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F A L L I N G
I rang the doorbell to his house. I shifted the weight of my body from one foot to another. Trish's garden was growing beautifully and the flowers blossomed brightly.
I looked down at my sundress and smiled to myself. I felt pretty. The door opened and Luke's mother came into view. She held a shocked expression on her face as she saw me.
She finally spoke, "Elle, come in." I smiled and walked into the beautiful house as soon as she opened the door for me.
"Hello, Trish," I greeted her. She sat down on the sofa and gestured me to sit next to her.
"Hello, Elle. What're you doing here, unexpectedly? You do know Luke's at the university today," she explained and I smiled at her concerned questions.
"Oh, Trish. I know that Luke's at college. I came here to meet you."
"Meet me?" Trish was taken aback. "What for?"
"I, hmm," I started. I was hesitant to say a word further. Would she lash out on me for demanding exquisite information of which I had no part in? Would she feel offended? Beyond all that, would she be reminded of all the past moments and feel heartbroken all over again?
"Don't hesitate, honey," Trish comforted me. "Tell me. What do you want?"
"I'd like to know more about Luke's father."
And then there was a dead moment of silence; thick enough to shatter anything and sharply thin enough to cut through anything.
"Why?" Trish finally voiced out with a very bitter tone.
"I'm sorry if I'm being very rude and intruding in your personal life, but I would like to know everything I can get about your husband and Luke's father. I'm sorry," I apologised profusely but with a certain sternness in my voice that I couldn't help but feel.
"Why, darling? Why do you want information about Vincent?" She asked yet again. I could see hurt flash in her eyes and my heart clenched.
"Luke hates him. That's not how it's supposed to be," I tried reasoning.
"No," she raised her voice and I flinched. She looked at me and suddenly her eyes softened, "I didn't mean too, darling. He's just a sensitive topic." She placed her hand on top of mine and smiled at me.
"Could you tell me about him? I just don't want Luke to hate him. It's not how it's supposed to be. It's not how it's ever supposed to be. You should never be put into a situation where you want to hate your parent even if they were completely and absolutely wrong," I spoke up as my head jerked upwards and I looked at the chandelier that hang in the centre of the room.
"Vincent was nice to me. He always was. Gentle and caring. Taking me out to dates and what not. We really did love each other and I think for a moment then, I was certain I would have my happily ever after and I did. Just that it didn't last," Trish spoke in a very low voice.
I kept my focus on Patricia Fletcher as she spoke and narrated her story to me. If it meant spending time listening to a broken love story to get details about Luke's father, then, I was ready for it.
"We got married. We had a beautiful son and Luke meant the world to both of us," A smile made its way on my face as I heard that. Luke's father liked him. He wanted Luke, and so it wouldn't be much of a problem. The pursuit wouldn't be pretty difficult.
"Vincent was super successful then. Fletcher Incorporation flourished and wealth came knocking on his doors. Yet, his attitude didn't change till then. He was still the Vincent I had fallen for when I was sixteen. He was still the same Vincent I could help but have a crush on when I was a teenager," I gave her a small smile as a sign of comfort. Everyone deserves their happy ending. Every single one of us deserved one.
"It was a Friday. Yes, a Friday indeed. I could still remember that day even if I longed to forget. Vincent had come home as usual in the evening, pecked me on the cheek and had asked me for a cup of tea. It was supposed to go peaceful but it didn't," Trish leaned back into the sofa and sighed.
"He was honest at the least. He told me that evening that we had to end. He told me that he cheated on me once and he did say felt guilty but he also mentioned that that was what made him realise that maybe he didn't love me anymore. My heart broke that day, darling. It cracked and shattered into numerous pieces. Elle, he honestly left me in a brutal state. I couldn't love anyone after Vincent. I couldn't even be bothered to try. My heart would betray me then," Trish cried. Tears rolled down her eyes slowly, one after one and I literally felt my heart reaching out to her. Trish was a good person and she deserved better.
"I'm sorry for asking about him, Trish," I mumbled as I fidgeted with my fingers.
"You wanted the best for my son. It's okay, darling," she smiled at me softly.
"Where may I find Vincent, Trish?"
"He shifted to Buffalo after that with her. Claudia was her name. She's very pretty. I'll message you the address. That'd be easier for you," Trish smiled at me and sighed. Trish still loved Vincent and she really had wished that she could hate him.
"I'm sorry and thank you," I kissed Trish on her cheek and hugged her.
Slightly pushing me apart to have a proper glance of my face, Trish mumbled; her voice laced with guilt and remorse, "I shouldn't have portrayed Vince as such a terrible person to Luke. I d-don't even know why I did that. It was during the times my heart sought out a redemption from somewhere and time was the only one saviour it was ready to accept."
"You nursed your broken heart and you knew that if Luke was in contact with Vincent, you'd have to meet Vincent too - the only way to break your only broken heart further. Luke would understand. Definitely, he would and could never hate you."
