Love Beyond Time (True Blood)

3. Happiness

"The influence Greece has over art history is truly remarkable. The techniques used in their art has in transcended to many masterpieces of their contemporaries, especially the Renaissance. The Greeks were and still are, the masters." Mrs. Flemming said to the class as she powered her PowerPoint.

"Wait, isn't that the Romans?" Adam questioned.

"The Romans loved Greek culture and they literally just copied everything." Mrs. Flemming smiled.

"So they are the same?" Another added.

"Not exactly. Does anyone know why?"

Out of instinct, I raised my hand.

"When the Romans conquered Greece, they admired their work. Most of Greek sculptures were made of bronze, the Romans copied the sculptures but used marble instead. There was a time when Romans melted the bronze for weapons and so most of what we know of the sculptures are through the Roman copies." I asserted.

"That is right. Thank you, Delaney. Now, this specific time period is divided into more than one era. We have Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic."

She went on to talk, show the slide show, and I took notes religiously until a certain piece caught my attention.

"This iconic sculpture is a portrait, in marble with powdered diamonds and pearls, is called the Katharos. That means purity. It is said to have been the portrait of a young noblewoman of Roman society who died extremely young and this beautiful portrait was commissioned by her betrothed to remember her by."

It looked extremely familiar and it irked a feeling that made my heart race. If it wasn't for the curled hair, the coronet, or the fact that it was made hundreds of years ago- I would have thought it was me. The way the nose curled, the lashes, the bone structure...

And in that moment, a pang of hurt hit me.

I excused myself from the room and went to the bathroom where I locked myself in a stall.

My breathing became heavy and my mind was lost but my heart was beating fast. Tears developed and a knot ached in my throat. It was like there was some compression happening in my chest and my throat. I didn't feel like myself.

I longed for someone. I wanted to be embraced by someone that wasn't Adam or my family. Someone I don't know but so familiar that I can even put a scent to the person- cinnamon and frankincense. And the more prominent the scent became, the more I ached for it.

***

Adam's last minute practice session went over the usual time so we are no longer grabbing dinner and we are meeting up at the museum. I didn't mind because my mind was still on what happened earlier today. After my crying session in the stall, I went to the nurse and said that I had a really had headache. It was enough to let me skip the class. My favorite class.

Now I am walking around seeing similar portraits to the one that triggered me.

Until I found it.

The Kathoros.

It was right in front of me. Looking at me.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" A man who was standing next to me said softly. His smooth voice was warmth to my ears and the scent I smelled earlier returned. I looked at him and my face dropped.

He looked like the man I saw at the hotel last night.

"Yes." I said awkwardly as I was doing the math in my head.

"Do you come here often?" He asked with a slight smile.

Seeing him smile made the aching hurt in my chest return. I could feel my entire body tense and I felt like I couldn't move. His smile was beautiful and childlike. The sparkle in his eyes, the way he looked at me and then turned to the portrait, where he looked at it with such sadness.