by Kenzie Hart
“Though I can’t help but think that your grandmother has a lover,” Eddie says with a laugh.
“Whatever would make you say such a thing?” Klara spins to look at him with wide eyes.
“Come on, she has reconnected with someone from her past and wants to know what is to come of it. She has taken up a lover again and wants to know how it is going to turn out.”
Klara ponders his statement for a moment. “That’s impossible. I would know. Other than our parties, she hasn’t had any visitors, and she hasn’t left the house recently.”
“If I know anything, it’s that you believe anything is possible,” Eddie banters back, raising his eyebrows at her.
A smile tugs at the corner of Klara’s mouth. “I suppose you are right,” she says with a laugh. “But it would be highly unlikely. Though I think she deserves it. She is a special woman and should have some love in her life. A current love, I mean.”
“I agree. Though I can’t actually picture her being in love. Even as outrageous as she can be, she is a proper woman, for goodness’ sake. It would take a special man to handle your grandmother.”
Klara giggles, thinking of all her grandmother’s quirks. But that’s what makes us who we are. Our special quirks and oddities. It’s what allows you to love someone. It’s our differences that make us unique.
“You know, you’re quite a lot to handle yourself,” Klara teases. She knows she is completely making up the fact. Edward is one of the most easygoing people she’s ever met. He goes along with all of her ideas without argument, and she loves that about him.
“Is that right?” Eddie laughs out.
“Quite so. Sometimes, I think you’re too much to handle.” She giggles and squeezes his hand tighter.
Eddie shakes his head. “So, what do you feel like doing for the rest of the morning? You’ve got me until after lunch, and then I’ve got work.”
“Oh, the possibilities! I think, today, we should return to the woods.” She grabs on to the bag hanging over her arm, hoping Edward will be happy with the surprise she has brought for him.
“Sounds good,” Eddie says, actually excited to be back out in the woodlands. Between work and seeing Klara, he hasn’t had much time to be out, exploring, and he has missed it.
Klara pulls him along, leading him away from the back of the house and toward the forest edge.
“Isn’t it all just so lovely? I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful place to call home,” she says, skipping in front of him, still holding his hand.
Eddie is half-trotting along behind Klara, trying to keep her pace, his hand still in her grasp. Klara slows to a stop when they are surrounded by trees. The forest floor is a deep brown, and if you move around a few feet, there are spots where the sunlight shines through the thick branches enough to shed a beam of light onto your face. It is one of these spots that Eddie can be found in now. He looks up, letting the welcomed warmth settle down on him.
“Isn’t this place enchanting?” she asks as she slides her hand around a large reddish-brown tree trunk, circling it.
Eddie has to admit that it is. “There is something about it I can’t quite place. And I love that. It is magical.”
“I love to explore these woods. I feel so connected to the land when I am out here. You can sit and hear nothing but the sound of the woods for hours. It’s captivating.” Klara breathes in deeply, the scent of foliage rich in her nose.
“There is something to be said about having a piece of land that is untouched by human hands,” Eddie adds.
Compared to the groomed gardens of the estate, the forest is unruly and wild. Untamed. In many ways, it’s a lot like Klara. She is so free. Free to be anything she wants to be. To live her life as she chooses.
Klara sits down with her back against the tree she was circling and tilts her head up to look at Edward, who is lost in thought, his eyes moving from one tree to the next.
“So, tell me, ecology boy, what type of tree is this?” Klara figures he already knows the answer but wants to test him anyway. And it is quite fun to have someone to tease, she thinks, smiling to herself.
Eddie knows right away that it’s a yew tree. Anyone who knows anything about trees can recognize it from its reddish-brown bark. But he sees the silly grin on Klara’s face and decides to play along. He circles the tree, frowning with his eyes squinted and moving his hand to his chin so as to make himself look even more puzzled by the question. His charade makes Klara giggle to herself, and Eddie hushes her.
“Quiet now. I’m thinking,” he says, but his eyes sparkle with amusement.
“Well?” she questions.
Eddie drops his hands and sits down next to Klara with his back against the peeling bark. “I think we both know it’s a yew tree.”
“You are correct.” Klara nods her head in approval.
“So, how did you know what it was?” Eddie asks curiously. He can’t picture her and her grandmother out here, frolicking about and studying different tree species. Though the idea is utterly amusing.
Klara opens her bag and pulls out a thick book. Its cover is dirty, and as she flips it open, Edward can smell the mustiness that only sets in with love and age.
“My father gifted this book to me when we first started exploring the estate grounds when I became old enough. I was only a child, but he thought it would be something to help occupy my time. It’s one of my greatest treasures.”
