Writer’s Pov
Marian Capered sits on an armchair as she remembers her life. Which was filled with joy, love, laughter, and the constant sad reminder of her late father, a man whose death had greatly affected her life. Her father, Noah Capered, had died when she was very young.
It occurred, one sunny afternoon, when a truck carrying a huge cargo veered off the lane onto the next junction. This was because the truckdriver had fallen asleep for barely a few minutes while driving and lost control of the truck.
All of this happened when she was five, leading to her being taken care of by her mother, Catherine Evaline. Catherine was brave and determined and stood strong to raise Marian all by herself. She made sure to instill in her daughter a sense of independence and the strength to face life’s greatest challenges.
They lived in a beautiful mansion located in San Jose, a city that forms part of California. The mansion was filled to the brim with very expensive antiques, a possession of her father’s. He would always buy them during his business trips. The mansion was surrounded by fresh-grown flowers, fruits, and vegetables, a work her mother, Catherine, dedicated her time to doing.
Even after his passing, every part of the house still held stories of him. Noah was an architect; he used to love reading books in his study to give himself inspiration for his creations.
Marian could always find him totally immersed in a book; he was reading before she called him from the front of his desk to get his attention. He learned to play her favorite song on the piano because he knew how much she loved to listen to music, and always played it for her on the balcony.
There are pictures of him all over the living room, bedroom, and staircase showing how much he had loved and lived fully. But for Marian, knowing that he wasn’t going to be around anymore to play her favorite song, read to her or tuck her into bed had been a hard pill to swallow.
Although she had learned to move on in life, the loss still lingers as a constant reminder of how joy is filled with deep sorrow.
Catherine adored Marian with all her heart; she did her best to love and provide for her daughter. So that she’ll never feel the absence that was caused by Noah’s death. Every morning, she would sit next to Marian at the table, weaving her luscious golden hair into little braids and offering words filled with love and encouragement.
“You are strong, Marian,” Catherine would say, her hands gently smoothing down the fine strands of her hair.
“Stronger than you know. And one day, you’ll find a love that mirrors the kind of heart you carry.”
Even at the age of five, Marian understood the gravity of the words being told to her. All staff adored her, whether it was from Beatrice Franklin, her first nanny, or Patrick, their chauffeur, to Anabeth Elise, the second nanny who had entered the house when Beatrice needed help with Marian because she was too old to handle her on her own.
Catherine held yearly gatherings, where she would invite people in their neighborhood for an elegant afternoon tea at the estate. During one of these gatherings, was where Marian first saw Kevin Couillard for the very first time. She was standing next to the snacks area, stuffing her face with chocolate chip cookies, her favorite snack. That was when the door opened to reveal a boy of a similar age to her, entering the room.
He was walking right next to his mother, Loreen Julliard. She held a very dangerous aura around her, though there seemed to be warmth in her eyes whenever she looked at her son. Kevin looked like his mom; they both had dark hair that seemed to be glowing whenever the sun’s rays fell on it, but Kevin had a mischievousness about him, one could clearly see it in his eyes.
He spotted Marian and raised his chubby hands to wave at her, while smiling at her with a toothy grin spread all over his freckled cheeks. Marian’s cheeks went pink in embarrassment, so she hid behind the arm of the chair she noticed nearby. She was very shy and embarrassed, but still looked towards him in curiosity, completely replacing her initial fear.
Beatrice, always the vigilant one, nudged Marian gently. “Go on, child. Say hello.”
Marian’s voice was barely above a whisper, but Kevin heard it.
“H-hello, my n-name is M-marian” she stammered nervously.
Kevin grinned wider. “I’m Kevin! Want to play?”
And just like that, an invisible thread had tied the two children together—a connection that neither of them fully understood but would gradually grow into something more profound over the years.
Over the next few years, their friendship blossomed during visits to Auntie Franceen’s estate, where Marian’s mother and aunt often hosted those family gatherings. They were done at the back of the mansion filled with glorious gardens of roses and straight trimmed paths which were used by the two children for their adventures. Kevin would race Marian along the cobblestone paths, and she, though smaller and shyer, would always find a way to keep up, laughter spilling from her lips.
George, Franceen’s husband, would watch the children with a playful smile on his lips, shake his head at Kevin’s tremendous amount of energy and Marian’s strong spirit.
“Someday, they’ll be inseparable,” he said as he spoke to Franceen one afternoon, watching how Kevin held Marian as he helped her climb a particularly stubborn tree.
Franceen smiled knowingly. “If fate allows it, perhaps. But for now, let us just watch them as they chase each other through the roses. They’ll learn about love in their own time.”
Indeed, at such a young age, the families could feel the connection was seemed to already have formed between Marian and Kevin. Catherine noticed how Marian’s eyes would light up whenever Kevin entered a room, while Loreen observed Kevin’s careful attention toward Marian. Though both parents were skeptical about the relationship blooming, they allowed the children to explore their newfound fellowship.