Soul Fulfiller

“Seriously?” Blaine frowned.

“Uh-huh,” I nodded. “Especially when those guys remain strangers,” I added, and with that, I left the café, walking briskly toward home, not lingering for a single moment.

After packing the remaining things, I brewed a strong green tea and stepped out onto the veranda. The sun was setting sadly behind the horizon, and dark clouds were spreading across the sky. I noticed that it was already dark. Dad’s black car pulled up, and Mom stepped out, grief-stricken and tear-streaked, showing no signs of relief. I felt sorry for her.

“Aria, that was completely selfish! Why did you leave? Blaine, by the way, was looking for you! I asked him to give you the photo — they were handing them out to everyone! That was irresponsible of you! You don’t understand anything. I don’t even know how to talk to you! You can’t control yourself. Your behavior is just awful! We’ll talk later, but for now, go help your dad move the stuff!”

Mom gave me a chilling, almost menacing look. She was on the verge of tears, and guilt hit me immediately. With Dad, we moved everything in just over an hour. When I sat in the back seat of the car, I realized I couldn’t feel my arms. Mom whispered something to Dad while I listened to music through my headphones and soon fell asleep. After a long drive, the ground under my feet seemed to shift. A new house. A clean slate. A new life. I followed Mom’s lead and walked along a row of rose bushes, dotted with fragrant buds. My room was on the second floor. The staircase still needed to be finished. The room was spacious but dim — the white walls clearly needed color. But I didn’t feel like dealing with that now; I decided to leave it as it was. We unpacked a mountain of boxes in just over three hours. Mom started preparing dinner, and I went out for a walk. She barely spoke, which I understood perfectly, but there was nothing I could do — because I felt exactly the same way.

I need to find a job; the holidays are almost over, but there’s still a little time left. I could also work during the school week, and then — summer. It was already six in the evening, yet the streets were still bright. I was beginning to like this town. As I walked past some bushes, I noticed a large lake with cute ducks and hurried closer to get a better look. I love ducks! When I was a child, Emmy and I used to go feed them in the park. Too bad I didn’t bring any bread with me.

“What are you doing here?” a male voice called out.

I flinched and turned around. In front of me stood a guy with an excellent physique, a brunette wearing a gray tank top and dark jeans.

“I…” I began, taking a step back.

“Stop!” he shouted.

I lost my balance and fell into the water, full of reeds and stones. After a while, ducks swam by. He reached out his hand, and I looked into his dark brown eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Let’s go to the store,” he smirked.

“What? Why?”

It turned out he owned a small convenience store near the lake. The guy handed me a blue polka-dot blanket and continued our conversation.

“Strange situation, isn’t it? The lake has been deserted for a long time — people don’t come here because the ducks start coming out and attacking. Apparently, they liked you. By the way, my name’s Ian Walker. Did you just arrive?”

“Yes, I moved here today. My name’s Ariel Moore. This is… a bit awkward.”

“No worries, nice to meet you. Haven’t seen anyone fall into this lake in a long time,” he smirked. “If you need anything, just ask. People around here are friendly. By the way, are you looking for a job?”

“Yes, do you know anywhere I could work part-time?”

“My friend Larry owns a café. He happens to be looking for waitresses. I can tell him about you — but only tomorrow; he’s out of town today.”

“Thank you, I was just thinking about that today. That would be wonderful!”

“No problem. See you,” he winked at me, and I smiled back.

When I got home, I immediately ran into my worried mom, but by now, that had become almost a habit for me.

“Arya! Where have you been? You’re soaking wet!”

“It’s nothing, Mom. I just fell into the water, and Ian helped me get out and gave me this blanket. Everything’s fine.”

“Ian?” my mom asked, concerned.

“Yes, a guy. He lives not far from us.”

