elizabeth."  A heat crept up her face.

So he did remember.

Mrs. Chandler decided to interrupt at that moment. "Oh Porte," she started cheerfully, " I'm glad you got to stay for the full session today. I know you said that you had a meeting to get to after your class." For some reason, Esi detected a change in Mrs. Chandler's voice, it rose a notch towards the end of her statement. When she glanced at her, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly upwards and her eyes were sparkling with mild amusement. The woman really needed a lesson in subtlety. Head down and busying her hands by packing up the remaining drinks, she heard his response.

"Yes, I did, but I called them to push it back. I think it was very important for me tp be here today." The thrill that rushed through Esi was unexplainable and unexpected. She didn't have to look up to know that he was watching her, she could feel hide gaze.

Mrs. Chandler continued teasingly, " Ah yes, the children. They were so excited that you stayed."

He caught himself. "Yes, the children, of course. That's why I stayed." He paused and looked at Mrs. Chandler with complete sincerity.

"Really...I did have fun with them today. The kids are so refreshing," he chuckled. "And they are way too honest." He laughed reminiscently at some thought.

The conspiring continued. "I actually wanted to introduce you to each other. I'm not sure if you've met before." Her eyes darted between them while she rambled on. "The reading club normally meets on Sunday afternoon and you—she pointed to Porte—meet on Saturdays, so I wasn't sure....but clearly you have since you said her name."

His eyebrows came together in confusion. "Her name? I didn't say her name."

It was Mrs. Chandler's turn to be confused. "I thought I heard you say 'Elizabeth'" Porte turned to Esi wide-eyed and confused. "Your name is really Elizabeth? I thought you said it was Esi." Her stomach did an unreasonable flip at the fact that he remembered her name. She paused at that thought. Or maybe she was so lost in distraction that she didn't hear when Mrs. Chandler mentioned it.