Amidst love and heartbreak

NOLAN the hopeless romantic

Maggie’s POV

Love is the most complete feeling a human being might feel. It will bring you a lot of other ones which might be good or bad. You might get a feeling of belonging and care. But you might get other feelings like fear (that you might lose them in any way), or jealousy (that might push them away if not controlled). It is a strong emotion. I would put love in the basic needs section because without love we’re empty.

This book, though, is making me feel things that I thought I lost a long time ago. I feel these characters close to me like no other character ever was. For instance, I can feel Melanie’s struggle to let go. And I can feel the sense of excitement she gets when she sees Arnold. They say that the writer should put himself in the shoes of the character, but I still can’t figure out why Arnold would do certain things. It’s crazy thinking that I am asking the questions, and I am the writer, but I create them and let them live. They take me on the same journey they take my readers once it’s done.

Melanie was writing in her journal like she did every morning or afternoon. Today she woke up really early, or better say that she barely slept. Saying that she was confused is an understatement. Arnold had met her at the same tree she used to read, every single day, that week. He was always polite with her, but her constant teasing and taking between the lines confused her. She didn’t know what to think. He was older and experienced more things than her young self. What exactly did he want with her? Was he pursuing her because he liked her? Was it all a game to him? Did he have ulterior intentions? She couldn’t figure it out. 

The other thing confusing her more than that was the fact that she couldn’t stop herself from showing up every single day at the same tree, at the same time. It looked like they had an appointment and she couldn’t miss it.

Why did she still show up even though she knew he was going to be there? Was he that important to her? What if she missed a day? What would happen?

That’s it. She decided she was not going to go there at least for a couple of days and see what happens. At the end of the day, she didn’t have any kind of relationship with him and she owed him no explanation of why she didn’t show up.

“Miss Maggie are you home?” a voice she recognized very well called for her. 

“I am coming, Nolan,”

“Take your time. I am staring with the lawn and then we can go over the other stuff you wanted me to help with,” he shouted back from downstairs. Everyone in the neighbourhood knows that when I have the music on, I am writing so they let me finish the scene before we communicate in any way. 

“That’s a brilliant idea. I will be there in a minute. I am almost done, darling,” I shouted back and went on finishing the paragraph and saving my work so far.

Nolan’sPOV

Switching the lawnmower off, I put it in the garage where I found it earlier. I liked helping Miss Maggie with her chores. She needs the extra hands at home now that her husband is not here anymore and I need the extra money and the cookies that she gives me. Being an elementary teacher is not always easy on the wallet. Even though I work for an international school, the money is not flowing so I have to watch every expense.

I do it for the kids, though. I love when I see that I am doing something right with the kids. They show it in their own unique way but there is always the hugger, the high fiver and the one jumping when they finally get what I am trying to teach. 

This year I am teaching Grade 5. I was thrilled when they finally let me follow my group of kids up. It takes a couple of months for you to get to know the real individuals in your class, but when they finally get to you, that’s when the magic begins. I loved these kids the very first week. They were supposed to be the worst class in the entire school, but to me, they were just some misunderstood kids. Who am I kidding, I love all the kids. My ultimate goal in life is to be a dad and make at least three kids happy. The only thing stopping me from doing it is the fact that I don’t have a significant other to do that with me. At least not yet.

My phone beeps and I know that I have a new text to read. My smile grows wide when I see who it is from. 

Brandon: How are you, love?

Nolan: Who is this ‘love’ you are talking about?

Brandon: You just broke my heart, love.

Nolan: I don’t think it can be broken that easily. Even if that was the case, it would just be karma catching up with you.

Brandon: lol, touche’

Brandon: What are you doing? Wanna meet up?

Nolan: I am helping my neighbour with something at the house. I don’t know when I will be done.

Brandon: Who is this guy that needs someone else’s help in the house? It seems like an excuse to be alone with you.

Nolan: LOL Are you jealous of an older lady?

Brandon: oops, caught me. Do you see what you do to me? Would you do me the honour of going out on a date with me, now?

Nolan: I will make sure to finish as soon as possible. Is dinner ok with you?

Brandon: 7:30 I pick you up?

Nolan: I will be home, then.

With a smile on my face, I put my phone back in my jeans’ pocket. As soon as I turned around I saw Miss Maggie with a teasing smile on her face. What now?

