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In the beginning, Evangeline had simply wanted to consider it a coincidence. She considered her life full of them. For that reason alone, she believed that something magical had chosen to follow her, wanting to sprinkle more mystery into her story. After all, Evangeline lived in the Magnificent North, in a magical inn that seemed to have a life and heart of its own. But after a while, she quickly suspected this "magic" that was gifting her things had a name, and it suspiciously had the same name as her True Love. And making him admit to such "nice" acts—as he would call them—had always been a difficult thing.
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The first "coincidence" began nearly a month ago when Evangeline—in a spontaneous burst of energy to do something different—decided that her body and mind needed to feel the bright and warm rays of the midday sun. Don't get her wrong, she still loved spending her time inside—relaxing, sleeping, reading, and just plainly breathing next to Jacks; but even then, she also needed to go out and admire the beauty the world offered. Of course, Jacks couldn't fathom the idea of letting her leave the Hollow alone, so it led to a nice trip down to the village together.
With all the time in the world, they walked down the path that connected the Hollow to the village—which looked vastly different to the first time she had seen it, vivid with thriving wildlife, and decorated with enchanting tall flowers that seemed to bloom as they stepped. Evangeline was taken aback when they reached the entrance; waves of people mingled about across the mazes of paths available to choose from, and there was a sea of colorful tents filled to the brim with various objects she couldn't stop her eyes from dancing over—from interesting never seen before spices, to stomach grumbling foods, to small shiny and gleaming curiosities and oddities.
Even with all the excitement to go down there and explore, her smile faltered and her heart clenched. The unsettling knowing that this had once been Jacks's home—before all the pain, the grief and the heartache—gnawed at her. And not only had it been his but her friend Lala's as well, and even Castor had been a very frequent visitor. She understood that it had been a long time ago, when roads were still unmarked on maps and magic was still in its earliest of phases. But Evangeline felt for them, for Jacks, for all their grief combined, to the point of almost begging Jacks to stop guiding her, to turn them around back to the Hollow where they could hide and pretend and just be themselves—ignoring that even the Hollow had painful memories attached to it.
But, Jacks's impassive face had stopped her. He seemed almost calm, and although his eyes flickered across the wave of strangers minding their day, probably searching for any sign of possible danger, there had been no sign of pain or sadness attached to him. As a matter fact, Evangeline made the mistake—as she has always done—of staring for far longer than she meant to, causing his blue eyes reminiscent of a nice clear day to trail down to her.
"I know I'm handsome, Little Fox, but you don't have to stare so hard. Although, I wouldn't mind at all if you did decide to continue," he drawled. The teasing intone of his words had made her cheeks flush and her stomach tumble. Jacks always had that effect on her. And of course Jacks had found the time to tease her; something she had grown endearingly fond of, but would never admit it.
Yet, the question that burned the tip of her tongue, diffused her blush all together. She'd been curious to know if he truly felt fine, and she knew he would've wondered the same for her.
"Do you feel all right going to the village?" she questioned.
Jacks raised a brow. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Evangeline fumbled with her words, the grip on his arm tightening. "I just…isn't it difficult for you, after everything?"
Jacks stopped, and her along with him. "In a way…it is. I never believed I would find myself back here, or that this town would ever be rebuilt..." He swallowed down, nervous. His face had turned serious reminding Evangeline of an old, abandoned portrait, or a chiseled statue lost to time.
They believe rebuilding will pardon what occurred that fateful day, his thought echoed in her mind. She quickly realized he hadn't meant to, but Evangeline heard him, nonetheless. His silver-blue eyes landed onto hers again, glinting with an indescribable emotion. Jacks grabbed her hands, cradled them gently as if she were to break any other way.
"But you're here with me now, Little Fox. You make it easier, you make it worth it."
At his words, Evangeline smiled. His own small smile then made the butterflies in her stomach flutter, agitated.
"I love being anywhere you are, Jacks."
And with that certainty that lingered in the air between them, Jacks interlaced his fingers with hers in a way she would never forget, to guide her down the path again.
"That's why you shouldn't worry," he paused for the briefest moment, tapping the tip of her nose with his index finger, "and knowing you, I can bargain my life that you must be excited to explore."
Beneath his teasing tone, there had been a softness, a knowing, laced in his words that almost made Evangeline want to sing; she had been excited, it was obvious on her. And despite having felt a little disheartened that she would never know the true Merrywood—the one from the books, full of joy and kindness—she still had been willing to give the present one a chance, after all, it would be her new home.
