The Waiting Room

Chapter 3

The young man's gaze remained fixated through the glass, interestingly inspecting the damaged petals of an encased red rose.

The dimly lit room cast long shadows, enveloping the young woman's voice as Connor responded, his voice soft but curious, "I beg your pardon for intruding, but it appears I've stumbled upon this place purely by chance."

Within sight but partially obscured, the young woman replied, her words carrying a sense of wisdom, "Oh, my dear, chance is but an illusion."

Connor had a clever retort poised on his lips, but as his gaze shifted away, the words lost their footing and tumbled into the depths of his thoughts. He found himself captivated by the unexpected presence of this new acquaintance.

The voice he had heard now had a face, a face that defied the name and contents of this establishment he had unknowingly entered. It was a face he hadn't anticipated encountering.

Her skin possessed a luminous light brown glow, as if milk had transformed into caramel and been polished to a radiant glow. Long, lustrous black curls cascaded down her head, each strand elegantly curving to its tip, with a single streak of white gracefully interwoven.

Yet, amidst all the striking features adorning this young lady, it was her eyes that rendered Connor speechless, particularly her pupils. They were an enigmatic white, surrounded by a profound black void- like a window that defied explanation.

Connor's hand rose tentatively, his gaze transfixed by the young lady's extraordinary eyes, as if attempting to dispel his bewilderment.

Intrigued, the young lady leaned back slightly and a playful giggle escaped her lips before she asked a simple question, her voice gentle and melodic, "What is it that you're doing?"

Connor immediately understood his misstep and stammered, his words faltering, "I'm... I'm terribly sorry... I assumed you were... visually impaired."

"Why would you assume such a thing?" she inquired, her tone laced with curiosity.

"Your eyes... I have never seen..." Connor's words were abruptly interrupted.

"Oh, it has been so long since I've given thought to them. I was born with these eyes, and where I come from, we rarely discuss such matters. There's something about a special gift or perhaps a curse. It's been so long, I can't quite recall," she explained, her voice carrying a hint of nostalgia.

Connor's tense shoulders relaxed, for it had been quite some time since he had encountered such unguarded honesty in the voice of a stranger.

"I sincerely apologize, Miss... Miss Humm... Miss Roo," he offered his apology.

"Oh no, forgive my lack of manners. Roo is my grandmother, or rather, my great-grandmother. But you can address me by my name... Penelope," she revealed, a warm smile gracing her lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Penelope. I'm Connor," he introduced himself, reciprocating her smile.

A sudden rumble of thunder echoed through the streets outside, permeating the store and diverting their attention to the menacing vibrations, causing the fine hairs on their arms to stand on end.

Dip... Dip... Dip...

A cascade of watery droplets descended, barely perceptible, passing through Penelope and Connor before landing with a gentle pat on the wooden countertop between them. As the cloudy mist dissipated, their focus returned to one another.

"It seems it's time for the buckets," Penelope observed, her voice holding on to a certain amount of practicality.

Connor could not retain the information that more than one bucket was required. As Penelope disappeared behind a curtain of delicate silk, his eyes roamed the store in search of a similar discovery.