“All right, go change quickly. We won’t tell your father. I’ll bring you something to eat.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

I changed into denim shorts and a white tank top, grabbed my laptop, and paused for a second. I’ve been wanting to write my first book for a long time, but I can’t seem to choose a topic. I really need to focus on this. So much fails to inspire me, and I just can’t find the right idea for a novel. I dismissed all the strange ideas that came to me in that same moment and started drying my hair. By the time it got completely dark, I finished my omelet and went to bed. For a while now, I haven’t really paid attention to what time I go to sleep or wake up. I’m actually a very disciplined person when it comes to things like that, but I guess it’s time to recover after everything that happened. The morning started with a run. Running is my passion — I can’t live without it. I ran all the way to a park I didn’t know, looked around, and saw that the streets were completely empty. I decided it was time to head back; today it would be more of a short run since the atmosphere outside felt a bit tense. I can’t say I dislike running alone, but after everything that has happened in my life, the vibe in this place made me uneasy. The house was filled with silence. My father had gone on errands, and my mother was still asleep. I began unpacking my things — after all, it was about time. My thoughts were already revolving around how to organize my room. When my mother woke up, she mentioned that there was a library nearby and suggested I go there; maybe I could meet some friends. Honestly, I really wanted to spend more time with my family and bring back what we once had, but right now I realize I want to spend most of my time alone. It’s probably easier for me to process my loss this way, to avoid breaking down, and not having to comfort anyone. I no longer want the pain I’ve felt over the past month. Wasting no time, I quickly changed into clothes that felt comfortable and headed to the library. The new building, with a sign that read “Library for Book Lovers,” turned out to be amazing. It didn’t stand out much compared to the others, but you could see a lot of students wandering nearby. Inside, it was a little cool, and the scent of old books filled the air. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved libraries — they make me feel like I can hide from everyone and stay here safely all day. I went up to the second floor and saw a stand of books. Most of them were novels, my favorite kind, even though my life felt more like a comedy than a romance. I picked the first one I saw — The Girl on the Train. Reading immediately drew me in. I spent an hour with the book, turning page after page. I was about to go for brunch when my peace was broken by a young man’s voice:

“I’m impressed.”

I lifted my gaze from the book to the black leather boots, and then my eyes traveled higher and higher until I saw Ian.

“Hi,” he said.

It was Ian. We hugged as if we had known each other for a hundred years.

“What are you impressed by?” I asked.

“My brother picked up this book too when we were here. You have good taste, because as far as I know, this book is very popular right now, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.” Ian sat down at the table across from me and folded his hands on it.

I smiled and looked back at the book, then at Ian.

“You have a brother?”

“Yes, a younger one. Do you have anyone? Like a brother or a sister?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

I quickly wanted to change the subject and muttered, “I’ll give you back the blanket today.”

“This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other, so you can give it back later. By the way, I’ve got some good news — I spoke to Larry, and he’ll take you on starting tomorrow or next week. If you don’t mind, we could go see him today; I can introduce you. It’s not far from here. You’re going to the party, right? I was actually planning to tell you about the job there, but I guess fate decided you’d find out sooner,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you, you really helped me. Wait… what party?” I asked, alarmed.

“You don’t know?” He looked at me questioningly, and I immediately answered,

“No.”

“Yesterday, my uncle came by your place. He invited you to a party for ‘Comet Night.’ Everyone will gather to watch the comet. My uncle invites all the neighbors to see this beauty. It so happens that we often host parties, just events, and there are two reasons for it. First, my parents really love social gatherings; second, my father likes to present himself well, so to maintain good relations with everyone, he invites people over.”

“When is all this happening?”

“This evening.”

My jaw dropped — my mom hadn’t told me a thing.

“Okay.”

“So, shall we go to the café? I can also take you to our place afterward. You’ll meet your parents there, because they’ll come too, for sure. I remember my father talking about the new neighbors.”

“Yeah, okay.”

I quickly put the book back on the shelf, not finishing it, and just noted the page I had stopped at in my phone’s notes.

The café was nearby, just as Ian had said. We stepped into the cozy place, which was bustling with people. Ian took my hand and led me to the counter.

“Mrs. Smith, could you call Larry, please?”