Somehow along the way, Jacks had let go of her arm, probably knowing that she would want to get close to every tent or small shop—to explore or simply watch. And she in fact did, she couldn't help it. Being there had reminded her so much of her own childhood, of going out to town to explore the various shops open with her parents, of hearing her father explain the "hidden magic" that permeated in all the things she touched in awe. And she did the same thing as then, passing by stands with various indiscernible trinkets; some seemed slightly cursed, others seemed like they could make any wish spoken come true; there were necklaces made of shimmering stones she had never seen before, or more casual objects such as decorative dining plates that spoke of comfort and nostalgia.
Evangeline hummed to herself, her eyes wandered at all there was to observe; with Jacks's presence by her side, a magnificent smile had formed and she hadn't been able to wipe it away. He never left her out of his sight as he once told her, and she adored it very much. She had no idea her smile could widen more until his hand searched hers again, their fingers intertwining into a perfect fit. They casually passed by a deep royal purple tent, a striking color against the lighter surroundings—reminding Evangeline of a faded purple cushion that lived in her father's curiosity shop. It's only job was to be the bed for strange crystal orbs of varying sizes—ones she never figured out what they were for.
Caught by the color at first, Evangeline's eyes were then pulled to a small wooden table; her heart skipped a beat for half a second.
"Little Fox?" Jacks whispered next to her.
A fondness replaced the joyful smile on her face, like a tulip that sprouted during the spring all to be forced in surviving a cold winter. Evangeline shyly pointed in the direction of her staring; countless snow globes, each one painting a different scenery, glowed as if they had been painted with a magical dust.
"My father had many of those exact ones at his shop," she began, pointing specifically at the ones with a glimmering white, snowy landscape and a mysterious, deep green forest reminiscent of the one surrounding them. "They would take extremely long to arrive. I vividly remember how much he tried to convince me they were magical, that if you shook one, the scenery could reflect your future."
Jacks teasingly smiled. "And I'm sure you probably tried, didn't you?"
Evangeline couldn't stop the soft laughter that bubbled in her chest, shaking her head. "No, I was actually too afraid. Still, I'm glad I got to see them again, to have reminded me of that lost memory."
She pulled on his hand, signaling her want to walk further down the path and continue exploring. After everything, the day had just begun and she had the premonition that they had a lot to see. But suddenly, Jacks tugged back, her hand still entangled with his. Evangeline turned in slight confusion, in time to observe a strange emotion pass on his face— impassive with cracks of vulnerability shining through.
"Do you…miss Valenda?" he trailed off, and if Evangeline hadn't been watching him so closely, she might've missed the way his eyes flashed to the globes behind her.
Evangeline turned her head for a minute, before looking back him. "In certain moments…I suppose I do. It was my childhood home, after all." She hummed in consideration before nodding. "But there's nothing awaiting me there, but fond and lost memories to time…and well, I rather love it here."
Jacks smiled, although she couldn't discern if that was the answer he had been looking for or not.
"I want to continue wandering," she broke the silence, "let's leave these little cute oddities to a family who might be in the need to appreciate some type of magic. It wouldn't be fair of me to keep all the wonder to myself," she jested, and with that Evangeline tugged him forward. Jacks silently complied, and she didn't think anything else of it, only Jacks's comforting presence by her side.
That is, until days later, when her eyes landed on an extremely specific snow globe—the exact one she had singled out to Jacks. For an elongated minute, Evangeline imagined perhaps, that she had started seeing things and that she needed more sleep. But as she got closer—and even touched it—she realized that it was in fact real, and it was here, in the Hollow.
Evangeline cautiously walked into the open seating area near the entrance, where she found Jacks lazed upon a couch with a far too suspiciously good view of her and any reaction she could have had. She took him in and his seemingly relaxed posture; his legs kicked up on the coffee table with his eyes and hands focused on a book she swore had been left behind by her the previous night.
"Jacks?" she called out. An unfocused grunt was his only response, all while his eyes raised to her as if the idea of not doing so was inconceivable.
Evangeline pointed behind her, overcome with a sudden explosion of shyness. "How did that get there…" She lost her words.
Jacks's unconvincing eyes followed the direction of her finger, and to her disbelief, he simply shrugged. As if it were a mere coincidence, just something casual that didn't merit questioning.
