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Below the weakening September sun, Scaramouche and his son got out of their car.
The Raiden family house stood in front of them, daunting, familiar. The tall, grey house was as hollow as Scaramouche could remember. Contrary to most people, the house where he grew up held no warm childhood memory attached to it. Holding Durin’s hand firmly, he entered the house.
The moving company had already put all their belongings inside, a large number of packages were cluttering the ground, so much that they had to jump over a few obstacles to go into the living room.
His mother and her new wife did not leave much behind them. “Good,” Scaramouche thought, relieved. He wanted a new beginning for him and Durin.
“So that’s where you lived with grandma?” Durin asked, still holding his dad’s hand.
“Yes. And that’s where we’ll live from now on,” He grabbed Durin and held him in his arms. “Aren’t you excited? We get to decorate it with everything you want!”
Durin buried his head in Scaramouche’s neck. “It’s still scary.”
After the loss of Durin’s mother a year ago, Scaramouche worked relentlessly to get a primary teacher certificate and find a job in a new town. Was it destiny or a coincidence? It didn’t matter; the result was that he got a position in the very small town where he grew up. Ei, his mother, had already moved out of the country to go back to the motherland. He decided that he could perhaps use her house, as it would save a lot of money and time. He was not sure how he felt about coming back, after all these years. He had desperately tried to escape to the capital to build his life and came back right where he came from. How pathetic.
Scaramouche let Durin go out of his arms. “We will be okay. I promise. Now, let's try to get our rooms ready for tonight.”
It took a few hours, but after sweat and tears, both of their beds got assembled. Scaramouche took the master bedroom and let Durin use his old room. To his surprise, some furniture was left in his room. A desk, a chair. Some clothes. In the drawers, he found used textbooks and novels full of annotations from his high school times. While opening an old copy of the Boar Princess, Durin even found a printed picture of him and another classmate, a short girl with pigtails. The two of them were blushing and looking away. It was a hassle to try to make him stop asking about it.
When their stomachs started to scream, they went outside to look for food. The house was just a few minutes away from the center, where they wandered around for some time. The architecture was really different from the capital where Durin grew up. He looked at the old buildings with a deep curiosity as they passed across a few shops, a café, and a convenience store. In a smaller city, there were no fancy restaurants nor much of the kind of Inazuman food like they fancied. They decided to try the local Sumerian restaurant and ate pita bread stuffed with kebab meat. While it was good, it didn’t taste as authentic as it could be in the capital.
Scaramouche wondered how well they would adapt in this new environment. He was worried that the downgrade might feel heavy on his son, but he did not seem to mind too much. Maybe it was more of a challenge for him.
***
The next day, they finished setting the house’s basics.
The bathroom was usable, the kitchen too. The living room was still a mess, but it could always be solved later. After a whole morning stuck inside, Durin could not stay confined anymore. He wanted to explore the city and have fun outside.
They went out again during the afternoon. It was a Saturday, people were out shopping, some group of friends and first dates were drinking coffee on the tables set outside in the main plaza.
Following Durin’s whim, they walked to the school where the young boy will go from next Monday. It was a charming historical building stuck between a library and an aging store selling firecrackers and different types of school supplies. Durin cringed at the “girls’ school” sign carved above the main door.
“A long time ago, boys and girls used to go to separate schools. Don’t worry, it's a coed school now.” His dad chuckled.
Durin pondered a few seconds before changing his focus to the library next to them. He loved books, especially illustrated fairy tales.
“Can we go inside? I want to see the books they have here.” He asked.
“Sure, let’s go check it out.”
They entered the building that was quite busy at the time. Durin held his dad’s arm firmly as he noticed a lot of kids his age running around the aisles. A frightening lady caught one by the ear before scolding them. This scene almost made Durin want to back out but Scaramouche pushed him gently.
“You don’t have to talk to other kids yet, let’s just borrow a book for you to read tonight, okay?”
Durin nodded.
As they explored the children section together, a book caught Durin’s interest. He started to read the first pages and got completely absorbed by it. This was not unusual, Scaramouche was used to his son losing himself in fairy tales. He simply decided to wander around the library to search for something for himself.
In the philosophy section, he noticed a book he wanted to read for a long time. He took it out of the shelf to flip through it.
On the other side, from the gap left by the book, striking familiar green eyes met his.
Oh god.
He put the book back where it was.
Was it too late to escape his fate? He looked on his left, a wall. No way out for Scaramouche.
