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“Okay, the first thing on our list is what Orpheus?” Eurydice asked, swinging hers and Miko’s entwined hands back and forth. An earlier competitive match of who could squeeze the other hand harder now at a standstill.
“Let me see,” Orpheus said, using one hand to fish in his pockets, the other holding their empty woven basket. After a few seconds, he draws out a crumpled piece of notebook paper. He placed the paper on his thigh and fruitlessly attempted to iron out some of its crinkles. He brought the list back to his face and began reading. “So, we need to buy clothes, a mat, a toothbrush, huh...I can’t read the rest.”
Eurydice gave Orpheus a look, “didn’t you write the list yourself?”
“Yes...”
Eurydice rolled her eyes and laughed at her husband’s endearing silliness. “It’s fine. We’ll just figure it out as we go along. Miko, you stay close to us, okay? It’s really busy here.”
The market is located in the middle of town. Years ago, when Eurydice had first arrived, the market barely existed- nothing more than one or two stalls selling half-decent goods at overblown prices. Desperate sellers trying to make a buck from desperate survivors. But, ever since the return of spring and the balance of seasons a few years prior, produce and trade had exploded, resulting in the market heavily expanding. Now stalls, tents, and pushcarts lined the streets and filled with not only fresh fruits and vegetables but livestock, clothes, jewelry, homemade goods, and everything under the sun. Sometimes, even live music would be played near the entrance. With a careful ear, the boisterous songs could be heard when walking through the maze of screaming business.
The family of three pushed their way through the crowd. They stopped at nearly every stall in an attempt to check some items off their list. With not much money to either of their names, the couple knew how to bargain down prices with owners- Eurydice with her seasoned haggling skills and Orpheus and his boyish charms, they were a force to be reckoned with (plus a reference to the Hadestown experience and be the reason for the return of spring usually got people to change their minds real quick. Orpheus hated using this tactic so it was only used for the direst of instances and when Orpheus wasn’t present).
Miko stood a few steps behind the two, whipping his head around to take in all the sights. He had been to the market before, usually staying close to the exits so he could beg for scraps or spare change. The one time he ventured further into the fray, he had gotten caught trying to steal some bread from a particular cruel vendor and got beaten as a punishment. Then, he met Euri. Miko was grateful for his new home with Euri and Orphe, away from the mean man and his wife. No more yelling and cursing, no more hits and slaps and painful bruises, no more running away in the middle of the night and begging on the streets. He was free.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw him. A chill went up up the young boy's spine. No, he couldn’t have been there, he never comes here. He always made Miko or his wife go, ‘too much work’ he would say. Yet, Miko could recognize that jacket anywhere- black and maroon flannel lined with a cream fleece interior. Miko felt his breathing hitch. He couldn’t catch a breath no matter how deeply he inhaled. The world was spinning, round and round and round. The noises of chattering townsfolk and hollering shop owners rang in his ears- it was too loud. He wanted it all to stop.
“Okay, I think that’s about everything,” Eurydice said, rearranging the contents in their basket. “Miko, are you okay?”Miko glanced back up at Euri, wringing his fidgeting hands, “I, I thought I saw-” He turned back around, but the man was gone, no sight of that familiar red in the dense crowd. “I...I okay.”
“Are you sure? You’re shaking like a leaf?” she asked, a ribbon of concern lacing every word. Miko just shook his head, still partially out of it. Eurydice didn’t believe him but glanced over to her husband. She was new to this mom thing. She had no clue how to handle situations like this.
Orpheus shook his head. There was no need to push him, he’d open when he was ready. “Yeah, it’s kinda chilly out here, huh, Miko?”
“Huh? Uh, yeah, yeah it is.”
“I think Kimberly runs a hot apple cider stand just up that way.” Orpheus pointed in the direction back the way they came, “let’s go grab a cup, okay?” Miko nodded his head, and Orpheus smiled, running his hand over the boy’s dark hair and down the side of his face, “okay then.”
Eurydice grabbed Miko’s hand and squeezed it. Then they were off. Miko felt the uneasiness in his stomach begin to lighten, replaced with warm relief at only Euri’s strength, and Orphe’s hopeful air could give.
“There’s Kimberly’s stand,” Orpheus said. Kimerbely’s stand was nothing extravagant- three large pitchers, two see-through, the other sterling silver, were on top of a single table covered with a red tablecloth, covered by an awning. Lime green and orange juices filled the two clear pitchers, thin slices of oranges, and what looked to be lemons and limes were placed in the jars as well. That left the silver pitcher to be the one with the cinder. Stacks of wrapped cookies and fruit bars lined the right side of the table, and a small chalkboard with prices occupied the left. A sweet, fruity scent filled the air as they approached, drawing them in, their mouths watering. However, they didn’t seem to be the only people who craved a warm treat on a chilly afternoon. They were greeted to a line stretching back to the middle of the pathway, a good dozen people or so.
