Up in the Stars

Reconstruction

A surprise weekend update to apologize for the recent sporadic updates.

This semester has been very busy, but I'm doing my best to keep up with my writing, too.

Thank you all so much for your support.

It means more than you'll ever know.

☾     ☾     ☾

Enid paused in her packing to stretch and pull her hair into a bun.

Looking around the nearly barren room, she felt something rustle between her ribs.

Excitement, worry.

Her week was up.

She fell onto the mattress with a sigh, pulling her phone from underneath a stack of music sheets.

Typing in the numbers she knew by heart, she hummed as the dial tone sounded.

"There's my girl. I was wondering when you'd call." The warm accented lilt of Fiona washed over her.

"Hi, Fi." Her voice was soft as she smiled.

"How are you? How's uni? Are you eating and sleeping enough? Make sure you're taking your vitamins." She immediately began her loving interrogation.

Enid giggled at her matronly concern.

"Yes, yes. I'm doing well. University is great, I've got high scores in all of my classes and its nearly midterms. How are you? How is everyone?" She asked, absentmindedly playing with a loose thread on her sweater.

"Oh, we're the same as always. Everyone sends their love. It's so strange not having you here, the home is so empty. Chef Gareth's wife just got the news that she's having another little boy! We're all quite excited about it. It'll liven the place up again." She could hear the smile in Fiona's voice.

"Awe, how lovely. Please pass along my congratulations. I'll have to send over a little gift for her." Enid said, thinking of the toy shop in the downtown area.

"So, have you met any boys?" Fiona asked mischievously.

"Yes, Fiona. There are many boys in my classes." She laughed at the woman's antics.

"Hush, you know what I meant! Any boys that piqued your interest? Or girls, I guess." She could almost see the older woman's smirk.

Enid sighed as she stared up at the ceiling, trying to find a way to answer.

Her eyes wandered to her cello in the corner and she felt the ghost of Alexander's fingers along her arm.

She didn't want to lie.

Because she definitely was interested in someone.

But it wasn't a boy.

It was three men.

"Yeah, there's someone I've been seeing. He's in my psychology and writing classes. And my music class, too." Enid bit her lip, trying to stay as close to the truth as she could.

Fiona's responding squeal nearly burst her eardrum.

"Tell me all about him, child!!" She urged demandingly.

"Well, he's tall. He's an upperclassman. He's a brilliant musician, writer, and he has the most incredible mind. He knows so much. But I feel like he's out of my league. He's experienced so much in life, while I am just beginning. And there's some social issues that make it so that our relationship is viewed as wrong..." Enid rambled, all her worries tumbling out.