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“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ben huffed to himself, running a hand through his longish dark hair, staring at the empty Little Free Library that was perched at the edge of his front lawn.
Sure, there had been maybe 15 volumes when he had checked it before spending the weekend visiting his parents in Chandrila, he had even made a mental note to scour his shelves for a few more books to buff up the collection, but who in their right mind would take every single book?
Ever since Ben had driven the stake into his yard and propped up his Little Free Library, with its glass door and little roof and set of shelves he had always had a steady stream of books. His quiet neighbourhood in Takadona had plenty of foot traffic, retirees taking their daily walks, parents with little ones in strollers and toddling along on unsteady feet, dogs and their owners before and after work.
He had tried to keep a record at first, meticulously noting down the titles that were taken and left, along with the date of each swap. But then life caught up to him and he had stopped doing it, just checking in once and a while, adding in more picture books when they were all gone or taking out and donating repeat copies of The Da Vinci Code and He’s Just Not That Into You more times than he could count.
But this was just ridiculous! Every single book was gone. Luckily the little library didn’t seem to have suffered any damage, he had heard stories of some getting knocked off their stakes or the glass smashed in.
Chewie, his labradoodle, gave a loud bark from behind the front storm door, and Ben knew he was taking too long watering his plants and somebody was ready for his breakfast and morning walk. He shot one more dirty look at the empty shelves and decided he’d stop by the thrift store on his way home from work to pick up some buy one, get one free books to restock the shelves.
The annoying mystery of the disappearing books was pretty much forgotten until a few days later Ben walked over to grab his garbage bins from the side of his driveway and he did a double take.
The shelves were much fuller than they had been after his trip to Tico’s Treasures, the resale shop his friend Rose and her sister Paige ran together.
Ben opened up the library and looked inside, gaze scanning the titles. A cream-coloured envelope tucked between The Phantom Tollbooth and Crazy Rich Asians caught his eye, so he fished it out.
The front and back were blank, save for a small piece of light blue tape printed with tiny butterflies. He stuck his index finger in the small gap at the corner of the envelop and ripped it open gently.
A piece of paper that was the same creamy colour was folded inside, so Ben took it out and felt his eyebrows creep together in confusion as he tried to decipher the chicken scratch that was scrawled across the page.
“Hi,
I guess I should start by saying ‘Sorry’ – it was brought to my attention that it’s not really ‘Little Free Library’ etiquette to take ALL of the books at once, or at least not without replacing them with different ones.
It’s not really an excuse but I come from a really small town, Jakku, ever heard of it? Probably not. ANYWAY there isn’t even a regular library, let along these cute little ones, so I didn’t know how they worked.
I’m new to the area and HATE that I’ve already made such a bad impression, so please accept the banana bread I’ve baked (NUT FREE in case someone in the house is allergic) as an apology. I’ve also put all the books back that I took plus a few more (except for American Gods, I’m still reading it).
Sorry again. I’m Rey, by the way.
-R”
Ben hadn’t even noticed the small brown paper bag hanging by its handles on one of the hooks he used to hang garland at Christmastime, but he supposed that’s where the banana bread was waiting.
He unhooked the bag and brought it inside with him, along with the note and one of the books that had been left by the book thief, Rey, his new neighbour.
Setting the book, The Love Hypothesis, on the counter, he shook the wax paper wrapped banana bread out of the bag and opened it up, smiling despite himself at the smell of cinnamon that wafted out. It looked good, dark brown with what seemed like a sugar-cinnamon crust on top.
Even if he wasn’t allergic, he appreciated that Rey had decided to make the bread sans walnuts. He cut himself a thick slice and took a bite, making sure not to let any of the crumbs fall onto the kitchen floor.
It was delicious – sweet and soft – and Ben ate the first slice in four bites. He cut himself another piece and tried to savour it a bit more.
Chewie came padding into the kitchen and looked up at him with his big, pouting eyes until Ben eventually gave in and reached into the treat cabinet to grab him a Milkbone before picking up the light-blue book Rey had left in the little library, riffling through the pages before wandering into the living room to read.
The last days of summer went out in a blaze of glory, a few hot days at the beginning of September until the temperature dropped suddenly. Ben had always liked autumn, the smell of fresh school supplies at the beginning of the year and the way the leaves changed.
He was sitting on the porch in his favourite flannel, sipping his coffee and reading the last book Rey had left him along with one of the most amazing cornbread muffins he’d ever tasted. He’d responded to the note, thanking them for the apology and the banana bread, making sure that they knew that they were welcome to the neighbourhood and to any of the books in the little library.
After that they’d continued passing notes via the small structure that stood at the edge of Ben’s property, and Rey would often leave little treats in a brown paper bag – only once getting clawed down by a particularly adventurous squirrel one day in August.
Ben had yet to actually meet his new neighbour, but his generally grumpy disposition and awkwardness around new people was perfectly suited to that form of interaction.
Or so he thought.
That morning he had taken Hux (who was too chicken to ask Rose, even though they’d been throwing not-so-conspicuous glances at each other whenever they went for drinks for weeks) to the airport, and had decided to just take the rest of the day off. So he was enjoying the crisp autumn air and working his way through Terry Pratchett’s Mort, when he looked up and saw someone standing next to his Little Free Library, staring at him open-mouthed.
Cute, was the first brilliant thought that bubbled up from the depths of his mind as Ben clocked the tight skinny jeans, green jumper and brown hair piled on top of her head in a haphazard bun.
Then the cogs in his sluggish brain really started working and he realised that she had an armful of books and a brown paper bag held tightly in one hand.
He could see her blush from where he sat, and she had finally closed her mouth.
“Um, hi,” she called, waving the brown paper bag awkwardly, adorably.
“Hey,” Ben said back, a little breathless and scrambling to stand and set down his book and coffee mug without spilling anything.
“You, ah, you must be Ben,” she said, little wisps of brown hair whipping around her face in the breeze as he got closer, seeing now that she had a smattering of freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.
“And you’re Rey,” he responded, stopping to stand in front of her, struck a little dumb by the shining green of her eyes.
“That’s me,” she affirmed, huffing out a little chuckle. She shifted the books in her arms, and Ben reached out to grab them from her.
“Here, let me help you with those –”
“Oh, that’s okay, I’ve got them –”
The stack of books fell to the ground and Ben cursed inwardly at his inability to keep his cool around a pretty girl.
Rey laughed, a bright and brilliant sound. They both crouched down and picked up a few volumes each.
“Ah, you finally finished American Gods, then?” he asked, grasping at whatever conversation he could manage as they stood back up again.
She bit her lip and Ben had to stifle his urge to groan at the sight, “I finished it ages ago, I just really loved it, so I ah, kept it for a while and re-read it this past week. But I figured it was time to let it go to another good home,” Rey shrugged then, plopping the few books she was holding into the little library.
“I have the 10th anniversary collector’s edition,” Ben replied, and it was his turn to blush, “If you, ah, wanted to check it out.”
Rey smiled at him again, and despite the chill in the air Ben felt warm all over.
“Yeah, I’d really like that.”
A few years later, when they bought a house of their own together, Rey built them a little library that looked exactly like it, down to the blue siding and black gambrel roof.