"I'll be leavi - "
"Wait for few minutes more. You did mention to me that you'll be going with Luke for a long car journey, right? And that too, as soon as he came from the university today. So wait for few minutes. He'll come anytime soon and you could take one of the cars parked here to go to the state of Buffalo," Trish smiled at me. Her each and every word felt like she was trying to somehow pay the penance of her grave mistake. But then, yet again, who was to blame her?
"Would Luke even come along with me, Trish?"
"Well, don't tell him. Luke is adamant when he wants something to go his way and he'd do anything to not meet his dad. So don't tell him that you're taking him to his father. You'll be disheartened if you do so," Trish stood up and walked into the kitchen.
"If you insist," I replied, politely.
"I do. I insist very much so that this plan of yours - sweetheart, a sensible plan - does not fall away," Trish took out some ripe strawberries from the refrigerator and washed them. I looked at how she carried herself elegantly even in the kitchen.
"Thank you for the support though, Trish," I stood up and walked till the kitchen. Leaning on the kitchen counter and glancing at how Trish carefully cut the strawberries, I said, "Your support honestly means the world to me."
"Maybe this is how I could rectify my error, sweetheart," Trish voiced out as she gathered the cut strawberries in a dish and put them into the juicer.
"But Trish, what you did was self defence. I would have done the very same too." My head unintentionally moved slightly to the left and I smiled widely, closing my eyes.
"I'm glad my son met you."
With that one sentence, Trish kept quiet and I watched her do her work, only to realise that she was making a strawberry smoothie for me. My heart had swollen up at that very little gesture of hers and her very touching words.
I was glad I had met her son. Luke Fletcher was the reason I smiled now. He gave me a new hope - a new shining sun in my melancholic and gloomy life and I couldn't ever express the immense gratitude I felt towards Luke. He was my saviour, just as I was his. We were both pieces of paper, with torn and crumbled ends and stained ink marks and we both needed saving. Somehow, with each other - with two broken pieces of hearts - we survived; we lived. We joined our two broken hearts to form one impossibly imperfect yet a complete heart - a beating one.
I didn't realise I kept staring at Trish for a long time until she came closer to me and waved her hand in front of me to grab my attention. She passed the strawberry smoothie to me now and I licked my lips unknowingly.
Trish laughed at my gesture and said, "I hope it tastes as good as you make it look."
"You prepared it, Trish. Your skills in kitchen does wonders. It could save lives."
"You're just flattering me now, Elle," Trish chuckled and I sipped on the smoothie which I instantly fell in love with.
Almost instantly, the door bell rang and I whipped my head in the direction of the door; my hand holding onto the smoothie tightly with a slight grin forming inevitably on my face. Trish laughed at my response and waited for Luke to come in.
"Mom, I'm ho - "
Luke's eyes widened and even though it took him few minutes to register the sight he saw, he eventually smiled at me. His smile grew along with every minute the silence grew penetratingly deeper.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Okay, kids. You catch up. I've got some work to complete," Trish winked and walked away from the scene, shaking her head at the incident she just witnessed.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Luke finally made his first sentence in that occasion. Mentally chuckling, I replied, "I wanted the element of surprise to prolong for long."
"Wow. You managed to do that successfully."
I laughed, like I always did.
"Why though?" Luke asked, still utterly confused.
"I wanted to take you out," I decided to finally explain to Luke. He walked next to me and leaned on the kitchen counter just like I was.
"Take me out?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah. You've always taken me out. I want to initiate something and take you out." I smiled at Luke, giving him the best innocent toothy grin I could manage to put up.
"And why this sudden wish?"
"Because. . ."
"Because?"
"Because Ella made me feel guilty of how people might think I'm just using your wealth and may not actually care for you," I lied and looked down quickly. I hated lying, but in moments like these, lying was the only ticket to achievement.
"She told you that?" Luke's eyes widened.
"Wait, it's true?"
"Uhm, yeah. In my defence, I had nothing to do with this," Luke raised his hands in defends, almost suddenly and I instinctively chuckled.
"No one's accusing you," I snorted. "Guilt conscious?"
Luke's eyes widened and his eyebrows raised, "What? No. How could I?"
I laughed and wiped the tears that had formed in the corners of my eyes with all the excess and uncontrollable laughter, "Chill."
Luke's eyes, that were guilt burdened only a minute ago, flickered to mine and gave a baffled look again. Luke looked as if he wanted me to explain what I intended to do just one more time.
Offering a sly smile at Luke, I bargained, "Just come along with me. I promise you'll enjoy the car ride and you will enjoy everything. Just give the trip a chance. Just one chance - " And him one too, I thought almost instantly but didn't voice it out. It was better - as Trish had kindly informed - to not let Luke know where he is headed too. The city of Buffalo in the magnificent state of New York.
"Okay."
"And maybe you might actually enjoy the jouney and have - " I looked at Luke, surprised at his reply. Did I expect him to say yes? Yes. But this soon? No.
I stuttered and asked to clarify, "Yes?"