"I'm not sure…perhaps the Hollow made it appear? Some sort of strange gratitude." And Jacks immediately returned to the book dropped on his lap, lifting it higher, his face obscured from her questioning stare.
Evangeline could've sworn it was more like Jacks was trying to hide from her, and of any other questions. She took one last look at the enchanting snow globe—frozen on the beautiful green forest with its snow flurries floating about—and she smiled, because something deep down had convinced her; the Hollow had nothing to do with it.
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It had been a one time thing Evangeline told herself, which wasn't a bad thing, as she loved those particular moments where Jacks would take it upon himself to surprise her out of the blue. She cherished his want to go out of his way to do something meant just for her, to make her happy, to make her smile.
Which is why when the second "coincidence" made its sudden appearance, she wasn't able to be convinced it was anything else but him.
It had been a day like no other. She had woken up a little later than usual—it always felt right to let her body rest on certain days. Evangeline proceeded with her usual routine of a bath, then dressing, and then a late but tasty breakfast, or more so brunch. She then proceeded to go outside for her favorite routine of the day—feeding all the little cute animals that gathered around, mostly the tiny baby dragons that lived in the Hollow.
It was a peaceful activity that brought her much enjoyment and contentment. And of course, Evangeline hadn't forgotten about a recent new friend that had found their way to her door; a cute, small and white fluffy cat she yet hadn't named—but the time would come soon, she told herself.
It never failed to brush her tail around Evangeline's leg in deep gratitude, and Evangeline could never stop herself from petting her, right behind her fluffy ears. And that day, cuteness won over Evangeline's constrain to not hold her. She scooped the purring— and quite warm—cat up into her arms.
"Aren't you cute…" she muttered.
And at that moment, just like any other wonderful day, she sensed Jacks, who had most likely woken up right after her, seeking to always be by her side as he promised.
She turned, only to have found him by the door, nose wrinkled as he stared at all the baby dragons gathered in a furious array of colors; he squinted even more so, when he noticed the cat—clearly content by the flick of its tail—in her arms.
"What is up with all these pests here?" There had been no indignation found in his voice despite the word chosen.
"Jacks…" she still warned, with no actual seriousness, because she knew his words held no weight.
The cat noticed his approaching presence, and it perked up as if preparing to hiss. The action did not bypass Jacks's attention, his brow furrowed because he had now found a good reason to truly feel indignant.
"It doesn't like me much, does it?"
"Well, if you insist upon referring to it as a pest, then perhaps," she jested.
He clicked his tongue in disapproval, humoring her. Quickly, Evangeline held the cat on one arm, using her other to grab Jacks's hand, and bring it close to the cat's pink nose.
"See? It just needed to meet you, that's all…" she whispered. "In a way, she's kind of like you, a little rough and distrustful at first glance, but friendly and kind over time."
He chuckled. "You're comparing me to a cat out of all things?"
His emphasis on cat had made her beyond amused, not something she often got to feel around him, as she would somehow always end up being the blushing, annoyed mess, and he the amused.
Placing her highly curious friend on the ground, Evangeline beamed up at him. "Well, I'll have you know that I am actually very fond of cats."
It had been just an honest and a very known fact; Evangeline had always been fond of all kinds of animals. She hadn't been expecting a new trinket, one that stood proudly on the nightstand next to their bed. It was delicate, crafted out of a semi-translucent glass that spoke of mystery and hard work; it had the cutest little white cat tempted to climb a grandfather clock in mischievous curiosity, chasing after the smallest mouse. Although it was different, the clock warmly reminded her so much of the one downstairs, ticking away proudly in the tavern. It was exactly the type of trinket she would have loved to own as a child in Valenda. Her child self would have assumed and imagined it contained all the impossible magic to reverse, freeze or even forward time. And she would have spent the days away counting the numbers with her index finger until she finally experienced it. Now, this little delicate piece of curiosity was here in the Hollow with her.
In an instant, she searched for him. When she found him, she smiled with such ease, twirling sideways with her hands behind her back in an attempt to fidget her giddiness away.
"The Hollow did it again…" she tested.
"What?" He blinked trying to understand.
She moved beside him, searching his blank face for any sign of nervousness or amusement. "I was gifted another trinket, it's in our room," she whispered the words like if they were nothing but a dangerous secret. "It's the cutest little thing. I had absolutely no idea that the Hollow was aware of how much I love objects like that…"
He chuckled. "Well, I guess it's full of surprises."
