At sunset, Ethan walked into the library and made his way directly to Brit. Brit had been talking to Larissa. Without a word, he gave her a triad of kisses before offering his customary greeting to others. Larissa started to speak, but Ethan’s look of impatience caused her to postpone her discussion. Ethan quickly explained that he wished to take a walk and pulled Brit along behind him. They left the library quickly with Brit having to scamper to simply keep up. He escorted her up to the rooftop where he first met her. She looked over the city and toward the rooftop across the street to where he had been standing when she first saw him. “Look,” she lisped. “Someone has taken your standing spot over there.”Ethan pulled her much closer as he glanced across to where Brit pointed. His eyes narrowed ensuring that there was no danger from the observer across the way. “They can have that roof,” he said. “I have all I need right here in my arms.” His hand ran over her cheek before he stepped back a bit. “Now,” he continued, “there is a reason that I brought you here in such a hurry. This is the place where we exchanged our first words.” Her hand slid down his arm holding his hand and she lisped, “It was summertime.” He nodded and moved toward the edge where they could view the shoreline. “It was,” he replied. “And you looked so cute doing your handstands.” His hand wriggled free from hers so he could slide it around her waist. “Though, this time, I did not bring you here to make you remember our first meeting. I wanted to talk to you about some things of faith.”
His words seemed to meander a bit. He first told her of the things that he had told her before: His human days when he was a monk and his discussions about the faith that guided him then and continued to guide him today. Ethan said, “Do you remember how you asked me what lovers are?” Of course she remembered. He explained that lovers were more intimate than beloveds. Reaching for Brit’s hand, he said, “Exactly. Amongst that, other things that….well…for example, my faith…the one I told you about.” His words began to meander again, but she seemed to follow. He suddenly stopped and moistened his lips as he realized that he had gone on another tangent. Regrouping, he said, “Well, in that faith, lovers….and beloveds also, I would say…” He stopped again and his hands gripped her tightly. Starting yet again slowly, he said, “It is the most proper…and honorable thing…and blessed by God…that they are joined in his eyes for all to know….it completes their union as a couple in the most spiritual way there can be…”
Brit’s head tilted slightly toward him listening. She repeated, “A most proper and honorable thing…” Ethan nodded mechanically and continued, “It is what people call ‘marriage’….what validates the union of a man and woman in the eyes of God. What makes their union pure and untainted….” He grins for the first time adding, “A lot like you are.” Tracing his fingertips over hers, he clasped her hand tightly and looked down at the floor before looking up again. She giggled to him remembering asking him about marriage in the diner and when he described how she was to him. “And like you are too,” she added.
Her remark surprised him that she thought of him as pure or untainted. After a pause, he said, “Well, yes…..marriage!” Another deep breath and he said, “It is only suppose to happen once…and only with one person truly meant for you. It is a most serious ritual. For my kind, it would be slightly different, how the ritual goes, but…the meaning is the same.” Shifting nervously from one foot to the other, Ethan’s second hand joined the first one still holding her hand. Brit looked up curiously as he seemed to be struggling for words. She whispered, “It sounds most romantic…and God approves.”
Brit’s voice caused him to look down to her and he nodded several times. Ethan’s stance changed drastically as if he had made a decision. He turned her toward him, and she saw his chest rise and fall as if he had taken a deep breath. Keeping her hand in his, Ethan knelt down before her before looking up to her. He said, “There has been no night or day since we met that I did not crave your nearness and did not find absolute comfort in your presence. You are what fills my existence with meaning and are the only one I want to be with in any possible way. I can not imagine my unlife without you anymore, and I want to make this union sanctioned in God’s eyes….what I wanted to ask you, Brit, is…would you chose to become my wife…to be the one I am bound to in God’s eyes forever and for me to become the one your bonded to in his eyes forever?” He looked directly into her eyes not breaking eye contact at any moment. “I want to be yours always and for you to be mine always as well.”
Her lips parted slightly in astonishment when he sank to one knee. Processing his words, she replied, “I…I want to be yours always and forever, Ethan…and you to be mine…always and forever.” Nodding to him, she bit her lower lip and felt a blush tinge her cheeks. “Always and forever yours…my one and only.” After a few seconds, she blushed deeply and nodded, “Yours…yes.”
Though he stayed kneeling, he was obviously less anxious. “Well then,” he said, “we will marry each other tonight.” He sounded much more like his usual self and said, “I’ve arranged some things that you shall need. They wait for you in a chest in our resting place. But it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride before marriage so I will meet you at the church. Do be there in an hour.” He pointed toward the clock tower. Then he added, “A lady will need to help you dress.” Blinking hard, she said that perhaps Larissa could help. He stood nodding and motioned for her to run to get ready. She bolted for the library and burst through the heavy doors like they were screen doors attached to a country store. “I’M GETTING MARRIED,” she yelled, “AND I NEED HELP GETTING DRESSED!”
Omega was there holding Ethan’s letter in her hand. “That explains when.” With a warm smile to Brit, Omega said, “So you didn’t refuse him?” Brit shook her head no and was swept up in a warm hug by Omega. Omega then paused to question, “And…he did actually ASK you, didn’t he?” Brit quirked slightly and lisped, “Of course, he did.” Omega grinned and chuckled, “How very startling.” Larissa and Omega then left with Brit to help her dress and to get her to the church on time.
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No one could see him in the lengthening shadows, but Prof. Parker sat atop a distant rooftop. His body folded over itself, muffling sobs.
He had witnessed, from a great distance, this exchange and when he saw one of the figures kneel before the burgandy topped maiden he felt an inexplicable and sudden pain in his chest. As he reached inside his jacket to rub the pain away, his fingers slid across his breast pocket. He pulled out a tattered white covered book, it's title and author scripted in a deep blood red color.
He flipped through the pages, the wind aiding him as poem, sonnet and prose flashed before him, like a calendar, each one marking time past. His hands began to tremble and he lost his grip as the wind stole the book from him. It slid down the steep roofline and into the river where it was swept away, his only remaining connection to his past.
He wanted to scream in agony, and in fact tried, but he found himself speechless and striken as the red haired girl skipped away out of view.
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