"Yes, Amor. I'll come with you, no matter where you are taking me," Luke have me a slight smile and ruffled my hair, which was pretty easy for him with his massive height and my extreme Lilliputian height.
"I could be taking you the the realms of darkness," I hinted with a touch of humour of lacing my voice. Luke shook his head at my stupid possibilities and laughed.
"I'll still tag along if you're going there. I'll be your partner-in-crime - your shoulder to lean on and your person to cry to."
My mind quickly flashed back at how kind his mother was even if she was rude to me initially. However that was because she had her defences up. With all her defences and walls down, Trish was a beautiful person - a person worth admiring and glamourising about. Her son took up this trait of hers. Luke Fletcher, with his charming face, had a mystical heart too. His kindness startled me just as his anger and rage did.
From the very first time I saw Luke at the clinic to this day, Luke had never ceased to steal my breath away. His innocence tainted but the world's cruelty was so notably that my heart clenched every time he felt this sweep of the wind of pain.
"You're zoning out, babe," Luke informed, nudging me slightly with his elbow. Brining my mind back to the reality from the wandering thoughts it was sailing, I looked at Luke, curiously.
I finished the last bit of my strawberry smoothie as Luke looked at me intently. It felt weird drinking in another's presence when they themselves had nothing with them. I quickly gulped the smoothie down and walked to the sink and cleaned the cup.
Luke still kept looking at me keenly as I kept quiet for quite a few minutes now.
Finally heaving out a sigh, I spoke the words - uttered them - with the same gravity I had given them when they moved restlessly in my mind. As the words slowly drawled out of mouth, I could see Luke's eyes sparkle as he gave me a huge toothy grin, my mind doing backflips at his beauty and his innocence. I asked him why he cared for me so much; why he waited on me dotingly. To which, he replied with an instant hundred watt smile,
"You, Ellie, are worth it."
•••
"I just don't understand why you won't allow me to drive," I'm dying, not dead. I thought but decided not to voice it out since I might just as well ruin the essence of the journey.
"Well, I'm the guy and I wi - "
"You're just a big sexist pig," I mumbled annoyed, folding my hands instinctively.
"Am not," Luke's focus flickered to me for a second before he shook his head and continued focusing on the road.
"You are, Luke. About time you accepted it," I smirked at him and gently tapped on the dashboard of the car.
"Whatever," Luke scoffed and I laughed, my head swinging back in reflex. Luke smiled at me laughing and butterflies fluttered haphazardly in my stomach. I staggered and formed a lopsided grin on my mouth to which Luke just winked.
Damn, that man!
"Where are we headed to?" Luke asked me. It wasn't like I wasn't expecting this question from him but I sincerely wished he would have asked me moments later. I looked at Luke and he playfully tapped on the steering wheel as he drove straight.
"Uhm," I looked hesitantly to my left, on the streets that were bordered beautifully with trees - tall and short. I looked back at Luke and shrugged.
"What's wrong, Amor?" He asked, concerned about my wellbeing and my very mental state.
"We're going to - hmm, I can't tell you," I stuttered, helplessly.
"And why can't you tell me?"
"Because it's a surprise!"
Luke sighed in frustration and turned to glance at me for a minute and at that moment, I realised that he had raised his eyebrows at me. The car sped up slightly and my glance flickered instantly at Luke.
"Am I this annoying when I surprise you?"
And my ears would preach forever of what I had done at that moment. I giggled in the most fake way I could have ever but then in my defence, I've never giggled or don't giggle frequently. I would never know how that thing sounded.
Even Luke was surprised. He looked at me wide eyed and then, changed the gear. I literally wished to hit my head on the wall and Luke somehow could realise how terribly bad I felt. What was all this for? All because I giggled.
Damn you, melodramatic Danielle.
Minutes passed by as we both kept shut and Luke just drove straight. Well, Google Map hasn't told me to take a right or a left yet so I think we're on the right direction.
"How long is this journey?" Luke piped out of sheer curiosity.
"Approximately six hours, if I'm right?"
"Six hours?" Luke nearly yelled and I internally flinched.
"Hm, yeah. I should have told this earlier."
"Hell yeah, you should have," Luke frowned yet without any doubt, drove forward.
"I'm sorry; I just wanted to do something right."
"Well, next time, drop by a word and I could plan the surprises instead of you?"
I hit my head on the dashboard in embarrassment and groaned, "Will do, captain."
"Very well, Agent," he retorted back and I smiled unknowingly.
I looked outside the window and the trees kept moving too quickly that I hardly had the time to capture them in to my level of aesthetic pleasures. Leaning on the door, I felt myself slowly falling into a short slumber as the Google Voiceover informed us of the direction.
I fell asleep to a pleasant sight and a pleasant feeling. The green bright trees moving past as the sun was notably seen and without any doubt, I could feel Luke looking at me and smiling as he took a right on the command of Google.
Luke gently whispered as he drove, "Go take some rest, Ellie."
And rest was what I had.