Moments That Change Lives

Chapter 6

A couple of days had been all it took for things to settle down and by the time Mira had placed the last shirt from her suitcase in the wardrobe, it had been as if she and Henry had always lived together. It all had come so natural and strangely pleasant. Like that time in college when she had shared her room with a friend. Only Henry was rather her housemate and they both had separate rooms. Thank God for that.

“Mira! Hurry up!” Henry shouted from the first floor.

Now a month later their lives were somehow intertwined and they did a lot of stuff together. Henry was so patient with her and paid her and the baby as much attention as possible by coming home earlier or taking her out often, but he never acted like she was dependent on him in any way. That’s what she liked most about him. She had all her freedom and at the same time a safe roof to place her head under at night.

Usually on sunny weekends like this one, they went to the park for a walk and a bit of relaxation. Away from the city and the house even for a few hours. Mira was looking forward to those days. As she was still unemployed and Henry insisted that it stayed that way until the baby was born, Mira spent all the time in the mansion taking care of the plants in the yard that she enjoyed, for it took her back to her rainforest and sometimes helping Alicia around the house.

It was a huge house and one had work to do in it every day. Plus there were so many places that she could spend her time at such as the marvelous pool in the backyard with fresh water to cool her and the virgin cocktails she and Alicia brewed and later drank while sitting by it. Then the library on the second floor. It was massive with floor to ceiling shelves that contained almost every book Mira could think off. All in all, the house was a real paradise and one couldn’t get bored too easily at all.

“Coming!” She shouted back running down the stairs and into the entrance hall. “It doesn’t hurt to wait for a lady to get ready, does it?” She said leaving the house. With the corner of her eye, she caught him smiling and chuckled to herself. It was so enjoyable to tease him from time to time.

“You’ll never change. That’s a fact!” Henry opened the door of the jeep for her. “And don’t!”

The car left the neighborhood in an instant taking them to the already familiar route across the center of the city, past the mall and down to the busy street that led to the park. It was always crowded with cars eager to enter the lot and people grabbing their children’s hands to stop them from going on the street.

“You think we’ll have the same problems, huh? Our little fellow may be naughty and give us trouble sometimes.” Henry smiled sincerely, parking the car and turning off the engine. He always made it for the baby. Everything they did and talked about always came around to the baby. They acted as friends who’d have a baby in less than eight months and that felt strange at moments. Like the whole situation wasn’t strange in the first place.

“I dunno. Maybe… They say I was a calm child so it’ll be on you if it’s naughty!” Mira said cheerfully and went out of the car.

They walked in silence for a while letting the sound of childish laughter take them back to their early days. They didn’t mind the crowds of people all around and the running of kids that almost all the time bumped into them. The park was still a place they could relax at no matter the circumstances.

“You know, you’re right! I was a naughty child. Actually a very troublesome one,” Henry told her as they entered the greener part full of bushes and tall trees. It was also the calmer part as the noise often boomed on the playground they had left behind them.

“Really? I won’t pretend that I didn’t know it because you sure as hell look like one even now.” Mira slightly pushed him on the shoulder.

“Oh is that so?” Henry laughed gently pushing her back. “No seriously. My parents had a lot of headaches because of me. Did you know that my left arm was broken three times and as a result I think it’s shorter than the other now? Luckily I’m right-handed.”

Mira just smiled enjoying the conversation.

“Yeah and when I appeared at the hospital the third time all doctors ran away. They were fed up with me! After that my dad locked me up in my room for a whole week. I remember my mom brought me food every day and stayed with me until I fell asleep, but still I felt so miserable. I thought that it was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. Oh, God how little of life had I known back then.” Henry sighed sitting on a bench on the side of the path. Mira joined him, fixing him with a serious look.

“What happened? Afterwards I mean? It sounds like there must be something,” she said.

He chuckled sadly. “I’ve never told anyone about this. I… I actually haven’t spoken about it since my father’s death. You see, right after my arm healed, my mom… She left us, Mira. She left me when I was only ten years old, like I was some bag of flour. Do you know how much I cried that night? When I realized she’d never come back… It ruined me, you see…” Henry turned his look away from her.

Mira had never seen him like that. Honest, emotional and so… Normal. She never thought that she’d see that side of him. In fact, she was unsure that such side existed before.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, the memories of her own mother coming into focus. “My mom and dad died when I was thirteen. Just like that they left me alone under this sun. Hospitals, shrinks, police stations… That’s all I remember from my early youth… I-I was ruined, too. I felt alone and abandoned, too. So I understand… I perfectly know how it feels, Henry.”

He caught her hands between his then and stared at her teary eyes. His were glassy, too.

“Mira… I won’t lie to you and you know it yourself. I have been in and out of relationships. I… I have tried but I was never able to trust a woman again after my mother. I… I couldn’t love them fully. Couldn’t commit to the relationship fully…” He leaned closer to her face, his breath fresh and warm.

“Henry…” Mira began but he interrupted.