Mosaic | H.S.

Chapter 9

"I promised you we'd find out how to make your eggs, yeah?" Harry holds his basket of goodies by his head.

"Yes, yes. I almost forgot. What do we need?" She didn't forget. She spent the entire night before planning her dialogue, figuring out how to be her most charming self. "Lemme go get my face on." Mara laughs, grabbing her makeup bag from the coffee table and walking to the bathroom.

"No... that's... that's unnecessary." Harry places the groceries on the counter and puts his hand over hers to stop her from lifting the bag. "I'm sorry. Actually... do what you want. You'll look beautiful regardless. Sorry. I just hope you know you don't have to 'put a face on' for me."

Mara hesitates. What makes her feel pretty? What makes her comfortable? These types of questions have never been proposed to her before. Well, they have but she's never had the wherewithal to answer them herself. This moment is vindicating. A small yet sweet release. She's lived the majority of her life dressing for a man that wanted nothing more than a pretty picture of her on his arm. She sits the makeup bag down on the table. Harry smiles to himself when he realizes she's decided to stay in her most natural state.

How could her ex take someone like her for granted?

Their hearts are young and their beings combine for a brief moment. Their anxiety, worries, sweetness and adoration for the other - all things good and bad - melt together, creating a beautiful energy between their bodies. A presence looking to take hold of each of their lives and swallow them whole in the most poetic and romantic way possible.

"What's on the menu, chef?" Mara stands beside him, soaking in the natural smells he's omitting.

How is it he smells so sweet?

"I talked to grandmum," Harry replies, grabbing a list of recipes from his back pocket. "She said we should do scrambled, eggs benedict, fried - over easy and sunny side up - cheese omelet and she made us a quiche to try too." Harry grabs a pie dish from his bag and places it on the counter. "It's ham and cheese." He smiles wide. "I helped."

An hour before he knocked on her door, Harry was pacing back and forth in Betty's kitchen, nervous of his surprise for Mara. Would she be excited to see him? Would she be hungry? Maybe she'll kick him out and tell him to leave her alone. Betty reassured him that Mara would be over the moon to lay her eyes upon Harry's face. She'd seen the way Mara's eyes sparkled at the sight of him. How anyone within a mile radius of Mara could hear her heart pound when he entered a room.

"This was Grandpa Edward's favorite breakfast. I'm sure this will be her favorite." Betty says, rolling out the crust. "Now cut the ham, Harry. You're wasting time. Your date is waiting."

"This smells delicious, Harry." Mara leans down to take in the smell of the salty ham and buttery crust. "Let's do this!" She claps her hands and rubs them together, the friction mirroring her level of excitement.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, I'm so full." Mara sits back on the couch, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over her bare legs.

Harry takes a final bite and looks over at her. "So? What's the verdict?"

"Mm..." Mara eyes each empty plate on the coffee table. "To be totally honest, I think I discovered that I don't think I like plain eggs all that much. The quiche's crust was incredible though. And I can never turn down anything involving melted cheese. Especially in combination with that ham!"

"Betty had a feeling that'd be your favorite. My grandpa wasn't big on eggs either but he always loved that quiche. It was his favorite." Harry wipes the leftover oils on his hands on a small cocktail napkin and nervously rips the edges.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me. I know it seems small but this... all of this... it means a lot."

"Can I show you something really quick?" Harry stands up and puts his hand out for her to grab. She quickly obliges and he leads her to the hallway closet of her apartment. "My grandparents actually used to live in this apartment. For decades. And I lived here with them too. This was our home for as long as I could remember. Then grandpa got sick and couldn't walk up the steps anymore. They moved down to where Betty is now and I moved to the basement when I got older. They hadn't rented out this space since. Well... until you came. They wanted to make sure whoever moved in would take good care of it and grandmum saw something in you. I saw it too."

Mara starts to tear up at Harry's story. The fact he and his family entrusted her with their memories. It's an honor and she doesn't know if she'll ever be able to explain how important their existence is to her at such a crucial point in her life.

"Look," Harry says, stepping into the closet and pulling her inside with him. "See this?" He takes her hand and runs it across a carving in the wall in the back. B + E with a heart around the initials. Betty plus Edward. Their love was engraved into the walls of the home they held so dear. Just beneath their letters was a messily carved "Harry."

"You all did this?" Mara kneels down to take a closer look at the engraving and stands back up to face Harry. The area around them is dark, save a small piece of light creeping through the partially open door. The room could be dark and she'd still be able to see his beaming smile like new car headlights on a night drive.

"Mmhmm. And this." Harry points to the door frame up which various black notches scatter, each mark annotated with a specific age. "They would mark my height every few months."

"This is incredible," she whispers, feeling the ridges of the wood. Soft skin tickles down her knuckles and Harry's fingers interlace with hers.

"I'm really enjoying my first date," Harry says, hesitantly bringing her close. There's something about her that makes him step out of his comfort zone and make the first move. "Is this okay?"

Their breaths are labored as their nervous lungs gasp for air. The past love of Betty and Edward fills the room. Their timeless romance. Their challenged lives, made better by their infatuation with one another. It was as though their souls, laced in the drywall and beams of The Mare's Nest, were finally awake and ready to aid Harry and Mara in their journey to discovering one another.

"Yes," Mara responds.

"Can I kiss you?" Harry gently presses his forehead against Mara's.

"Please," Mara says. The heat of his lips crashes into hers and the sparks between them light the dark closet.

Their lips part and Harry finally speaks. "Can we go on my first second date?"