Once they reached a few feet from the stand, Eurydice dropped Miko’s hand to pull out money from her satchel. “Okay, let’s see, where exactly does this line start?” Eurydice searched while Orpheus stood on his toes to catch a peek at the price board, both their backs turned to Miko. With both of them distracted, they failed to stop what happened next.
Miko felt a harsh tug and the back of his hood, forcing him to backpedal. Before he could scream, a grimy hand slipped over his mouth.
“Well, well, well.”
Miko froze. ‘No, no, no, no,’ he repeated his mantra of pleads his head, slowly turning around and was met with his worst nightmare: his father.
He was wearing the flannel jacket, covered in various colored stains from years of inadequate care, and a dirty black cap, the one he always wore when going out. It pushed back his greasy brown locks while hiding his menacing blue eyes under the brim. He removed his hand, “so, this is where you ran off to.”
Miko slowly stepped back, but his father continued to loom over ahead, his large frame casting a dark shadow over Miko, blocking any light. “Me and the wife have been looking for you.” Miko hardly believed that- his father only cared about him when he was useful, which wasn’t very often in his eyes. And his wife was probably passed out at the table, buzzed out of her mind from all the “juice” she’s consumed. His “parents” weren’t the type to go and gather a search party at the
prospect of his disappearance.
“It don’t matter now. You’re back. Come on we’re going home.”
Miko shook his head, “no.”
His father began to scowl, eyes as pointed as freshly sharpened daggers. “What the hell you just say to me?”
Miko felt his little remaining confidence began to waver like someone had begun chipping away pieces of his armor. But he stood his ground, “not going.”
Ablaze of fury lit inside his father's eyes. The monster had unleashed, and he wasn’t happy. He reached out with his filthy fingers and coiled them around Miko’s arm. And with a forceful tug, he drew the boy close. He bent down, face to face with Miko, the strong stench of booze stinging the little boy's nose. “I didn’t fucking ask you what you wanted. Get your ass in gear, and let’s move!”
…
The line was much shorter than they thought, the group the dozen or so individuals all left at the same time which, left Orpheus and Eurydice next.
“Hey, long time no see,” Kimberly said, her eyes and smile bright as usual. “Let me guess, two hot ciders?”
“Actually, make that three ciders please,” Orpheus corrected politely.
“Three?” Kimberly asked puzzled. She glanced at the couple, “are one of you planning on drinkin’ two cups?”
“No, it’s for…” Eurydice spun around to see the spot next to her was vacant. No blue sweatshirt, no dark curly hair, no small boy, no Miko. “Miko? Miko? Miko!”
Eurydice turned to Orpheus, “where’s Miko?”
Orpheus’ eyes widened and he began to search for Miko as well, “I, I don’t know. He was just right here! Miko!”
“Miko? Miko!”
The couple felt themselves start to panic. Eurydice frantically spun in circles looking in every direction for the young boy whole Orpheus scanned above the crowd. But they both were coming up completely empty until Orpheus saw a familiar hoodie in the distance.
“There! I see him!”
“Well then let’s go!” The two took off, completely forgetting about Kimberly and their ciders. They had their boy to get back.
…
He was pulling too hard, Miko’s wrist on fire from his grip. His father led him in the direction of the exit opposite of where he, Eurydice, and Orpheus had entered. He bumped into people’s legs with his shoulders and stepped on other's toes. People scoffed and yelled, but his father didn’t even bat an eye. Miko yanked his arm as hard as he could, again and again, and again. But, it didn’t matter, the older man was way too strong.
Just as Miko began to embrace his fate, he heard his name being called in the far distance.
“Miko! Miko!”
“Hey, stop!”
Eurydice and Orpheus.
“The hell…” his father spit, forcefully maneuvering himself and Miko through the crowd and into a dark, shady alley. While trying to escape the view of onlookers, the hammered man tripped over a piece of debris, loosening his grip. Miko slipped away his wrist and turned to run. However, his plan was quickly thwarted by his father, who took ahold of his hood and jerked him back, cutting off his airway for a short second. Miko gasped and coughed, falling to his knees from the shock of being choked, even if it was just for a short period. His father took him by the hood again and brought the boy up in the air, the tips of his feet just barely touching the ground. “The hell stunt you tryin’ to pull boy?” he growled.
Miko struggled to breathe, the cotton fabric of his hoodie pushing against his throat. He was getting dizzy and light-headed. He wanted his Euri and Orphe.
