Her Eyes

Forty Two

"Nikólao!"

The young man, who was quietly laughing at his cousins' antics while carefully watching his quiet niece who was taking pictures on his camera, looked up from the lounging area when his mother yelled for him. Her voice was loud, which would've caught the attention of everyone around him if it weren't for the equally loud chatter that drowned out her voice. Yet, his mother's angry shout was distinctive compared to those around him, making him wonder what could have gone wrong.

"Dáfni, boreís na frontíseis tin kámera mou?" he asked his cousin as he stood from the sofa and motioned toward the little girl snapping shaky pictures of the most random things.
(Daphne, can you take care of my camera?)

Daphne nodded with a smile and took over his spot on the sofa when he left and paced toward the direction of his mother's voice, only to see her charging toward him with Esmae in tow. He grew more puzzled yet concerned at the upset expression on Evangelia's face. Still, Nikolaos spoke calmly as his eyes darted toward Esmae for a quick moment.

"Yes, mum –"

"Why haven't you brought Esmae to the doctor yet?!" Evangelia snapped, simultaneously cutting off her son. "How could you not bring her to the doctor since she's become a human, ah? What if she was sick? What if she had a condition, ah, Nikolaos? Den se megálosa óste na eísai tóso aprósektos," she scolded angrily, her hand tightly holding Esmae's while her other slapped Nikolaos' arm.
(I didn't raise you to be careless.)

Befuddlement grew on his face at the sudden anger and scolding directed at him, and he took a step back. "Mamá, I –"

"Did you know, Nikolaos? Hm? She hasn't had her period yet – no menstruation. That's not good; it's not normal!" she continued through gritted teeth, her voice low.

Nikolaos grew frustrated each time his mother cut him off, though it diminished when her words passed through his ears and he fully heard them.

"What?" he whispered as his shoulders dropped and his eyes drifted to his love.

Her round, forest eyes stared at him softly, a hint of nervousness in her expression as her mind went over everything that she and Evangelia talked about before.

Evangelia made sure that Nikolaos knew about a woman's body before he was an adult. She didn't want him to be as unaware and clueless as the other boys his age, so he knew what she meant, he knew the implications involved with missing a cycle, nonetheless not having one. Yet, it happened to slip his mind. How he never thought of such an important thing was a mystery to him.

Alas, he was human and Esmae was not.

"I... Den íxera," he mumbled. His eyes met his mother's; they were the same shade of blue, those Evangelia's were always more intense and filled with regrets and shame of the past. "I'm sorry, mum."
(I... I didn't know.)

Heat crept up Nikolaos' neck as embarrassment and shame filled him, those that were created from his negligence. "I forgot. I have no excuse," he added, his voice deep and somber.

Esmae gazed at him, sadness filling her eyes. She'd never seen him so downed before. To her, it wasn't a serious issue, but the humans took seeing this "doctor" as a crucial part of life. She was taught so by Evangelia just moments ago.

Her hands were quite warm though, and the cold ring on her finger was a soothing contrast.

"I-It's okay," the leaf whispered, breaking through the tension with her soft and light. A deep red shade rose to her face when Nikolaos and Evangelia looked at her, and the older woman shook her head and squeezed her hand tightly.