That time, he side glanced towards her, and she saw it. Beneath the surface, he was quite more curious than usual, and there was a perceptible smile hanging at the edges of his lips.
"So, you liked it?"
She almost missed how his voice rose to a soft pitch, relief hiding in his question.
"I did, very much."
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Two times was more than a coincidence, was it not?
After all, she didn't think Jacks could enjoy going out of his way to buy her things that much. He seemed rather pleased to be alone with her, away from prying crowds. However, she knew—with extreme certainty—that it wasn't truly the Hollow; it was actually the one person in her life who loved to feign ignorance simply to watch her pout.
It's rather simple, Little Fox. I just enjoy watching your lips curve down, begging me for a kiss, he had told her once, and the fire the comment sparked lived within her for days. Reigniting each time his knowing, amused eyes fell onto hers.
But despite her overthinking, waiting perhaps, had started to become a comforting routine to Evangeline.
A few days later, after her acceptance and certainty, she prepared to rest on their bed, and perhaps she would find a colorful dream to latch onto and sleep. Jacks approached her in that moment.
"Here, Little Fox, because I know how much you love to read before falling asleep."
Her heart grew wings and fluttered at his words, because he noticed something special to her, because he knew her so deeply.
"Thank you, my love," she replied, at a loss for any other words.
Jacks reclined beside her and with closed eyes, she accepted the warmth of his body, almost soothed to sleep by it. However, sleep could not find her when she was left curious by his sudden gesture. She opened the book trying to decipher what it could be about, when abruptly, an item fell out—right on her lap.
A glasswork bookmark, clearly more for decoration than usage—reminiscent to a gorgeous stained glass window, with an image of a fox staring right at her; a pretty pink tassel was attached to the top of it, adding to the beautiful hue of the orange fox. She grabbed it with the utmost care, watching its golden outline glow from the warm candlelight surrounding her.
"Jacks, you…"
She turned to look at him, only to have found him with his eyes closed, his chest rising in a steady sequence. Evangeline didn't know if Jacks was truly asleep, but if he was, she didn't have the heart to wake him. Plus, she had been inundated with emotion due to the little trinket held by her hands.
There's no doubt it was Jacks's doing; he had gone out of his way to find it, maybe even buy it, and then hide it in between the pages of a fairy tale book he knew she would adore. Her eyes zeroed back to the book, noticing that the pages opened to the middle instead of the beginning. Evangeline has always avoided reading ahead in stories, simply because she loved being surprised, discovering every plot twist and heartache along with the protagonist; yet her eyes unavoidably skimmed the pages.
It was a scene where one of the characters begrudgingly confessed their true affections, albeit cliche of course, so cliche that if Jacks were awake, he would've teased her enough to make her glow bright red. Yet the bookmark had been there…in that specific scene, and Evangeline didn't need anything else to understand. He loved her, and so did she.
What warmed her even more was how specific the gift was. She had been feeling down as of late; the date of her parents anniversary had been approaching, teeming closer every hour like a dark cloud. She used to absolutely love hearing all the different versions of their tale, of how they met. But then with unforgiving time, it had become a very somber memory, and yet joyful all at once. When Jacks had caught her moping—even though she tried her very best to hide it—she explained to him the reason. She told him all the same stories they told her, how they first met, how they knew instantly they were meant to be, and how that became the "why" she believed in love so much.
Then the rambling begun, revealing that Fox had been in fact her mother's maiden name, and her father had been so in love that he chose to take it for himself; that knowledge made her surname so much more valuable. Really, she rambled so much that day, Evangeline was afraid Jacks hadn't even been listening…but throughout it all, he never once took his eyes off her.
And with this gift, Evangeline had the confirmation that he indeed listened; Jacks heard her, and not only her words, but also her feelings and her heart.
That night she couldn't help but place her head over his chest, allowing the sound of his heartbeat lull her to sleep. But before she lost complete consciousness, Evangeline looked up at Jacks, letting out but the smallest whisper. "I love you…"
And she could've sworn he smiled.