“Hello, Miss Maggie. What’s funny?” I asked. We had a friendly relationship together even though I could be her son for the age difference. 

“Your face whenever you send those messages is funny,” she said half laughing.

“I know. I probably seem stupid,” I said and sighed.

“No, you do not. You seem in love and that is beautiful. What is wrong, my dear? Isn’t the person treating you right?”

“Can I tell you a secret?” I said and didn’t know how to even start the conversation about this thing.

“You know you can, Nolan. Tell me and we will talk it out,” Her motherly voice was what I needed to be reassured and continue.

“The person… it’s a boy,” I said and my eyes, as well as my voice, dropped.

“Does he make you happy?” she asked with her voice not changing a bit.

“Huh? He… does actually,” I was confused. Wasn’t she shocked about the news? I thought that she would twist her face or at least fake that she was understanding my choices, not that it was a choice anyway.

“Then, that is the only thing that matters, Nolan. If he loves you and makes you happy, that is the only thing that matters,” 

“But I want a family. I want to be a dad in the near future and I don’t think that biology can change in the near future,” I said pretty feeling upset.

“What does that have to do with love and family? I know that you need to have a mother and a father for children to be conceived, my dear, but there are other options, you know?” she said in the same sweet motherly tone. I really like this lady. Every time I talk to her she has the right advice for me.

“I will think about it. Thanks for the advice,” I said with a lighter heart.

“You know, Nolan, you remind me of myself when I was young. I saw so confused and so afraid of what life would bring to me that I did not enjoy life as it came. I do not want you to have regrets in the future,” I just nodded and went to grab the boxes that were in the garage. We have been moving her stuff so she could paint last week and now was time to move them again in her studio.

Maggie’s POV

Nolan is such a  nice boy. He is going to make a great father one day. I am sure of it. He only needs to find the right person and be true to himself. He really reminds me of myself. I was so confused when I was young. I was always afraid of what people would think of me for going after what I really wanted. I did not let the person in because he might have been a bit unconventional and that scared the s**t out of me. I know I seem sweet and everything but age changes you. 

Nolan is finishing with the boxes and I better get going with my writing. I seem to be very inspired lately. It seems like everything I do and everyone I meet is somehow connected to my character’s feelings.

Melanie did not go to the tree spot for the next couple of days. She debated with herself if it was the right thing to do but her first decision was what remained. She was always thinking about Arnold and what his reaction to her absence might be. She was hoping that at least he was missing her, or get bored of her already and leave to another prey. Melanie didn’t know why so suddenly she was having these kinds of thoughts but it upset her and made her restless during the day. She couldn’t even sleep all last night and it was only the third day she didn’t meet Arnold. 

She suddenly decided that it was enough and if he was there she was going to think of something to say or do.

Rushing through the field up the hill she found herself near her tree in less than ten minutes. She was trying to catch her breath and look around to see if he was there or had been there but there was no sign of him anywhere. Her heart dropped and disappointment was clear on her face. Melanie turned to leave. She had no book with her anyway. Why she came without a book was beyond her.

“You are finally here,” she heard a voice say behind her and when Melanie turned around there he was. The reason why she rushed to this place without even thinking of an excuse like a book to take with her.

“I have been waiting for you for a long time today,” he stepped a bit closer, “ and you never came here yesterday,” another step, “not even the day before that,” and he was now right in front of her. Melanie gulped and raised her eyes to meet his. Green eyes meeting hazel ones in a secret conversation. Her cheeks became red because of the feelings she had at the moment. He noticed and cupped her cheeks with both his hands.

“Where were you?” he asked but she did not utter a sound.

“Why didn’t you come these days?” still no sound from her.

“I thought I would never see you again, love,” came his last sentence and she was flattered but shocked to hear him call her ‘love’.

“Don’t call me ‘love’. I am not your love and I had things to do,” Melanie finally found her voice and wit.

“Things to do? Like what? What did you have better than to come here and read… or meet me,” he finally asked feeling a bit upset.

“I can read everywhere I want,” she finally stated.

“But can you meet me everywhere you want?” he said with a smirk on his face. “You just say the word and I will meet you everywhere you want, my love,” he said, seemingly very convinced.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. Breath unsteady. Cheeks flushed. He leaned near her face and in a heartbeat he planted his lips on hers for the very first time.