There she came from the other side of the shelf. Slowly, confidently. Her hair was as deep and silky as he remembered. Her skin as fair and slightly freckled. Her gaze was sparkling with the determination and pride he once adored.
“Long time no see, Scara.” She said in a neutral tone.
“Mona Megistus.” Her name slipped from his lips unintentionally.
“This library doesn’t accept book thieves.”
Scaramouche looked at her librarian uniform behind her crossed arms. “Do you work here now?” He asked, eluding her accusation.
“Yes, I came back here after college. Are you here to visit your mother?”
“No, er… She went back to Inazuma. I found a job here.”
The sound of a book falling next to them caught their attention. Durin was just behind them. His face went red and he grabbed the book from the floor muttering “sorry”. Scaramouche put a hand on his shoulder.
“This is my son, Durin. Durin, this is Mona, my– my friend. From high school. Durin will be schooled here from Monday. He loves reading.”
Mona opened her eyes for a second, surprised. She uncrossed her arms and waved at the boy.
“Nice to meet you, Durin. I am Mona, the librarian.”
“Nice to meet you…” Durin said in a shy voice, the book he was holding in his hands covering half of his face.
“We better keep going, we still have a lot to do, right, Durin?” Scaramouche hurried. He used his hand on Durin’s shoulder to push him outside of the aisle. “Pleasure to meet you again, Mona.” He took the book his son was holding and put it on a rack standing next to a bookshelf. Then, he rushed to the door, leaving Mona completely under shock.
“This guy…” He could hear her furiously jerk as he closed the door behind them.
This was not how he imagined them meeting again after more than ten years. To be completely honest, he did not expect to see her ever again. Mona Megistus, once his arch nemesis. Always competing with him, fighting for the best grade at every exam. She knew exactly how to anger him, make him lose control. He thought he hated her until that day she kissed him. She was his first relationship, his first love.
The last time they met was the day he broke up with her.
***
Mona woke up from the displeasing sound of her roommate’s pet crow screaming. She glanced at her alarm clock. 6:50, ten minutes before the time she was supposed to wake up. Urgh. She put her blanket over her head and closed her eyes. She had been sleeping poorly ever since she saw her ex-boyfriend the other day. She thought that she might be over it, after all, they dated more than a decade ago. Yet, from the moment their eyes met through the bookshelves, she felt that familiar pain in her heart again.
She grabbed her phone to check her schedule for the day. She was somewhat free this morning, just had to look over the main room in the library. At twelve, she had to meet a teacher to help them order books for their literature class. She knew all the teachers in town – they all had to deal with her to order textbooks – and none of them would book an appointment for that, they usually would just walk inside the library and ask her. Maybe it was a new teacher who asked her superior beforehand?
She clicked on the appointment to see the name of the teacher.
“Raiden Kunikuzushi”
She almost jumped from her bed. THAT was the new job he was talking about? Teacher in the school next to her workplace?
Fate definitely had an interesting sense of humor.
I don't want to see his face, she thought as she patted her beauty blender on her face.
I should ask Lisa to meet him instead, she muttered as she curled her hair with an iron.
She spent the whole morning hesitating between standing Scaramouche up and doing her job right. As the perfectionist she was of course she chose to meet him anyway. She would be neat and professional. It's not like she cared that much about him; he was just a stupid high school fling that dared breaking up with her.
And he had a child now. She wondered if Scara was married.
When it was around lunch time, she crossed the street and went directly to the teacher’s office. She knew the school like the back of her hand because she had studied there when she was younger. She still remembered vividly running across these halls with her friends.
The teachers let her come inside the room and welcomed her warmly. Half of them used to have her as a student, the other half were fellow neighbors and old friends.
“Mona! It’s nice to see you today,” the PE teacher said. What’s bringing you here?”
“Hi, Jean. I’m here to assist a teacher with ordering some books. I guess that they don’t know the procedure yet.”
“A new teacher? Then this must be…”
Everyone became quiet. Their history was common knowledge for a small town like here. Mona started curling a string of hair out of anxiety. The fact that everyone in the room was aware that she had to meet this one ex she had been cursing about for years was extremely unpleasant.
“You know what, maybe we should let you alone for a while?” Jean asked while patting her shoulder.
“What? No, you don’t have to change your plans or anything, I'll just explain to him here and leave!”
Suddenly everyone stood up and gathered their jackets. Mona tried to convince them to stay – it was even more embarrassing to be alone with that guy – but they were not listening to her.
