One of the groups I belong to on Ravelry is doing writing challenges. Our first challenge was to write a romantic piece about a ‘first’ something between two people.

Here is my piece…

It was Tuesday. She always came in on Tuesday to pick up more books. She usually picked up the ones she had on hold while dropping off the ones she’d read that week.

Last week they’d asked me to start managing the holds shelf so I knew she didn’t have any holds today. She came in through the south entrance. Her long wavy hair was down today and a piece of it was stuck to her lips from the wind outside. She brushed it off as she tucked her gloves into the pocket of her jacket. I watched her look around, deciding where to start first.

When she didn’t have any holds she browsed, which meant she stayed just a little bit longer. Today she headed back towards science fiction. Our science fiction section was small, but she loved those books the most. She always took her time there. She’d read almost all of them, some twice. And I would check the ones I’d never heard of out right after she returned them. It was my way of getting to know her. I was in love with her, after all.

A girl stepped up to the desk with a stack of books, breaking my train of thought. “Hi, did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yep!” she passed me her library card from a bright pink wallet. I saw her mother standing at the end of the desk waiting for her. A small smile formed on my lips as I thought of doing the same with my daughter some day.

“These are due in three weeks. Have a nice day.”

“Thanks!”

I looked back towards the science fiction section. The shelves were facing away from the front desk, so I couldn’t see her. I looked towards the re-shelving cart but there was nothing on it. No real way for me to take a detour over there without looking rather suspicious. And I couldn’t just go talk to her either.

While I loved this woman to the depths of my soul, while I would do everything and anything to see a smile play on her lips for even the briefest of moments, she would never know. No, I would just wait for her to finish and then watch her smile as I check her books out for her. Just knowing she was in proximity was enough to warm my heart and bring a smile to my face.

Twenty three minutes later she walked to the desk with three books. Two of them were favorites of mine, the third was one I’d never heard of before. My shift had ended thirty seven minutes ago. I always stayed late on Tuesdays to see her.

She looked right into my eyes as she handed me her card. “Hi,” she breathed. She’d never looked at me like this before… never.

We stood there, lost in each other, until one of the other librarians coughed. The cough was not involuntary. I blinked and shook myself out of the trance. I scanned her library card and started checking her books. She continued to look at me though, her beautiful smile making my heart quiver. I fumbled with the tickets as I stuffed them into the books. My hands were numb, my throat was closing up as my heart was trying to escape through it. I handed her the books trying not to lose myself in her gaze again. She was more captivating tonight than ever before.

She glanced behind her before she spoke again. “Thank you.” Her fingertips brushed mine as she picked up the books. But she didn’t turn to leave.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

I thought I saw her eyes twinkle from the florescent lights as I said that. “I don’t know your name.”

I was stunned, “What?” She was asking my name? Or was she just saying…

“I just realized I come in here every week and you are always the one who helps me, but I don’t even know your name.” After a moment of stunned silence on my part her gaze fell, “I’m sorry, I guess it was silly.” She turned to go.

Was that… sadness in her eyes? Her smile had all but disappeared and my heart plummeted down into my stomach. Acting on pure instinct I put a light hand on hers, stopping her from leaving, “Fin.” I took her eyes into mine, hoping that she would smile again, if just for a moment.

“What?” her eyes lifted, hopeful but reluctant. I found it odd. I just really wanted her to smile again.

“My name. It’s Fin.” I should have pulled my hand back. I should have told her to have a nice day. But I didn’t. My hand remained on hers and our eyes locked again.

In that moment something passed between us, between our souls. They spoke to one another like they sometimes do, thousands of years of conversation taking place in that moment. Thousands of words, thousands of thoughts. I felt her heart reach out to mine and say, “I love you too.”

It’s pretty rough, but I’m happy with it for a little cute quip.