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Soon little by little, in their chosen bedroom, Evangeline had a shelf filled to the brim with little oddities. Not too big to take up space, but just enough to bring her joy. And with even more time, small curiosities began to appear around the Hollow, in random corners or walls, not too much to take away the beauty of the inn but just enough to enhance it. As a matter of fact, it seemed as if the Hollow enjoyed the extra attention, as with every trinket placed it grew brighter, the hearth would burn stronger, and the scones found on every wall—home to countless wax candles—gleamed comfortingly; a cozy, orange glow that screamed of home, of a fever dream that had come true against the impossible, a place that could only be visited in sleep.
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It had become such a wonderful routine, a wonderful thing to look forward to everyday, that Evangeline could never stop wondering what could be the next thing Jacks might surprise her with; especially because she had already deduced he'd been the one behind it all, and of course Jacks knew he was caught.
She didn't have to wait so soon to find out.
That night, Jacks came back from his old place—the small office he used to call a living space. He'd said he needed to search for something, and perhaps clean the place up. It had seemed unusual to Evangeline. He caught her in the middle of a story, on the comfortable couch that faced the wide area of the entrance.
Jacks approached with ease, no sign of anything new. "I have something rare for you." He broke the silence and took her hand with gentleness, placing what seemed like a coin on her palm.
"What is this?" she asked, and turned it around in between her fingers. It looked familiar; she should've known what it was.
"To be from Valenda, you’re a little unaware of Fates and anything in relation to them," he teased.
She pouted. "Well, my parents didn’t believe in the idea of praying to the Fates, or making bargains with them. So I grew up with Northern stories more than anything else…"
It was true, her parents had warned her very much of magic and bargains, however, she hadn't listen to their heeding. And although it had brought a lot of torment and pain, somehow, it had become a sacrifice Evangeline would repeat over again and again, just to keep her life with Jacks.
He sat by her side, extremely close, his knee touching hers. The touch made it hard to concentrate but she tried either way. With utmost attention, Evangeline faced Jacks as he explained; a luckless coin, he named it. They were used to track those that made bargains with the Fates, those the Fates deemed enemies, those they truly cared about, and those they loved and wanted to protect. To discover what Fate it belonged to, all that needed to be done was make it spin. Realization dawned on Evangeline, on where she had seen them before.
"So that’s why these ugly coins where in your study…"
His smiled faltered, though the merriment in his eyes was hard to disguise. "Ugly?"
She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, a little abashed. "Sorry my love, less than cute…"
"You shouldn’t be saying anything until you spin it, Little Fox."
Evangeline moved past his jest, placing the coin on the table before her, after having placed the book down first. She failed to make it spin. It didn't take long for Jacks's hand to have appeared, instructing hers. Warm, distracting, tender.
They both watched it spin, moving along the table in a mesmerizing dance. Evangeline lowered her head to the best of her ability, and she burned from head to toe. It should've been obvious that if Jacks was gifting it to her, it's because it belonged to him. But she hadn't expected to see his image appear. Even more embarrassing had been the blooming realization in her chest; Evangeline knew that if she'd discovered this secret before, she would've taken and kept them.
"How cute, and strange…I love it." The words slipped out before she could even think.
"I knew you would like something considered dangerous." He smiled again. That specific one that made her heart race.
"Dangerous? You said it could be used to keep track of a loved one…that doesn’t sound dangerous to me."
Maybe people had been right in thinking she was a little strange—if something like this had not scared her, and instead warmed her heart like nothing else.
"You have a different definition of it," he murmured, shaking his head as if disappointed, but that was far from the truth. He could never be. Jacks grabbed her chin, and with no hesitance, their lips met.
Perhaps, she did…
If Evangeline could have fallen in love with Jacks all over again, she would have. Because not only had Jacks listened to her, and to all her endless stories, he had gone out of his way to find her things he knew she would love, things that she would keep and cherish and stare at all day long—instead of having judged or thought of her as strange. Truly, anyone else would have considered her somewhat of a strange hoarder, would they have not? It's what many believed her dear father had been at times; Evangeline never saw it that way, and now she knew Jacks didn't either.
Attempting to look for a gift was now on her future to do list, because Evangeline refused to let everything be one-sided; she loved Jacks immensely, and she was determined to show him.
She would think of something eventually, Evangeline told herself that night, but Jacks's lips had become such a distraction, it eliminated any other thought.
Evangeline realized later on, that if she had chosen to hide at the Hollow instead of exploring that fateful day, then just maybe, she would've never ignited the mysterious ordeal of gifts to her in the first place.