“We wanted to eat outside anyway. It is a beautiful day!” Jean reassured her.
While all the teachers were leaving the room, Scaramouche entered and watched the scene, looking rather intrigued. Mona dived her face into her palms from embarrassment. When the silence finally settled into the room, they both looked at each other.
“Hi.” Scaramouche said.
“Hi…” She answered.
He sighed. “I guess you’re the person who will help me order the books, right?”
“I sure am.”
“I knew they were up to no good…”
It seems like someone set them up to meet again. It could be anyone, really. Whether the culprit did it out of malice or altruism, the result was the same: they had no choice but to work together.
Mona composed herself and placed her hands on her hips. She was going to do her job and quickly leave to eat her lunch.
“Let’s get started, shall we? We don’t have much time.
She took down the reference number of the book to be ordered and the number of students. She also asked him for his program for the year, so that she could plan ahead for any orders for the coming months. He responded in a very professional manner, and she was surprised that she did not dislike the moment. Having a civil conversation with him was not how she had imagined their reunion. A few years ago, she would have given anything to strangle him.
“How does it feel to be back?” She asked him after she finalized the order. He sat down deeper in his chair.
“Not too bad, actually. I think I missed this place more than I realized. Durin is also adapting quite well.”
“That’s good to hear. Is your… wife pleased with the small-town life?”
Scaramouche shared a sad smile.
“She would hate it here. She was a big city type of woman,” he waited a few seconds before adding: “She passed away.”
“Oh… I’m so sorry to hear that…”
“It’s okay. We’re a good team, Durin and me.”
“He’s a good boy. He has come alone to the library multiple times already. He’s quite the reader.”
Scaramouche laughed. “He is, I'm afraid that he might finish the entire library catalog in a few months.”
She grinned back. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. It may be a small country library, but we manage to keep up with the latest releases.”
“By the way, Mona…, he hesitated. The other day, I left quite abruptly. I just didn’t expect to meet you so soon.”
She crossed her arms and turned her head away. “It was really rude of you. I’m glad you’re bringing this up.”
“I didn’t mean to. I hope you can forgive me.”
“For this event, maybe. For everything else…”
Someone entered the room. An old classmate of theirs, Amber. They moved apart a few inches, realizing they had moved closer during their conversation. Amber pretended not to be interested in their discussion and walked over to her desk to rummage through her bag nonchalantly.
“Let’s meet again, in a more… Private setting. Do you still have the same number?” Scaramouche asked.
“I… do.” She answered, trying to ignore her friend’s reaction behind him.
“Great. I’ll call you. Now go eat before the end of your lunch break.”
The rest of her day passed like a dream. She could not believe she just had a pleasant time with Scaramouche. Over the years, she had thought of a thousand scenarios for their reunion. She imagined – one of her many fantasies among so many others – that he would return, crying on her doorstep, and that she would open the door with a beautiful, wealthy man or woman on her arm. She never imagined she would have to work with him or even schedule a date.
“You have to explain to me what I just witnessed!!” Amber texted her later in the afternoon.
She would like to understand herself, actually.
***
Scaramouche was waiting nervously in a café. Not that anyone would guess that he was nervous, he was good at hiding his emotions.
He did not know why he asked Mona out so suddenly. He figured that explaining himself was the least he could do, after all these years. He was not fooled by his coworkers trying not to mention her at all, he knew that their relationship was still talked about regularly. In fact, ignoring the subject so blatantly made him feel even more uncomfortable about the situation.
When she entered the café, his ears rang from déjà-vu. She was wearing a short midnight blue dress and styled her hair down. She wore a similar outfit during their first official date after becoming a couple.
“Sorry, am I late?”
“Not, just in time, as usual.”
She sat in front of him, and greeted the server, who came to take their order. Once Scaramouche got his espresso and Mona her fruity parfait, they started talking. Talking about their lives, their struggles. Everything, or almost, that happened during the last decade.
“I couldn’t keep pretending we were a perfect family. I was so tired of her constant abuse… I never contacted her again after leaving for college. I only got some news through her wife. She remarried.”
“I noticed that I didn’t see her much anymore. Do you know why she went back to Inazuma?”
“My mother wanted to retire. Her wife is still running a business there. They’re content with their new life, from what I’ve heard. At least, it seems like it, because she never bothered to reach out.
“Does she know about Durin?”
“Yes, I’ve sent some pictures to Yae. Her wife. She never went out of her way to meet him in person. She sends him money for the new year. She will probably never change. For her, she can excuse everything with her money.”