“Sure, dear.”

Larry was a slightly overweight man in his fifties, very cheerful and smiling.

“Ian, who’s this charming girl with you?”

“Larry, this is Ariel.”

“Hello, nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hand — but Larry rushed to hug me. He looked me over from head to toe, then said,

“Arya, come by at one tomorrow. It was nice to see you, but now excuse me — I have a pile of paperwork to deal with.”

We said goodbye and left the café almost immediately; it really was crowded in there. Ian asked if I was heading home or going to their event, and I realized I needed to change and at least talk to my parents first. So he walked me home, kissed me on the cheek, and said,

“See you tonight.”

I was a little flustered by that, but I said nothing. After everything that had happened recently, I clearly didn’t want to fall for anyone.

At home, I saw my parents already putting up wallpaper and preparing the house to be cozy.

“Aria, how did you like the library? It’s really great — I’ve read a lot about it.”

“Yes, Mom. Mom, why didn’t you tell me about today’s party?”

“I was just about to tell you. We’re going to the Walkers’ — they say many families will be there, and we can get to know them too. By the way, what do you think of the pale green wallpaper? Does it suit the room?” She ran her hand over the glue-damp wallpaper, clearly examining it.

“Yes, it’s wonderful.”

I put on some casual clothes and started helping my parents. My support was just as necessary for them as theirs was for me. They had covered three walls already; only one remained. With six hands, we finished quickly, then spent another seven minutes just staring at the room, which had transformed from gloomy to surprisingly charming. Dad was organizing his things, while Mom began getting ready for the event. She wanted to present herself and our family in the best possible light. I could understand that, but it was completely different from what I would have done. I put on my dark blue jeans, a light pink T-shirt, and a plaid shirt, rolled up the sleeves, did my eye makeup a bit more brightly, brushed my hair, and I was ready — unlike my dad, who had turned the whole house upside down trying to find his favorite jeans. I bet Mom had thrown them out during the move, because there was no other way to part with a pair of worn-out fifteen-year-old jeans. But unlike him, Mom looked, as always, impeccable. Dad, like me, wore jeans too — though not the ones he had been looking for. From the expression on Mom’s face, I realized she really had thrown them out — and paired a blue shirt with Mom’s dress. The walk to the Walkers’ house wasn’t long. We didn’t even take the car, to avoid awkwardness with the neighbors and the hassle of finding a parking spot. Their house was medium-sized and clearly stood out from all the others I had seen. Many people looked at us with questioning eyes, obviously wondering who the new faces were — or, on the contrary, they had probably already looked us up online and knew about our tragedy. Everyone was dressed up: women in evening gowns, men in jackets. At one point, I even felt a little uncomfortable, but I really didn’t want to dress up — my mood simply wasn’t in it, and impressing anyone wasn’t part of my plan. Ian greeted us, wearing blue jeans and a white shirt. I handed him back the blanket I had used when I fell into the water. Mom had already washed it three times before returning it — she was obsessively determined to make everything perfect. Ian offered me a drink, and I agreed. I moved away from my parents, who had clearly started introducing themselves to everyone. While Ian went to grab some cups of soda, I looked out over the lawn. “Do they really even mow the lawn with a ruler?” I wondered.

“At this party, everyone is supposed to have a white candle,” I froze, and he was looking me straight in the eyes.

I reacted immediately:

“Blaine, what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” he replied.

I looked Blaine over from head to toe. He was wearing brown pants and a light blue shirt with a bow tie. Our little idyll was interrupted by Ian, who handed me a cup of soda.

“Aria, have you met my younger brother yet?”

“Blaine — is he your brother?”

Before I could finish my question, Blaine interrupted and asked his brother:

“Aria — is she your girlfriend?”

Ian looked at both of us and asked one question:

“Did you know each other?”

Blaine glanced at me, then at his brother, and answered,

“No.”

I took the candle from him and thanked him with a nod.

I looked at Blaine, then shifted my gaze to Ian.

“Ian, please tell me about tonight,” I said, clearly wanting to step out of this trio.

