She had her back to me, looking out the window, watching the snowflakes gather speed as they plummeted to the ground, three stories below. The first snow of the season. I looked down upon her, from the upstairs balcony: her head tilted slightly to the side, her arms folded in front of her. From this angle I could just see the side of her flushed cheek, her pink lips slightly curled at the end. And I just watched her, remembering back to the first time I ever met her. That warm summer’s day five years ago, when she walked into my life.
***
She was a breath of fresh air, arriving at an old haunt that I regularly visited in this old city that still exhibited the towers and walls from past built fortresses. She was an angel, whose light steps skipped through the grotesque corridor of ghosts that lined the buildings and streets of this ancient city. And I loved her. From the moment I saw her, I loved her. But she was only seventeen then, just a child.
And it wasn’t as if she’d flaunted herself. She hadn’t. Wearing capris, a light shirt, cardigan and sandals, the most I saw of her olive complexion were her legs, hands and face. She remained silent unless spoken to, held herself with graceful elegance, quietly contemplating the conversation that worked its way round her. But she wasn’t shy. Her demeanour unshackled her self-confidence. She didn’t need to speak. However, her hazel eyes – the combination of both her parents – captured my attention the most. The way she looked at me with them, used them to get what she wanted, took my breath away. And it always worked when she looked at me in that certain way, not that I let her know that in the beginning. I couldn’t. I had to wait, wait for her to come to me, wait for her to become an adult.
I came down the spiral staircase, and as I approached her she shivered. “Hi love. Are you ready?” I placed an arm across her shoulder and kissed her lightly on her forehead. A tear slowly trickled down her cheek as she stared into the snow, deep in thought. No, she wasn’t ready just yet.
***
I stayed there with her. Not wanting to leave her side. The apartment was warmer than my old one, the under floor heating here helped her cope with the differences in temperature from what she was used to. She no longer needed to keep layering her sweaters just to stay warm. I insisted that the builders put the heating in under the floors when they were completing the renovations. I thought it would help her. I was pleased I’d been so adamant about it now. This winter was going to be brutal.
The snow fell quicker, thicker. The mountains in the distance were gathering as much of the light dry flakes as possible for the winter skiers. I’d never visited the Carpathian Mountains, only ever saw them from here until two weeks ago. But I’d always admired them, loved how they stood majestically over the city. If only things were different, and they actually protected us properly, protected us from the evil that lurked around us. Hills like White Elephants sprung to mind. Appropriate for today. And I hoped, prayed, this would prove to be our white elephant.
The people down below us rushed to their destinations, disappearing into the pure white blanket. I could just make out the occasional bright scarf, or vibrantly colored hat as each person huddled into themselves, trying to protect their vulnerable bodies from the driving snow. The wind was picking up, and I imagined it whistling down the valley of buildings. The beauty of our wall of windows was we could see the outside world but couldn’t hear it, and no one could see into us because of the tint in the glass.
***
Our new apartment had proven to be invaluable to her. Further away from the university than the old place, it helped her settle, helped her cope with the prying eyes. She’d become a fascination, a topic of conversation. She was the one, and everyone knew. At least she didn’t have to go back, for now. To begin with, we didn’t mind the longer walk because we were together. Now, I wasn’t so sure it was a good thing. But this had become our home, the moment we entered it.
Home. It had a nice ring to it. Comfortable. And even though I’d had homes before, this time was different. This time I had her. She’d found it so hard when she first arrived. She’d led such a quiet, sheltered life, living on a secluded farm, in the middle of nowhere. So to come to a bustling city, and a large university had been a shock for her. To then have to learn a new language as well just made everything so much harder. I’d tried to help, give her the support she needed, but my job got in the way. I was the young dynamic professor, the catch of the century. The majority of the students either knew me, or knew of me. But I was never interested in anyone, until I met her that day.
Then, my life changed forever.
She described me as a celebrity, and probably to her it must have felt like it because we couldn’t go anywhere on campus or near my old apartment without us being stopped by a student or other member of staff. I was the resident expert on mythological creatures, separating fact from fiction, especially regarding vampires, one of the most popular subjects at the university. And my celebrity status all just became too much for her, so I bought her this apartment, away from the gawping eyes of the students and staff at the university. It became our home instantly. She was able to relax and enjoy being a student, then come home and enjoy being with me.
“Okay, I’m ready.” She turned toward me, heading to the sofa to get her coat, scarf, hat and gloves on. All I wanted to do as I watched her get ready was hold her forever, never let her go.
