Evelyn

❇︎ Chapter Seven ❇︎

- Harper -

  "Aimeé, how are you?" Harper smiled, walking into the Danan household. Aimeé turned, the cream coloured fabric from her apron shuffling as she did so. Harper had always loved how Aimeé looked. Her hair had always been brown. Some thought it to be boring, bland even. But Harper had always loved it, had always wanted it. There were shades of ochre, sorrel, copper, cocoa which ran down her head in rivers of colour, falling over her shoulder, curling, twisting, shining. Her tips were became highlighted in the colour Harper could only describe as ecru. But there was something beautiful about her hair, something she felt the world couldn't see. It was also something Harper loved. The way Aimee's hair fell was like rivers of all the beauty in simplicity, and Harper loved it. Her eyes were a hickory as rich as the earth's soil; stained with the colour of hot chocolate on a cold, winter night that wraps around you like a blanket; engulfs you in its warmth and makes you feel at home. Those deep pools of dark-cinnamon swirls seized the depth and heaviness of one thousand untold stories, which imprisoned the sweetness of saccharine chocolate and the bitterness of strong coffee. They consisted of raw emotion and if observed closely, they would reveal the exact thought that crosses the marvels of her mind. Her iris was a large stain of wood and ebony pigments... Its size gave it a sense of innocence and purity. This is the part where you can see all the buried kindness eclipsed behind the saturated colour of fine, exquisite timber. There was some sort of goodness in her eyes, which tells you that no matter what she did, their intention will never carry any hint of malevolence or malignity whatsoever. The kindness may not be necessarily be shown or exposed. But if you look closely, you can reveal all the mysteries that are hidden in the deep beds of those big, brown eyes. From the surface of the stolen specks in sunlight, to the abyss in the abysmal depths of dusky, auburn. It was clear where Kai got his good looks from. Like mother like son, Harper thought.

   "I'm good, you, love?" Then, she smiled. The corners of her beauteous eyes held specks happiness in soft twinkles, which reflected the light that made her eyes copper against caramel. Likewise, her eyes glazed with a liquid that will reveal to you the pure blissfulness, which glistered inside the almond, circumscribed by eye-lined lashes. Harper had never understood how to be so simplistically beautiful but she craved it; because like all humans, she was born with the curse to want what she could never have. So she smiled, an action that she reserved for the ones she loved. 

  "I'm good, thank you."

  The kitchen was always a warm and lovely place that Harper loved. Her parents were never home and Aimeé was always caring for her in their absence. The kitchen reminded Harper that even if her parents weren't home, she had others who cared for her. Aimeé's fingers were slim and gentle. They sliced a variety of vegetables grown from the garden in the back. Many of these things were common vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and even beans. But the way Aimeé made them always made sure they got eaten. 

  "Harper, love," Aimeé began, not taking her eyes off the carrots, "please run upstairs and tell Kai to come down for lunch." Harper nodded, leaving the potatoes. She went towards the sink and rinsed her hands, washing the potato peels off. Her brown boots made the oaken floorboards creak as she made her way up the stairs. The air was becoming less like the scent of food and more like the scent of him. And Harper adored it. 

  "Kai, your mom said Lunch was ready," Harper called out, as she neared his door. "You need to come down from your - oh my god, Kai, what did you do!" Kai had his left hand gripping his cupboards so tightly, the veins on his wintery skin were showing, purple and pulsing. She rushed to his side to see flecks of brown imbedded in his wintery skin. "Kai, what did you do?" Harper whispered, holding his hand gingerly. Kai's eyes snapped up. She focused on them. They were darting back and fourth, shining in the sunlight. They were a deep, earthy brown - the colour of the earth after torrential rains. But there was something else in them, something glistening. Glistening like an old copper penny being examined in the warmth next to powerful flames that were licking the safety glass door of an old fireplace. They held secrets, the same way a pot holds layers of deep soil- cradling- because it is essential to keep the plant safe. The roots are held in place the same way his dark, liquid eyes held so tightly onto his secrets. For once, Harper didn't know how to deal with it so she remained quiet.

  "I-I don't know," Kai managed to choke out, letting Harper guide him to his bed and sit him down. Harper closed her eyes, trying to convince herself it wasn't serious. She lay her lips to his forehead. 

  "Stay here. I'll be back." Her footsteps were swift yet flustered as she tore down the stairs, flinging herself into the kitchen. She ran to the chest under the window, ignoring Aimeé's questions. Rummaging around, Harper felt perspiration beginning to form on her brow. She continued to fish around until she found a bowl. Harper ran the tap, waiting impatiently. She found Kai sitting in a trance-like state, almost comatose. She gently placed herself next to him, putting his hand into the bowl of cooling water. What was once clear turned into something different, red and streaky. Drying his hand, Harper forced her fingers not to shake as she tied it around his hand, trying to be careful. "Does it still hurt?" She whispered, focusing on the task at hand. Kai shook his head mutely and Harper let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Good.

   Her head was rested on his chest, their breathing in sync. The bed was the perfect size, as if they fit like two pieces of a puzzle.

  "Kai," Harper's voice was serene and quiet. She looked up at him. His eyes reminded her of the old barn door, flecks of deep brown married with lighter hues, so much strength remaining despite the years of weathering, so much life. He hummed in response. Harper drew in a shaky breath. "I need to tell you something." Harper drew closer, their warmth being distributed evenly as they spent their last night together. "I love you." Kai shifted, shocked. Harper took this chance to sit up and Kai hastily followed suit. His eyes were the colour of earth kissed by spring rains, the hue that promises to stir life from dormant seeds, the nascent plants guided upward by the light before blossoming into the vibrant colours of a new season. Kai's expression was unreadable and Harper fought the urge to ask him how he felt. Kai opened his mouth but nothing happened. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He closed his mouth, a taut line forming where a smile should've been. His fingers brushed her cheek and gently cupped it, caressing it as if each were the stroke of an artist.

"Kai," she breathed, leaning into his touch. A perfectly round tear raced down her face. Her muted green eyes glistened with sorrow. He was here. Kai smiled, a tear running down his cheek too.  Kai smiled, resting his forehead to hers. "My love, I know. You're going away. But we'll make it." Kai sighed and brought her body close to his. Her head rested on his chest, her hands clasped in his. Her breathing deepened within minutes, a smile on her face, as sleep crashed over her in one swift motion. 

  His bags were packed by the following day and he was in his uniform, back straighter than it had ever been. He was already a different person. It scared Harper. But she knew she had to let him go. Let him live. Besides she comforted herself you'll be with him before you know it. Horses and a carriage could be heard faintly and Harper tried to peer past Kai to see them. She smiled, brushing a tear away from her right eye. She loosely intertwined her hand with Kai's. But then he did something he had never done. He brushed it off. He turned to face her, his eyes still unreadable. 

  "Sweetness, I'm sorry. But while I'm at the Palace, I can't be with you. I can't make you wait for me. I can't do that to you. I'm so sorry, Harper. I wish I could be the man you could love, but I can't." Harper could do nothing but let another tear fall. Then another. Two turned to five which in turn turned into twelve. They cascaded over her eyelids and Harper stood still as Kai kissed her forehead for the last time before walking towards the carriage in the distance. Every step he took felt like knives stabbing into Harper and as she watched, she let herself crumble a little bit more. She waited until he was out of sight before she fell to the ground, her tears watering the garden more than any rainstorm could.