Freak

Thriving bond.

To ease his racing mind Evan splashed cold water on his face to compose his thoughts. He wipes his face to get rid of extra drops of water running down his face. He was breathing heavily anxious about controlling his behaviour to not alarm Eve, as whenever he was excited or extremely nervous he used to think about every haunting event of his life even including his deal with that man.

Once more he blows out air to steady his nerves glancing back in the mirror. “You've changed a lot, don’t do it” was all he can think for himself, but what else he can do except doing what he asked for accomplish.

Evan headed back to the table where Flora and Eve were waiting for him. All he can do was smile to assure everything was a coincidence. “Come on pretty ladies lets go,” He said with confidence.

“Son you took 20 minutes in there, I thought you had a bad stomach and not going to get back here,” Flora said in a teasing tone while pointing at Evan.

“Grams leave that poor boy alone.” Eve glared at her grams to save Evan from humiliation.

Flora raised her hands in surrender making Evan redder than before, he won’t dare to say a thing but to stand still and lower his head in embarrassment.

Eve held her grams right hand in her left one, they walked out to catch up with there schedule. Evan chooses to follow them in silence still feeling awkward.

Flora was in a famous store that had almost every recent branded collection of shoes, clothes and purses. Flora wants her granddaughter all dolled up, while Eve was groaning with discomfort standing still in a corner where her grams can’t find her or order her to try out the selected clothes. It was too much for her. She was thrilled just to start her studies again but that doesn’t mean she’s excited to change herself again.

“Where is she? Where is she hiding?” Flora asked in a disappointed tone to Evan.

He was confused as if why the duo of grandmother and granddaughter were acting childish in front of others. “I’ll get her Grandma.” He utters in a low voice not to catch other's attention towards them.

He roams through each partition, within a few minutes, he found Eve sitting in the corner enjoying music on her headphones. He approached tiptoe not to startle her and set next to her.

Feeling someone’s presence in front of her, She slowly looks upward just to catch sight of Evans concerned face, looking at her intensely. Before he can ask a thing, She said, “I am alright, If grams sent you to get me then I am not coming.”

“Why do you think I came just because grandma asked. You look troubled Eve but Why? And you were expecting this aren’t you?” Evan said with a concerned voice. Somehow he can feel that Eve was upset about something and somehow it is related to shopping.

Eve can’t hold it anymore, she gestures to him to look around and said to him, “ I can hear every judgement, comments and thoughts. I am exhausted.” She was tight-lipped for a while debating whether to share her exact feeling, her lips were trembling. Evan placed his hand on her small once to ensure her everything is fine and she can trust him. Gathering up courage she speaks up in between her sobs “It......It fee.....feels like, I...I am bet... betraying my mother, her memories.”

Evan was silent, rubbing one of his hand on her small back trying to comfort her. He knew right at that moment, all Eve needed is a friend to listen to her heart and the pain that exists in it. The pain of losing her mother as well as her father, Today this place triggered her misery even more.

Evan looks into her hazel eyes filled with tears of agony. She again tried to speak in her broken voice, “My mother was a beautiful brilliant woman. She had incredible taste in clothing, designing and decorating stuff. She was smarter than any average women of her age. You see, even if my father was busy at work, She always fulfilled the duty of both mother and father. We spend most of our time together travelling, trying new food at restaurants and a lot more. But what I love most with my mother is shopping, especially when I had to start something new. She used to choose special things for me including clothes, books and everything. It was like a tradition for us to go out and shop before initiating anything fresh. But now I hate shopping and this tradition of hers, it makes me miss her even more.” Eve was whimpering, closing her mouth right with her both hand, she doesn’t want to catch others attention towards her.

Evan's face soften at her vulnerable sight, he always saw her strength and experienced how strong she is, but today all he can feel was how fragile Eve is. He doesn’t know how to ease her pain.

“I knew you miss your mother but don’t let your grief build the fence between the person who is still here with you and what’s all the happiness for you,” Evan said with a calm voice after all he understands the importance of family and its better to appreciate what one has in the present than to stuck in the past.

Eve was astonished by Evan's words, she was to caught up in her past that she forgot to cherish the most amazing treasure which she still has in her life.

“Yes, you are right b... but I....i.....” Eve wanted to say further, but she was not sure how to react anymore. Her tough was twisted inside her mouth struggling for the words to describe her condition.

“Your grams also miss her son and daughter-in-law, but she doesn’t shut you off. She wants to make good memories with you.” Evan didn’t want to make her feel guilty but it was essential to making her realise what she was losing just because she's not ready to accept her present.

His words were not just words for her, it holds great value to her which made her realise, how her grams also deserve to be happy. Past one year she never watched her grams cry, all she remembers her smiling face even if she was suffering.

She tried to stand up on her now numb feet, nearly falling in Evan’s arms. Smiling awkwardly, she wiped her remaining tears, mutter a thank you in a low voice that is hardly audible. She fixed her presence and start moving towards her grams.

She saw an old woman crouching down in a leather chair near the changing room. She appeared smaller than usual as her head tilted down. Eve takes a deep breath and starts moving towards her, she knew that her childish selfish act hurt her grams and she was sitting just because she was disappointed because of her. She made up her mind to make things better for her grams as she did for her in her hard times.

“I am sorry grams, Let’s shop together” Eve whispered in her grams ear trying not to cry and hugging her from behind.

At first Flora try to ignore her granddaughters plead to forgive and give her a chance. But then she feels Eve's tears on the right side of her neck, she wanted to scold Eve but drop her intention to do so, as She can see how sorry she was feeling for hiding from her.

Flora smirked, thinking of teaching the mall lesson to her granddaughter for making her panic. She jerked of Eves hand from her shoulder and stand straight while contouring her face with immense anger.

Eve move step by step afraid of her grams reaction. “ I messed up, I am sorry grams.” She said in a little voice. “ I promise, I will also start wearing dresses from now on please forgive me.” She was too desperate for her grams forgiveness and afraid too that she didn't even dare to look into her eyes. She missed how her grams was now grinning ear to ear at her misery.

“Okay then, Try on those dresses” flora said giving Eve a bone-crushing hug.

At that moment, Eve realised that her grams was no longer mad at her, and now playing her to change her wardrobe with dresses. A year ago she loved to wear all type of clothes but now things were changed for her, she prefers to hide in her hoodie rather catching attention just because she’s dolled up or in a pretty dress.

She rolled her eyes in irritation and shakes her head in disagreement, “ I am not going to wear them in school, but you can buy a few for me and I want to choose clothes in which I feel more comfortable.” She said slyly after giving everything brief thought.

Flora agreed and asked her to try on three sundresses and a four-party gown two long and two thigh length. After trying out those clothes, she was feeling more confident and alive. She walked out with a thigh-length dress on And was very pleased by the reaction of her grams. What makes her blush is a compliment from Evan that is “Wow” his eyes like saucers.

Today, She can sense her thriving bond with Evan, most of all she knew she feels comfortable and safe with him. She was ready to tell him about her ability and how she needs his support in case if something went wrong with her in school especially her horrible panic attack.