Reflection

Abbi’s reflection peered back at her from the bathroom mirror with the same expressionless look that she gazed at it with. She sighed, studying herself in the glass.

It was early. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but she could see out the bathroom window that there was a hint of light in the sky. She’d woken a short time before. Quietly, so as not to wake Eddus, she slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to get some water.

Dropping her gaze, she looked to her neckline, then to the glass in her hand that she held just below her chin. Her attention turned to the rest of her reflection, her body clothed in the black t-shirt Eddus had given her to sleep in.

She smiled, gently biting her bottom lip. The shirt Eddus had given her to wear was much too big. It certainly wasn’t one of the form-fitting dresses she usually wore. And although Eddus wasn’t exactly large-framed, the shirt’s shoulder seams hung almost a hand’s width down her arm on either side, as well as its hem coming to just above her knees.

The sight of how small she looked in it amused her. With her free hand, she grasped the collar between her fingers, lifting it to her nose and inhaling deeply. She felt that she would have worn the garment every night if she could.

Setting the glass on the sink’s countertop, she then looked at the other items there, to the side of the sink. A folded white hand towel had been laid to the right of the sink. On it were a comb, a straight razor, and a soap brush. There was a glass with a toothbrush standing in it along the back wall under the mirror. There had been an empty glass beside it, which she’d rinsed and filled with water.

She took another sip of the water and then poured its remains into the basin. Giving the glass a quick rinse, she placed it again beside the other. Running her finger along the smooth handle of the folded straight razor, careful not to touch the tang, she then turned off the bathroom light and quietly walked back to Eddus’ bedroom.

Inside, she paused before pushing the door almost closed again, looking at the man on the bed. He lay on his side, his back to the wall, just as she had left him. It was the same position he’d been in when they’d fallen asleep. Under the thin blanket, his hand lay on the sheet in front of him, where it had been resting on her side.

Abbi smiled, watching him slumber.

She tip-toed to the bed’s edge, gently climbing in again, where she lay with her back to him, careful not to touch him, so as not to wake him. She closed her eyes, but did not feel that sleep would again come to her. Memories began flashing in her mind.

She remembered the warmth of the sun shining on her face through the trees’ canopy, and the smell of the trees on the wind in the park. She recalled the excitement she felt at seeing Eddus walking along the path.

To be honest, she’d thought several times about him after their late-night walk six weeks before. Seeing him in the park, she recalled again their meeting and the time they’d spent together. At that moment, remembering how much fun she’d had watching him react awkwardly to her actions and the questions she’d posed to him, Abbi felt the urge to be in his presence again.

As she replayed the day’s events in her memory, she stifled the urge to chuckle at the memory of Eddus’ hesitation when she’d offered him a piece of the mushroom. It had actually been spur of the moment. She’d just wanted to watch his reaction.

From behind her, she heard Eddus inhale deeply as he slept.

Catching her breath, her heart momentarily quickened. Her stomach clenched, almost to the point of pain, and she felt scared, like curling into a ball. Realization hit her like a slap to the face.

Not only had she told a human about her realm, she’d shown him the portal and therefore given him the knowledge of how to access the faerie world. Exhaling slowly, she opened her eyes, suddenly acutely aware of the darkness around her and a feeling that this place was foreign.

She shuddered slightly. The consequence to herself did not even enter her mind, but what it could mean for her entire world. She may have inadvertently placed it in danger.

Eddus stirred slightly, and Abbi felt his hand come to rest on her ribs. She touched his hand with her fingertips and sighed, smiling at the feeling of his touch.

She couldn’t imagine the human that lay behind her ever doing anything that could hurt her. Nothing about him even suggested that he could be a threat to her or her realm. He was the nicest person she’d ever met.

Closing her eyes, she gently pushed herself back until she felt the warmth of the man’s chest against her back, and smiled at feeling as his hand ever so slightly tightened, pulling her to him. She tried to imagine his awkward reaction if he were to somehow become aware of the action.