The Magic of Stories | ONC 2024 shortlist

15 - Luca's life

Cat's revelation about Luca's situation kept my thoughts turning the whole evening. When I woke on Tuesday morning, a picture of the forlorn looking young man with the bright blue eyes lingered in my mind, the leftovers of a vivid dream. As much as I loved the library, I couldn't imagine spending all my time there and didn't envy his destiny.

But I didn't have the time to dwell on my feelings for our non-corporeal houseguest. Tuesday was the morning of the knitting circle. I still dreaded setting my reading skills to the test in front of an audience that might be more critical than the children last Wednesday afternoon.

Half an hour before the ladies arrived, I rearranged the sitting corner for the third time, my peaking nervousness driving me into action. I jumped when Conny touched my arm, since I hadn't heard her approach.

"Stop hyperventilating, Lynn." She pressed a hot mug of coffee into my hands.  "I'm sure you got this, girl. You did a great job with the kids last week—my Danny is still full of praise for your reading. He can't wait to hear the next chapter tomorrow and even prepared a drawing as a gift for you."

I clamped my fingers around the cup and inhaled the fragrance. "That's so sweet."

"It is, but don't let him suspect I told you. It's supposed to be a surprise."

Her ruse worked, and I calmed down enough to greet the visitors, cup in hand, without my heartbeat drumming in my ears. As soon as everyone was seated, I plunged headfirst into the adventure.

Conny was right—my worries had been superfluous. The only time I stumbled over my words was when I glimpsed Luca listening in the back of the audience. He leaned against a shelf with crossed arms, his bright eyes on me, and sent me a conspiratorial wink. What was the man doing there? The blood rushed to my face, and I was sure my ears glowed red. I swallowed and let my gaze drop to the page again, concentrating on my task. But I felt his eyes on me for the rest of the reading.

The ladies either hadn't noticed the interruption or put it down to my nervousness. They were charming and supportive, and when I finished my chapter and closed the book on Harry Potter and his gang, they applauded me and gushed over my impersonation of the distinct characters. Embarrassed by the praise, I was relieved when Conny appeared with a tray loaded with coffee, tea, and cookies. "Here you go, ladies. And stop showering poor Lynn with compliments. Can't you see she is overwhelmed already?"

As before, her words did the trick, and amidst amicable laughter, the conversation drifted to other topics. Relieved, I whispered my thanks to my coworker before I checked for my silent listener. But Luca had disappeared as discreet as he had come.

After my success with the knitting circle, reading to the kids on Wednesday had lost most of its horror. I still was too preoccupied with my task to watch out for otherworldly visitors, but my audience seemed content and my self confidence grew. As announced by his mother, Danny offered me an amazing drawing of the interior of the pink space ship. He had created an almost technical plan of the different rooms and components it contained. If not an artist, the boy might become an engineer one day.

Thursday morning, I found a mail from Paco and clicked through the picture galley on his homepage. His photos were gorgeous. I loved every single one of them and understood why Marjorie had thought them a good fit for an exhibition. Since the library was still quiet and inspired by his impressive work, I began writing my opening speech. After a while, I felt someone's gaze rest on me and looked up.

Luca lounged on the sofa by the window front and watched me from afar. As usual, I could see the upholstery and the window frame through his semi-translucent body, but the sight didn't shock me anymore. Since Conny was busy in the office, I walked over and slumped into an armchair facing him.