Mona nodded. He knew that she also had a rough childhood with her aunt. That is how they bonded in the first place. Two broken souls banding their scars together. Until one of them left the other without an explanation and never reached out ever again.
“Is that… why you left everyone and never came back?” Is that why you left me? She wanted to ask.
Scaramouche took a last sip out of his coffee. “Partly.”
With the intensity burning in Mona’s crystal-clear eyes, he knew that he could not get away with this kind of answer.
“I wanted to leave everything that I associated with my mother. Everything about this town. My friends. You. Listen, I’m not proud about what I did. I owe you an explanation, and instead, I just chose the easiest path. I regret doing this every day of my life, if that’s any comfort. Ever since I met my ex-wife and Durin, I’ve tried to become a better person. For them, but also for myself, because I wanted to stop being this destructive force that hurt everybody in its path.”
Mona looked down on her parfait. She seemed to hesitate but gathered some courage. “I really trusted you. You know how hard my aunt was on me, I always needed to be this perfect girl, with straight A’s and a bright future. Dating you forced me to show vulnerability, to give my precious fragile heart beating in someone else’s hands. When you left me without an explanation, I felt so betrayed. As if you became so dear to me just to hurt me even more. For the longest time, I was unable to trust someone else. I blamed you entirely,” she shrugged. “I came to realize that you were not the only culprit, and that I was responsible for my own life and my own feelings. Now, I focus on my friends, and on my job. This does not mean that I forgive you, not at all. I just want you to know that you did not destroy me. I am my own person, I make my own choices, and I am capable of moving on.”
Scaramouche smiled at her. “It seems like we both had our share of growing up, huh.”
“We did.” She smiled back. She looked around and laughed. “Do you remember that time we had a date here, and we fought?”
Scaramouche chuckled as he massaged his forehead. “How could I forget? You threw your drink at me. An iced tea. In the middle of December.”
“I forgot why we had a fight, but I bet you totally deserved it.”
As if they had gone back in time, they began to bicker like they did when they were kids. They didn't notice the time passing, and when Scaramouche looked at his watch, he saw that it was time to pick up Durin from his friend's house.
“I must go, but I had a great time. I hope we can do it again.” He confessed.
Mona felt herself swelling with happiness. “Yes, I suppose we can do it.”
***
Mona had noticed a change in Scaramouche over the last few weeks. He seemed to be slowly opening up to her, the cold bitterness she remembered from their youth softening into something more grounded. He had started coming to the library multiple times a week, and though he still held back, the air between them felt charged with a quiet, unspoken tension.
However, it was Durin who truly became a constant in her daily routine. Durin had grown more confident with every visit, encouraged by the warm welcome of the library staff.
“Hello, Miss Mona.” he said at the counter. He stood on tiptoe so she could see the tip of his nose sticking out. Mona was on watching duty that day, which meant that she did not have much to do, Durin was a welcome distraction.
“Oh, good to see you, Durin. Have you already finished Flowers for Princess Fischl? My, my, you’re such a book worm.”
He put the book on the counter for Mona to scan the reference. “I thought that it was quite difficult to read. I want to try something easier today. Can you help me find a book?”
“Sure, I’ll help you. Come with me.” She stood up and walked to the children’s book area with Durin following her closely at her heels.
“I want to read something for Barbatos Day. The city’s all decorated, I’m so excited.”
“Are you planning something this year?” she asked.
“Yes. Daddy will cook my favorite dish, and we will watch a movie together. We already set up the tree. We went to the forest to cut it ourselves. Daddy said that I helped him a lot."
Mona felt a surge of tenderness and patted his head. “I’m sure you did.”
Durin looked up at her, his cheeks flushing a soft pink. He seemed to be studying her, weighing something in his mind.
“What are you doing for Barbatos Day, Miss Mona?”
“Oh… I don’t really celebrate it. My roommate will be home for the holidays, so I guess that I’ll just enjoy the whole apartment for myself!” She said as she handed him a brightly illustrated book.
Durin frowned. He couldn’t have imagined spending such an important holiday all alone. For a child, Barbatos Day was meant for warmth and laughter, not silence in a lonely apartment.
“But it’s sad to be all alone,” he whispered, hugging the book against his chest.”You should come eat with us! My daddy is a really good cook.”
Mona froze for a moment, caught off guard by the little boy’s direct invitation. “That’s very kind of you, Durin, but I wouldn’t want to intrude…” She replied with a shy smile. She would feel guilty about using his son to spend time with Scaramouche.