“Alright,” Ian offered me his elbow like a gentleman.

“What do you want me to tell you about tonight? Okay, look — almost all the neighbors from this street are here. On the right side live people of average means, and on the left side, those who are above average. Many of them are two-faced, but I think you can see that yourself. There are also good neighbors, though, people it’s really nice to spend time with and invite over for dinner. Be careful when you talk to anyone, because any word can be used against you. What else do you want to know?”

“Tell me about yourself,” I said, trying to spot Blaine, because I had a ton of questions for him after that previous encounter. But whenever I was near him, my ears went numb and my hands started scratching my neck uncontrollably — and I definitely didn’t like that.

“I’m at Georgetown University, second year. I love history. What about you — what do you plan to do in the future? Arya, you there?”

My attention had wandered, and I got caught.

“Huh? What? Yeah, I’m listening.”

“You keep looking around. Are you looking for someone?”

“No, I’m just noticing how many people are here.”

“What just happened with my brother?” Ian took my hand, putting me in an awkward position.

“With Blaine? Nothing, he gave me a candle, we met, and then you showed up. Why?”

“It’s just… I have a feeling he said something to you.” He squeezed my hand firmly.

“No, why would you even think that?” Looking into his eyes, I could see his worry and disapproval.

“My brother is a womanizer. He knows how to hit on a girl, get her into bed, and then kick her out in the morning as if nothing happened. It’s happened more than once. You’re attractive, smart — he could easily approach you and start a conversation. I’m not sure about the sex part, but clearly, you two aren’t telling each other everything. I like you, so I want to know if anything happened between you.” He released my hand, turned me to face him, and took me by the shoulders.

“Aria, listen. I liked you from the first day, and I know I’m saying this very early — I realize that — but it really felt like something sparked inside me. I didn’t sleep tonight; I kept thinking about you. I want you to know this. I know about your situation, and I’m not asking you to take any steps or respond in any way. I just want you to hear these words from me personally. And if I regret saying this so soon later, it’s just because I’m speaking my feelings.”

“Ian… I… I’m interested, but I don’t want to rush into anything, and especially not into a relationship right now. I really don’t feel safe at the moment.”

“I’m not insisting, in any case.” He looked at me and stepped closer to hug me. I nodded understandingly, but then realized I urgently needed to go somewhere.

“Ian, where’s the bathroom here?”

“Go straight, then left, straight again, and then right.”

“Thanks.”

On the way, my eyes were searching for Blaine, but my mind was thinking about Ian. It was so unexpected that he had spoken about his feelings so early that I was left speechless. Straight… okay, and here probably left, yes, let’s go, straight, left — or was it further and then right? Damn, I’m confused!

“Further and then right,” I heard a familiar voice.

“Thanks. Blaine! What was that about?”

“Come on, I’ll walk you to the bathroom, otherwise you’ll get lost again.”

We both entered the women’s restroom, and no — it didn’t seem strange to him. He quickly checked two stalls to make sure they were free and that no one could overhear us. Then he started his story without any questions:

“Your brother has probably already told you how bad I am,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “I can see it on your face — answer: yes. Here’s the thing: if I had told him that we had already met, he would have started interrogating me and getting suspicious. Just know that wouldn’t lead to anything good. Trust me. Last night, he kept talking about some girl and was driving everyone crazy — well, he was telling my dad, and I just happened to overhear. Today I realized it was you. It wasn’t hard to figure out. He likes you. And to answer your question right away — I said we didn’t know each other because it’s simpler. You’ll understand everything in time. He’s a good guy, so if you really want to start something with him, you don’t need to interact with me. Oh, and by the way — you need to light the candle.” He pulled out a lighter and lit it. I barely had time to react before the candle was already burning.

“Alright, I heard you, Blaine. I don’t have any questions for you. Now, maybe you can get out of the women’s restroom?!”

