Jennifer Murgia: Leminscate

It had been raining for three days straight. I rolled onto my side to face the window towards the bit of light glowing behind the thin skin of my eyelids and grew excited for a moment, thinking today the sun might finally make an appearance. I should have known better. Under normal circumstances I would have been more than happy to cinch my covers in closer, keeping the warmth in as long as possible, thawing my flannel-wrapped arm after mercilessly sending it out into the open to slam the snooze button. But not today.

I opened my eyes to Garreth standing at the glass, his skin reflecting back a pale glimmer against the dry side of the window. My warm light on the bleakest of Monday mornings was tracing the crooked lines of water with his finger, seemingly deep in thought.

“Writing love notes to me on my window?” I mused out loud, stretching my cramped legs toward the bottom of my quilted bed. I propped myself up onto my elbow as he turned around, his striking blue eyes reminded me of his perfection.

Each day I’m astounded to find him here with me.

My angel. My guardian. My boyfriend.

Garreth has been earthbound for months now, choosing to live the life of a mortal just so he can spend each and every waking moment with me. It’s not that he’s giving up an extraordinary existence, he’s just trading part of one for another. He’s still my guardian, still here to protect me. True, there isn’t anything human about him besides the charade he plays for others, and his looks, which, now that I think about it, aren’t quite human either. I remember the irregular heartbeats I felt the first time we met at school last spring. The way I would feel all weak and fluttery. Words can’t describe what he means to me. My mother would call it unhealthy and irrational if she ever learned the true depth of my emotions. Anyone would.

Garreth’s aura isn’t like the average guy running around my school or at the mall. He’s pure. Surreal. And his heart beats only for me. I should feel important and flattered, I know. But honestly, it makes me uncomfortable. Why anyone would give up the freedom of roaming the heavens to be stranded here is beyond me.

Especially for me.

“You’re awake,” he said, walking slowly to my bedside. Sitting down and looking deeply into my eyes, Garreth bent to kiss me good morning. His hand rested gently on my cheek, allowing me to feel the exceptional warmth of his skin, his soft touch nearly lulling me back to sleep.

“Oh, no you don’t. It’s time for you to get up.”

“Please tell me it’s Saturday,” I murmured, forcing my face into my pillow.

“Unfortunately, it’s Monday and unfortunately again, we have a calculus test today.” Garreth nudged my ribs and I couldn’t help giggling.

“Okay, okay! I’m up!” I smiled into his chiseled face. He looked as handsome as always. His sandy hair, tousled as usual, hung seductively over his brilliant blue eyes. My eyes traced the strong bridge of his nose, which led to his perfect lips, and I let my eyes rest there for a few minutes. Picking up on my thoughts, he bent lower. I could smell the warmth of his skin, fragrant and spicy, as if he’d just showered with an amazing fragrance not yet discovered and bottled. It was his scent, an incense of sorts that belonged only to him and gently surrounded him like his aura. It made me dizzy, but I loved it. I closed my eyes as his lips rested softly on mine and my arms wove up and around his neck to keep him longer.

“Test? Remember?” He grasped my hands, still clasped behind his neck, and uncurled my fingers with a gentle strength, bringing them to rest at my sides. “Later … later you can kiss me and not let go,” he whispered softly into my hair and then stood up.

“Of course you’ll ace this test. You have infinite knowledge.” I was being sarcastically playful, and Garreth rolled his eyes.

“I’ll make sure I get a few wrong.”

“Gee, thanks,” I responded.

I could hear my mother stirring down the hall. Within minutes she’d be padding softly in this direction to her shower and stop at my door along the way, urging me to wake up. She’s not aware that I’m usually up by this point, nor is she aware that Garreth is the one to wake me before she ever gets the chance to.

A dresser drawer scraped shut, usually Garreth’s clue for a silent, celestial exit, knowing twenty minutes from now he’d be knocking on the kitchen door to take me to school. I kissed him goodbye with one last chance to see the blue of his eyes sparkle like diamonds. Like clockwork, my mother’s knuckles rapped at my door.

Only twenty minutes longer.

That’s all I have to wait.

Twenty minutes.

The aroma of singed black coffee filled the air as I stepped into the kitchen. I peered into the carafe, knowing instantly that Mom programmed the auto-start a little too early again. I shook my head and grabbed a juice and a yogurt from the fridge and leaned against the counter to chug my breakfast. My mother’s heels clicked forcefully above my head, pinging loudly on the wood; stopping, retreating, then clicking faster as they inched closer down the stairs.

“Don’t tell me I …” her shoulders slumped as she entered the kitchen, eyeing the thick goo now settling at the bottom of the carafe. The coffee maker gurgled loudly as if in pain.

“Yep. You burned the coffee again.” I shot a sideways glance at the six cups of sludge.

“Good thing you’re a librarian and not a barista ’cause I think Mr. Coffee is in cardiac arrest.”

My mom stood staring at the coffee maker, mug in hand, as if actually considering ingesting the liquid monstrosity.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” I said, scraping the spoon around the inside of my little plastic yogurt container. Mmm. Key lime.

“I’ll never understand this thing,” she sighed, reaching for the instruction manual.

“You’re smart. You’ll get it … eventually,” I joked, pitching the yogurt container into the trash can under the sink.

She laughed and instantly, I missed her.

Mom and I had always been so close, just the two of us. My father disappeared under bizarre circumstances. I was only a baby when that happened.

They had me, and then one day he just … disappeared. My mother never talked about it. She still doesn’t. She has no idea that I know the truth about my father or the deeper mystery—the existence of my father’s guardian. A dark angel named Hadrian. I had narrowly escaped his powerful influence last spring in the woods surrounding our little town. Our confrontation led to a fire that nearly killed me.

Now, life is back to normal and my mom’s been spending a lot of time with the hunky doctor that bandaged me up afterwards. I’m happy she’s found someone; she deserves it, and he seems to treat her well. I mean, it shows that she’s happy. She dresses up more, like she’s making an effort to be a person other than just my mom. She never comes home dog-tired anymore because she’s so hyped up to go out later with Dr. Dean. That’s his name. Dr.

Nathaniel Dean, M.D. He’s nice, I guess. He’s a widower so I guess they have that in common. He’s pleasant to me when he comes to our house, but he has to be. He’s on our territory. It’s just … I miss having her all to myself. Mom says I’m getting older. Eighteen. A senior. I should want my privacy. So maybe the M.D. after his name should mean “mom deterrent.”

“Oh! I forgot to tell you; this Friday we’re having our first weekly pizza party,” came a muffled voice. Mom’s head was in the fridge searching for lost lunch meat. I made a mental note to move it closer to the front so she wouldn’t have to look so hard.