To Rest, or Not To Rest - Chapter 7

Gil and Lance stood framed in the doorway, both of them…well, different. Gone were the rough, salt-stained clothes they usually wore by the docks of the shore. Instead, Gil wore a neat, buttoned vest over a clean white shirt, his dark hair combed smooth in a way that made him seem taller, older, and more composed. He even wore what looked to be an ivy cap, finishing off the look. Beside him. Lance tugged at the collar of his crisp tunic, clearly uncomfortable but just as polished as his older brother. Even his wild mop of hair had been brushed into some sense of order. I couldn’t help it. I stared.

I glanced over to Luisa, who’d been fussing over her appearance with my mother for days. But I hadn’t truly noticed until now. Her dress was a shade of soft blue, with amber trimmings that matched her eyes. The dress shimmered whenever she moved. Her multi-toned hair had been braided and tied with ribbons, framing her freckled face with a care I’d never seen her bother with before. The way she blushed the instant Gil’s eyes landed on her…it said everything. It was as if the two had been caught in a music video together.

I almost forgot to breathe for a moment. Everyone looked so radiant, and so ready for the fair. Gil dipped his head respectfully toward my parents. “Thank you for allowing us this honor. We’ll make sure both your daughters are returned safely after the festivities.” His voice was steady, warm and the kind of tone that carried trust easily. Lance puffed out his chest proudly, nodding along. “Yeah! You don’t have to worry, not even a single scratch, promise!” My father chuckled, arms crossed. He’d been charmed by their formality. My mother’s eyes softened, though I could see her subtle glance toward Luisa’s flushed cheeks. She looked as if she wanted to tease, but held back for her daughter’s sake.

“You have our blessing,” Father said, finally. “Take them. Enjoy the fair while it lasts. We’ll join later in the evening.” Mother touched my shoulder gently, smoothing the fabric of my dress one last time. “Be safe Chloe, Stay close to your sister.” Her words were filled with care, wanting the best for me in my first experience. “I will.” I whispered, though my heart hammered with newfound anticipation. The fair had finally arrived; we were moments from going out to enjoy it! I glanced back at the mirror, seeing my appearance once more. I let off a small smile as confidence filled within me.

I am pretty cute in this…

Gil offered his arm politely to Luisa, who accepted it with a nervous smile that I’d seen her develop over the past weeks. Maybe my gossiping brain would finally be right, this could be the day he swings for the fences. I’d love to see that! Lance stepped forward afterward, his hand reaching out toward me with the same blunt confidence he’d always seemed to carry.

“Ready to go, uh…Claire?”

I blinked at him. “...It’s Chloe.”

His face flushed a scarlet, matching the appearance of a cardinal. “That’s what I said!” Despite myself, I laughed, clutching my new book in my arms. Father had slipped me a small utensil to write with, placing it in one of my dress pockets. This was it, my very first Fallfest fair. Our first step into the celebration everyone spoke about with such fondness. And somehow, it felt like both me and the Chloe who lingered within me, were walking there together. The door opened swiftly as we’d been walked out by the boys, giving one more nod to my parents before the door shut after them.

The evening air was crisp as we stepped out into the hustle and bustle together. The sky, washed with streaks of orange fading into the indigo of night. For the first time in what felt like forever, I wasn’t watching the autumn season from behind the glass. I was fully in it. My shoes pressed into the bricked road, the breeze tugged gently at my dress, and the glow of the bows in my hair shimmered faintly with each step. Luisa walked just ahead with Gil, their arms linked in a way that looked very polite and…different than what I’m used to. She laughed quickly at any of his jokes, and he leaned down whenever she spoke. Making sure to listen with an attentiveness that made her cheeks glow brighter than the lanterns lit around the street we’d begun walking down. I’d never seen her this down for Gil, it was very strange, yet…sweet.

Beside me, Lance was much less subtle, following behind the two with the same puff in his chest, though his smaller frame couldn’t match his brother’s if he dreamed of it. His eyes glanced over to me, inspecting me from top to bottom. I couldn’t help but bring attention to the sight. “What is it?” I said, tilting my head slightly. He faced forward, as if he’d lost interest in inspecting my appearance. “You look kind of fancy…with your bows and all.” he said, giving me a side eye of a glance. It was as if he’d been working up the courage to comment on such a thing. I smirked and closed my eyes. “Thank you, um…”

His brow furrowed, sensing my joke coming from a mile away. “It’s Lance! How do you keep forgetting? We’d talk like…way too many times!”. I covered my mouth with a free hand to stifle my laugh, though it slipped out anyway. It was the first time I could honestly laugh out loud without the pain from the sickness. It felt good to be able to fully enjoy the playful teases. Though his eyes had been inspecting me throughout our walk. I was able to catch something else, it felt as if his worry was influencing such looks. I may have been imagining things, but it felt very real. His eyes flicked to me every so often, as if he’d been checking to make sure I wouldn’t stumble over, or if my strength would hold. The feeling made my chest feel oddly warm, though I didn’t dwell on the feeling too much.

As we circled the hill leading to the town square, the fair unfolded in front of us, and my breath was caught. It was nothing like the fragments I’d imagined in dreams or the small snippets of space I’d seen beforehand. Lanterns of the warm colors of fall filled the streets, glowing like stars had been captured within glass bottles. The stalls lined the square, overflowing with candied fruit, roasted nuts, steaming breads. You name it! Even trinkets of sort had a place here. It was more than I could have ever imagined. Children darted between games of chance; laughter spilled out into the air and music from different instruments played loudly within the crowd.

The scent of woodsmoke and spices filled the air, a multitude of aromas filtered itself in our area. It was almost dizzying to a point. Was this the Fallfest everyone paraded for through the weeks? It’d been more wondrous than I could’ve imagined. Though, it’d been a bit overwhelming if I had to be honest with myself. I’d never been one to attend busy parties or festivals back home, so this was a rather foreign experience for me. I felt myself freeze, my book clutched against me, taking it all in. This was the world that Chloe had missed, I’d begun to wish Chloe could experience this herself, taking some of the weight off of me in the process. I mean, I’d never even been to a fair in my previous life! Suddenly, a voice called out to me amongst the ruckus.

“Hey,” Lance said, tugging my sleeve. “You feelin’ okay?”

I blinked as I’d been brought back to reality. I’d realized that I’d been standing there with wide eyes and parted lips. Slowly, I nodded. “...Yeah…Just—it’s just more than I thought it would be.” His grin softened and he placed his hands on his hips, leaning forward. “Told you it’d be worth it. You get to experience it all on your own.” Ahead of us, Luisa’s laughter rang out as Gil guided her toward the games. Mother’s warnings echoed in my mind in that moment.

“Stay close to your sister,”

But for the first time, I didn’t want to feel tethered, I felt free. Like the fair was waiting just for me to go out and enjoy it all. I felt my heart begin to pound once more with anticipation. “Come on,” I said, grabbing Lance’s hand before he could protest. “Let’s go see everything this fair has to offer!” The bows in my hair glowed brighter as we stepped into the lanternlight of the street. The scales shone brightly, as if it wanted me to take it all in.