“Miko!”
Miko, twisted his head to see Eurydice and Orpheus running in his direction. “Eu..ri,” he slurred, his voice still raspy and sore from the constant pulling of his hood.
His father addressed the young couple, “just who the hell are you people?”
“Give is our kid back,” Eurydice snarled, not bothering to dignify the man with a proper response to his question.
The man cackled, “your kid?” He sauntered over to the young woman, cockiness oozing through each footstep. “You sure as hell don’t look that whore I banged a few years back. Who left that, leech,” he spat as if poison on his tongue, “on my porch, claiming that was my kid. Forcing me to look after that ingrate. So, no girly, that ain’t your kid.”
Eurydice’s fingers balled into a tight fist, blood pounding in her ears. She knew she needed to keep her composure, but it was a losing battle. She took a deep breath closing her eyes, “well, I know damn well that we’d be better parents than you could ever dream of being. And that Miko would much rather come home with us.”
“That brat doesn’t know what he wants!”
“Yes, I do,” Miko said, running to stand between his father and Eurydice. “I want Euri and Orphe!” The man sent a quick slap to Miko’s face, the sound echoing in the deserted alley.
Eurydice felt something snap inside her, and without fully realizing it, she impulsively punched the man in front of her.
A brawl broke out between the two. The man may be twice her size, but Eurydice was quicker on her feet. She had been in plenty of fights in her life, mostly in bars or beds, and usually with men like Miko’s supposed father: sloppy drunk.
All of a sudden, Miko felt his body get scooped up and wrapped in a tight embrace. “Orphe!” he wailed, burrowing his head against Orpheus’ warm skin, violent sobs wracking his tiny body. Orpheus cradled the back of Miko’s head into the crook of his neck, wanting to shield the boy from the fighting in front of them.
“Shh, shhh, I’ve got you, Miko,” Orpheus cooed, bobbing his body up and down in an attempt to soothe the frantic child, “we’re here. Everything is fine.”
Eurydice continued her assault on the older man, venting all her wrath through the sharp, snappy attacks of her fist. The sound of heavy punches and kicks hitting tough skin and pained grunts and moans sang throughout the alleyway.
“Fine,” the man yelled, pulling away from Eurydice, his lip busted and bleeding and nose unnaturally crooked. “If you want that little shit so badly, take him. He ain’t worth any of this!” He hurled venous insults at the family as he staggered away, the sight of his limping body disappearing in the sea of people.
Eurydice pulled herself to her feet, spitting a mix of blood and dirt from her mouth onto the grimy pavement. After adjusting her rumpled dress and with a quick swipe at her nose, she spun around to face Orpheus and Miko. Suddenly, as if someone had flipped a switch, all the anger vanished from Eurydice’s eyes, replaced with a look of alarm. “Miko! Oh, honey, are you okay?”
Miko timidly lifted his head from Orpheus’ shoulder and was greeted by an unholy sight. Eurydice was sporting a jagged cut on her forehead, puffy, and covered in muck. Her left eye was swollen shut. A dark mark that most certainly would bruise rested on her cheek. And blood pooled from her nose, dripping crimson droplets onto her now ripped dress.
Miko’s face scrunched up in agony, his chin trembling, “Euri! Euri, I sorry! I sorry Euri! I so sorry!”
“Oh, Miko,” Eurydice cried, urgency bleeding through her words, as she sped over the boy. She placed her hands on Miko’s wet cheeks, gently avoiding the red welts of an imprinted hand. Orpheus gasped at how raw and bruised her knuckles were. But Eurydice paid no mind to her pain, completely centering her focus on the weeping child in her husband’s arms. “Miko. No, no, Miko, don’t apologize, this isn’t your fault.”
“No! Euri hurt! Euri hurt, and it’s all my fault!” Miko was hysterical, the dam holding back his tears had decimated. Soon his words were lost in a slurry of blubbering tears and slobbery sniffles.
“No, no, Miko, that’s not true. Right, Orpheus? Orpheus...” Eurydice trailed off taking a good look at her husband.
His eyes were red and glassy from trying to hold back tears, his body oddly jerking. He looked so pained and lost, like a young child, like Miko.
Eurydice frowned, she didn’t realize how worried not only Miko would be, but Orpheus as well. She felt exhausted, her body aching. Silently, amidst her tears, she pulled the two boys into her arms, her fingers curling into the hair on the back of their heads. The boys quickly followed suit, Miko dipping his head into Eurydice’s neck, Orpheus wrapping his one empty arm around his wife’s back. They hugged and hugged tight until not an inch of space was left between them, the air unbelievably hot. The three stayed there in the alley weeping for who knows how long. Noises from the bustling market just a few steps away faded to nothing, static in the ears. The pungent smell of putrid produce and rotting meat wafted through the air around them, but none of them cared. They just held each other close, and listened to their muffled cries, mumbled apologies, pounding heartbeats, and shaky breaths.