“Dad will be okay with it! He smiles all the time when he talks about you.”
Mona felt the heat rush to her face. She looked away on the bookshelf, pretending to search for another book for Durin. So, Scaramouche talked about her to his son? With a smile? Knowing that made her heart beat a little faster.
“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Durin.”
When she went back home in the evening, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Durin had said. She looked at Scaramouche’s number on her screen and felt a rush of adrenaline. She was feeling a little audacious.
Mona: I just met your son at the library. He said something very interesting. Do you talk about me this often?
She waited, her heart racing. A few seconds later, the phone buzzed.
Scaramouche: He’s way too honest for his own good. I already told him to not bother you.
Mona: He was rather a gentleman today, inviting me over for Barbatos Day. Are you aware of that?
She could see the typing bubble appearing and disappearing for a few minutes.
Scaramouche: A gentleman? I see that I raised him well. You’re obviously welcome to join us.
Mona: And you also want me to come, or are you just following your son’s orders?
She bit her lip, the beginning of a smile at the corner of her mouth.
Scaramouche: You know me better than that, Mona. I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. I was planning to invite you, Durin just beat me to it.
Mona: My expectations are really high. I’ve heard great things about your cooking.
Scaramouche: I promise it will be better than anything you can buy around here. You can come by seven o’clock on the 24th.
Mona: Bold claim. I’m looking forward to it.
She rolled over her bed, kicking her feet on the blanket. She felt a spark of excitement she had not felt in years.
***
The 24th arrived with fluffy snow covering the town. Inside of the Raiden house, the air was thick and warm from the fireplace lightened for the occasion.
Durin was completely overexcited. He kept looking at the clock in the living room, hoping that time would pass more quickly. Scaramouche was the kitchen embalming the air with the most delicious smell.
“Is she there yet?” Durin asked for the tenth time, peeking through the window.
“She should arrive soon,” Scaramouche simply answered, while putting the main course in the center of the table.
With the holiday decorations and the fireplace, this house really looked like a home, he thought. After living his whole childhood between the cold and hollow walls, he could not believe that this place could become welcoming.
The doorbell rang, right on time. Scaramouche wiped his hands on his apron before opening the door. He’ll never admit it, but his heart might have skipped a beat when he saw Mona, snow on her lashes, nose red from the frosty air outside.
“You really came, huh.”
“I wouldn’t miss the chance of seeing you wearing an apron,” she said, cheekily. She handed him a box of chocolates. “Bribe for the chef.”
He let her come inside.
“Miss Mona!” Durin ran to her. “Come see the tree!” He grabbed her hand to urge her in the living room.
The evening passed more naturally than everyone expected. For their second Barbatos Day without Durin’s mother, it was much livelier than the previous year. The silence and sorrow were replaced by Mona’s laughter listening to Durin’s stories and the crackling sound of the fireplace.
After eating the delicious meal that Scaramouche prepared for them, Durin finally got to open his presents.
From Mona, he got a puzzle illustrating a book that he really liked. “You shouldn’t have,” Scaramouche scolded her nicely. “I wanted to.”
As Durin was playing with all his new toys, they both sat on the couch in a comfortable silence.
“I have something for you, Mona,” Scaramouche whispered under his breath.
“For me? You didn’t need to buy me anything.”
He grabbed a present hidden under the tree. It was wrapped in very simple paper, tied in a red ribbon. She unwrapped it with apprehension. It was an old book, the corners were dog-eared and the paper had turned yellow. “Wait. Is that–”
“Yes. It’s the Boar Princess copy that you lent me when I had to write an essay on it.”
“I thought that I would never get it back!”
“When we met again in September, you reminded me that I was a book thief. It’s long overdue, but I hope the librarian will forgive me.”
She opened the book to see her name written on it. She brushed the rugged paper with her fingertips. “A decade overdue is a criminal offense for a librarian. You’ll not be forgiven for this easily.”
Scaramouche moved closer to her. “Tell me, Librarian, what should I do to be forgiven?”
“You’ll have to repay me with more than one dinner.” She grinned.
“I will happily oblige.”
After that, the three of them ate a delicious log cake and watched a movie. As the credits started rolling, only the sound of Durin and Mona’s breath filled the room. Scaramouche looked at them fondly. In the stillness of the snowy night, the house no longer felt like a relic of his past, but like the solid foundation of a future he had finally stopped running from.