“Yeah, maybe… or maybe not.” He caught my stern look and continued,

“When he was confessing his feelings to you and you were looking for me, I was just on the second floor — you could have just looked up. In the future, I’m basically always above; I like it that way more.” With that, he left the women’s restroom.

I stood there for another minute, exhaled deeply, looked in the mirror, and then stepped out.

“Oh, Aria! Are you okay?” Ian asked.

“Yes,” I replied, took Ian by the elbow, and we walked outside to join the others.

At that moment, a comet streaked across the sky.

“This is amazing!” everyone shouted, clinking their glasses in the air. I looked up, and Blaine raised his cup in a gesture of acknowledgment.

“Aria, come on, I’ll introduce you to my uncle.”

We approached a man who seemed very familiar to me.

“Uncle, meet Ariel Moore. You’ve already met her parents. Aria, meet Ren Maddox.”

No way, I thought, that’s the doctor from the hospital, but I tried to keep all my emotions in check. Ren seemed to understand and didn’t say anything, just continued:

“Nice to meet you, Aria. How are you feeling?”

“It’s very nice to meet you too, thank you. I’m feeling better.”

“All right, we’ll be going. By the way, where’s Blaine?” Ian asked, puzzled.

“He’s somewhere walking with his girlfriend.”

Ian started telling me about his house as we walked through the floors — how he grew up here, his first achievements, funny family facts, and their traditions. When we entered his room, I noticed it was decorated in black and white tones.

“Isn’t it boring to live in a room like this?” I asked out of curiosity.

“No, I like it.”

“It’s actually quite cozy… Wait, is this you as a child?” I pointed to a framed photo by his bed.

“Yes, with my mom.”

“What happened?” I asked cautiously, putting the frame back and turning to Ian, looking him straight in the eyes.

“They died in an accident… A simple, ridiculous coincidence.”

I sighed, trying to find the right words.

“Ian, I’m sorry. You’re strong for holding it together. Losing those you love is so hard… I completely understand what you’re going through,” I whispered, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

Ian looked into my eyes and quietly said,

“Thank you.”

He reached out to my face and brushed away a stray eyelash on my cheek. Then he gently traced his hand along my cheek and leaned toward me. I leaned in toward him too, but…

“Ian, your uncle is calling you!” Blaine burst into the room, speaking loudly.

Ian exhaled irritably.

“Thanks, Blaine. You can go.”

I took Ian’s hand and smiled.

“It’s okay.”

After kissing him on the cheek, I pulled Ian’s hand down. Blaine’s gaze was strange… It scared me a little, as if he was clearly against what we were about to do.

“Ren, were you looking for me?” Ian asked his uncle calmly.

“No… Ah, yes. Aria, your parents were looking for you — they’re getting ready to go home.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Ren.”

I let go of Ian’s hand and went to look for my parents. They were glowing with happiness; I hadn’t seen them so cheerful since my sister passed away. It warmed my heart. When I approached them, my mom said that if I wanted, I could stay here until late evening — but on one condition: that someone would accompany me.

“Come on, Mom, let’s go home.”

I said goodbye to Ian and, before leaving, kissed him on the cheek. Looking up, I saw Blaine standing there, hugging a girl, and he just nodded at me in response.

I feel like this story isn’t over yet. What was that?! How small the world is… It scares me, but it seems I’ve completely gotten tangled up in my own life. What am I even doing? I hope that soon I’ll find answers to my questions — and maybe to millions of others.

“This place is wonderful!” my mom shared with us. She absolutely loved Mr. Ren’s company.

Dad wasn’t able to say anything because he fell asleep the moment he crossed the threshold of our home.

“Mom, I got a job,” I said while she was warming up dinner.

“What kind of job?”

“A waitress, at a café near our home.”

“Alright. Just be careful, okay, sweetie?” She kissed me on the forehead and went to change.

I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Questions kept running through my head, but I decided: let everything flow as it may. Closing my eyes, I drifted into a deep sleep.

Running, as always, filled the emptiness inside me with inspiration. The morning was clear and cloudless. The midday heat was softened by a cool breeze.