Eurydice was the first to pull back, eyes shifting back and forth, from Miko to Orpheus, Orpheus to Miko. The young boy had stopped his stopping crying, heavy sobs, exchanged for soft hiccups.
“Miko, Miko, listen to me,” Eurydice said, her voice stern yet brimming with love. “You listening?” He nodded his head. “This was not your fault. None of it, absolutely none. You hear me?”
Miko shook his head, “but-”
“No buts,” Eurydice said fiercely, burning brown eyes locked with teal green. She needed him to hear her, understand what she was saying. She couldn’t let him continue to blame himself and living with undeserved guilt. “This, all of what happened here, wasn’t your fault. You are not in trouble for any of this.”
Miko sniffled once more, “but you got hurt…”
“I’ll be just fine,” Eurydice smiled, brushing dark locks out of Miko’s face. “Cuts and wounds heal and fade away. Some may become scars that stay, but even those, in turn, heal. And each scar tells a story, some pleasant, some painful.” She stares into shimmering teal irises. “And these scars I have here,” she points to the cut on her forehead and the scratches littering her face, “are tales of promises. Promises that I will always, always, protect you. From any harm or any danger. Okay?”
Eurydice didn’t know where these words were coming from, but she had a strong suspicion. After years together, her poet was rubbing off on her. All his constant promises of love and stability and a brighter future, his quiet affirmations on her darkest days that light was still there, and things would get better his loyalty and faith. Eurydice knew the power of true love and promises, and she wanted to share that with the other most important person in her life. She may have only known the boy for a little over a day, but she couldn’t imagine her life without him or Orpheus in it. When she fell, she fell hard fast.
The young boy rubbed his nose, “okay, Euri.”
“Can you smile for me?” she asked, yet Miko continued to frown. “Ahh come on, can I get one smile please?” He gave her a weak, uneasy smile. “Nope, that won’t do. I need a real, big smile. I guess I’m just gonna have to...tickle you for it!” Eurydice wiggled her fingers on Miko’s tummy, causing him to laugh, a wide grin spilling over his lips.
“Euri!” Miko screamed through giggles.
Eurydice abandoned her assault, “there, perfect.” She leaned over a placed a quick kiss on his flushed cheek before turning to face Orpheus. “Lover, why are you crying? You and I both know I’ve been through much worse.”
Orpheus didn’t respond. Instead, he reached out to cup Eurydice’s cheek. Smeared blood stained his calloused hands, still sticky and faintly warm. Hazel eyes dimmed, fingertips running light circles over red bruises. He could’ve stopped this. He should’ve stopped this. What kind of husband just stands and watches his wife take on a man double her size? A bad one.
Eurydice, as if she could read his mind, shook her head, “you couldn’t have done anything, Lover.”
“I could’ve helped you,” he said lowly.
“You did. You protected Miko and kept him safe. That helped me more than any punch.”
Orpheus lifted her busted hands to his face, placing feathery kisses over each knuckle. His lips the best medicine she could ask for. Next, he moved to her cheeks, then her temples, and nose, careful not to apply too much pressure, and finally her lips.
“Yuck,” Miko gagged, sticking his tongue out and closing his eyes.
The two pulled away and glanced over at their boy. “Yuck? What do you mean ‘yuck’?” Eurydice asked, feigning offense. She began kissing all over Miko’s face, Orpheus joining in as well.
“Ahhh, no,” he shrieked, squirming in Orpheus’ arms.
With a final kiss, Eurydice backed away, “alright, you two, ready to head home?”
Orpheus sighed, “yes, please.”
Miko grinned, “home!”
The three made their way out of the darkened alley and back onto the main road. The sun was setting over the horizon; the sky tinted an array of oranges and purples. The once crowded street was now nearly desolate. Men and women, and others were busy wrapping up and shutting down their stalls.
“I guess the market is closing up,” Orpheus concluded as they continued their walk.
As they reached the entrance, Miko spoke up, "hey Orphe?”
“Yes, Miko?”
“Where’s the basket?”
Orpheus furrowed his brows. “What basket?” he asked, puzzled.
“You and Euri’s.”
Oh, their grocery basket! “Oh, that’s right…” Wait, where did they put it at?
Suddenly, Orpheus froze in his spot.
“Orpheus?” Eurydice asked, confusion plaguing her expression.
“Eurydice.”
“Yes?”
“We left the grocery basket in the alley…”
“...shit.”