f*******n LOVE

THE FIRST GIFT

Victoria woke up very early in the morning and heard someone moving the curtains.The quiet rustle of fabric against the wooden floor sounded louder than usual in the stillness of dawn.

The air was cool and carried the smell of lavender from the garden outside. For a moment, she stayed still in bed, her mind drifting between sleep and being awake. Her thoughts were not about her room at Blackwood Manor at all.

The big canopy bed, the soft drapes, the shiny mirror across the room, none of it mattered to her in that moment. Her thoughts were going back to yesterday… to the laughter outside the gate and the boy who showed her a world she never knew before. The memory was so clear that she could almost hear the echo of children’s giggles carried on the wind, bright and carefree.

The teacher talked about math and history all morning, but Victoria didn’t really listen. Numbers blurred together, dates and names slipped past her ears without meaning. Her mind was somewhere else, wandering back to the playground, to the dusty ropes, to the sound of feet hitting the ground in rhythm.

She smiled at strange times and odd moments, her eyes not focused, her pen hovering above the page without writing a single word. Of course, Miss Clara noticed. She saw everything.

Miss Clara’s sharp eyes flicked toward Victoria every time her smile came at the wrong time, every time her gaze drifted toward the window instead of the blackboard. But she said nothing, not wanting to share the secret that only she knew.

There was a softness in her silence, a quiet understanding that maybe Victoria needed this escape.

Mrs.Blackwood saw how happy Victoria looked and thought it was because she was working hard on her lessons. She praised Victoria’s progress, not knowing the real reason for her happiness. Her voice was firm but approving, echoing through the long corridors of the manor.

Victoria nodded politely, but inside she felt a bit guilty, knowing her mother’s praise was misplaced.

By afternoon, Victoria couldn’t stand being still anymore. The walls of the manor felt like they were closing in, heavy with silence and rules. She slipped out through the iron gate again, her heart racing with excitement and fear.

The gate creaked softly as she pushed it open, and the world beyond seemed brighter, freer, filled with possibilities. Lias was already there, but he wasn’t waiting for her. He was on the playground where the children always gathered to play. His laughter rang out above the others, and Victoria felt a rush of warmth just hearing it.

She hurried toward them, her shoes tapping against the pavement, her dress catching the breeze. Victoria tried to learn new games this time and Lias was happy to teach her.His patience made her feel safe, his encouragement gave her courage.

They looked for ropes to use as skipping ropes.They looked around for a while and found six old ropes sitting in the dirt. They were old and dusty, frayed at the ends, but they decided to use them anyway.

To Victoria, they seemed like treasures, tools of adventure rather than scraps. They went around and Victoria saw how fun it was. She wanted to play too but didn’t know how.So they taught her, and Victoria learned quickly. She understood how to skip and even beat the other kids in the competition.

Her laughter rang out, surprising even herself, and for the first time she felt like she truly belonged. After a while, the kids got tired of the skipping rope and started to play hide-and-seek.

Victoria didn’t know what hide-and-seek was, so she was just watching when they started, and didn’t move when they had all dispersed to hide.

She stood awkwardly, unsure, until they explained it to her. Then she played along, her heart pounding as she crouched behind trees and walls, holding her breath so she wouldn’t be found.

She actually liked hiding more than seeking because she was a really good hider. The thrill of being unseen, of waiting in silence, was exhilarating.

After a few games, the kids were exhausted and sat under a tree to rest. The shade was cool, the ground rough beneath them, but their faces glowed with joy. Victoria begged, “Just one more before I go back home.”

Her voice was eager, almost pleading, as if she feared the magic would vanish once she returned to the manor. So they decided to make paper kites to fly. At least it wasn’t a tough game and didn’t require rigorous activity.

Again, Victoria didn’t know how to make paper kites. Her fingers fumbled with the folds, the paper creased in the wrong places. Lias tried to teach her, but it was too hard for her.

His hands moved quickly, skillfully, while hers trembled with frustration. Lias just said he would make one for her, his smile reassuring, his tone gentle.

They raced to see who could throw their kite the fastest. The fun was that when someone lost their kite, they had to make another one right away. The air was filled with laughter and shouts, the kites fluttering like fragile birds against the sky.

Every time the paper kite caught the wind, Victoria laughed. Her laugh was bright, pure, and full of joy. So unrestrained. The whole game was new to her, and it felt like a wonderful and marvellous discovery.

Later that day, Victoria followed Lias home. She saw Lias’ mother and was greeted with a friendly smile. The warmth in her eyes was unlike anything Victoria had ever seen in the manor.

Then she noticed the girl’s nice clothes and good manners. Everything about Victoria said she came from a rich family. But Lias’ mother welcomed her right away, without hesitation, without judgment.

She gave Victoria an ear of corn, freshly roasted over the fire. Victoria took a bite and her eyes widened with delight. It was sweet with a smoky flavor unlike anything the chefs at Blackwood Manor had ever made.

She was surprised. She loved it. The taste lingered on her tongue, simple yet unforgettable, a flavor of freedom.

...

That night, Victoria sat at the big dining table under the sparkling chandeliers when she got home.There were five nicely prepared dishes and shining silver cutlery, but none of them caught her attention.

The grand dining hall was quiet, only the soft clink of silver on porcelain breaking the silence.The candles flickered in golden holders, casting long shadows over Mrs.Blackwood’s serious face as she watched Victoria.

Victoria sat like a portrait, straight-backed, hands folded in her lap. But her mind was restless, thinking about the laughter, the games, and the happiness she had found that day.

She thought only about the roasted corn she had eaten with Lias, and the way she could eat with her hands. She thought about the way Lias cracked jokes and made her laugh a lot. She remembered his smile when he won a round of skipping rope.

The way his mother laughed at one of his silly jokes as she handed them roasted corn from a worn wooden tray.

Victoria had tried five times to fold a piece of paper into a kite before she finally gave up and laughed.

She hadn’t stopped smiling since then.Victoria said nothing during dinner. Not about her poems, not about the news, as her father might have expected. She didn’t make smart remarks about politics or art. She was just quiet. And that wasn’t normal for Victoria.

At Blackwood Manor, the dining table was for quiet meals. Laughter and conversation were considered rude, part of the family’s rules. But tonight felt different. She stayed quiet because she felt guilty. She felt guilty even though she was surrounded by luxury.

For example, the plates were imported from France.The glasses held clear sparkling water. None of those fancy things mattered when she was sitting on the bare pavement, eating roasted corn with Lias.

She loved playing with the kids who wore patched clothes.Honestly, they smiled much more than anyone upstairs, including her parents and their servants.

After dinner, Victoria hid her new treasures in her room. She kept them completely secret. Lias had given her a smooth stone just because it caught the light and glimmered in the sun.

He also made her a paper kite. He told her she was worth more than any toy.And he built that kite just for her.

To anyone else, these cheap things had no value.But to Victoria, they were absolutely priceless.

This was the first gift a friend had ever given her.