Beautiful Lily

Book club

Belle parked their car on the side street by the library. She was only five minutes late. Belle bolted out of the driver's side and hurried down the street, passing by one of her flyers:

BOOK CLUB!

Share ideas and thoughts about the stories you know

And the stories you don't know.

Come to the meeting and bring a friend.

First Saturday of every month. 9am. Town Library.

Belle pulled out her keys to unlock the door and was disappointed to discover only four people waiting outside the front door: Dr. Hopper, Henry, Mary-Margaret and baby Neal. She had been expecting at least ten people to show up. Nonetheless, she was glad to see some people there. It would have been an embarrassing failure if she had shown up and nobody else did.

"Belle!" greeted Mary-Margaret.

"I'm so sorry everyone. I was running late getting out of the house this morning. Here... let me open the door and we can get started."

Belle opened the door and Dr. Hopper followed after Henry into the Library. Mary-Margaret held back a bit to talk to Belle. Mary-Margaret asked, "Do you mind if Neal sits in with us? David's gone back to work and I'm still on maternity leave."

"No, I don't mind. Come on in," consented Belle.

"He really is a quiet baby," Mary-Margaret justified as she walked through the doors.

"It's quite alright," Belle smiled.

... ...

Belle initiated the meeting and each of them took turns reading passages of short stories written from this world. Every once in a while she would catch herself staring at Neal and despite the baby's pleasant and silent demeanor he was actually quite distracting. Babies. Children. It was as if she couldn't escape her own thoughts. Could she? Was she?

"I don't know. Belle, what do you think?" Dr. Hopper asked.

Belle snapped out of her own thoughts and rejoined the discussion that was taking place in front of her. "I... I'm sorry. What do I think about... what?"

"About comparing the stories about us from this world and actually doing them justice by retelling what actually happened in our world."

"I think that's brilliant. I love it," she said simply. She wasn't completely sure what was happening she was too consumed in her own thoughts.

The conversation went around in circles. They continued taking turns reading some more passages out of the book and compared them to the ones they knew personally from their world. At the end of the session they were to go around the library in search for their own story. Next club meeting would be about their discovering this world's interpretation of their own story. After everyone was done checking out their books, she made it a point to connect with each person as they exited the library.

"This was a great meeting. Can't wait to come back next week," said Dr. Hopper as he left the building.

Henry left with Mary-Margaret and Neal and Mary-Margaret chimed in, "That was a great meeting. You know, I'm really surprised that nobody else showed up. I went to the school and gave them the flyers you gave me."

"I appreciate that and thank you for trying, but um... I'm starting to realize that when the stories are involving people's personal lives, most don't want to sit around in a circle discussing and dissecting it. Most people are just not ready for that kind of therapy."

"That... and it's really early on a Saturday morning. Most people in this world, and apparently your world, appreciate the weekends too," remarked Henry.