As she flips through, he sees pressed leaves, flowers, and bark stuck between the pages.
“Did you collect all of these?” Eddie asks, astonished. He’s never seen such an elaborate collection. There must be hundreds of different samples tucked into the pages.
“Of course! You know, I have two favorite time periods. The first is the early 1900s. And the second is the Age of Enlightenment. I love the early 1900s because of the children’s literature that came about at that time. Peter Pan, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh,” she says, closing her eyes in delight. “But my other favorite is the Enlightenment. People struggled with balancing science, religion, and reason. Those are all things my grandfather loved, too.”
“It looks like you’re following in his footsteps,” Eddie says, his mouth slightly agape. He thinks back to his own notebook hidden in his bedside table.
“When I was little, my mother and father took me to the British Museum for the first time. The moment I stepped into the Enlightenment room, I knew it was my favorite. It’s filled with books and scientific devices. Maps, fossils, ledgers, and field notebooks filled with the names and information of thousands of different plant and animal species.”
It takes Eddie a few moments to absorb everything Klara said. He suddenly feels butterflies at the thought of them studying different plant species together, out here, in her forest. “I’ve got to admit, you’ve taken me by complete surprise!”
“Why is that?” she questions, looking up at him through her thick blonde lashes.
“I know you enjoy your grandfather’s work, but I didn’t realize how much. Honestly, I thought you might dislike science.”
“Edward! Whatever gave you such an idea?” Klara replies, slightly shocked.
“What I mean to say is that you love stories. Children’s stories. Fantasies and fairy tales. That doesn’t exactly align with modern-day science,” Eddie gingerly replies.
“Just because I love stories doesn’t mean I’m out of touch with reality,” she says with a slightly raised voice.
“Wait a moment. Is this our first quarrel?” Eddie questions, a smile coming to his face. He’s truly enjoying seeing Klara get so riled up.
“If this is our first quarrel—and it isn’t because you can’t quarrel over something that isn’t in fact true—why do you seem excited about it?” Confusion flashes across Klara’s face as she watches Edward’s eyes dance with amusement.
“May I admit something to you?” he asks, tenderly pushing a strand of Klara’s hair to the side and brushing his
finger across her cheek.
“Mmhmm,” she says, closing her eyes at the sensation of his fingers gliding across her skin.
“I find you quite attractive when you get worked up,” he says, his eyes glued to hers, waiting for a response.
And he gets one.
Her eyes fly open, and a flush spreads to her cheeks. But, before she can respond, Eddie moves his lips onto hers and presses against her. He breathes in her scent of roses and feels light-headed.
He pulls away, saying against her lips, “I wasn’t trying to insult you. I find it fascinating, in a good way.”
Klara moves back, looking Edward in the eyes. His hand is wrapped around her neck, keeping her tucked closely to him.
“In any case, I don’t understand why people think science and magic are separate. I mean, just look around us. We are sitting in a fairy tale. There are thousands of shades of colors and various smells. Different plants and animals, all living in harmony. And all magic means to me is that there are things we can’t understand yet—or better, don’t understand even if we think we do. Even when we understand something, it can still be just as magical.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Eddie says, his heart feeling like it could burst through his chest.
He has never wanted to be closer to Klara than he does now. It’s as though she understands him completely. It’s the exact reason he finds ecology so interesting. Not necessarily because it is magical, but because there is something quite wonderful about it. How organisms work together, forming relationships and creating a complex system.
“It’s just like our tree,” she states, moving the subject back to the yew they are sitting against.
“Wait, our tree?” Eddie says with a grin on his face. “But what do you mean?”
“Well, you can identify all of the scientific things about it. Its name, genus, species, cycles. But what about its true meaning? How we connect to it? Do you know what it represents?”
“I’m afraid not,” Eddie comments. “But can you get back to the fact that you called it our tree?”
“Only if you’d like it to be ours,” she replies.
Eddie’s smile slowly fades from his face. It’s replaced with a feeling in his gut most similar to his insides trying to do a cartwheel.
“I would,” Eddie replies sincerely, the smile coming back to his face.
“Wonderful.” Klara smiles. “Well, I bet you didn’t know that yew trees have long been associated with immortality and also with death. Their branches are carried at funerals and many times can be found in graveyards.”
“Really?” He is surprised at how much she seems to know about them.
“Quite so. Many wine barrels are made from yew, and they are called the coffin of the vine.”
“Seems like a bad tree to be considered our tree,” Eddie says, a laugh escaping his lips.
Klara lightly shakes her head. “My point is that, even with all the science, there is still a meaning there. There’s something deeper to it. We have a connection to it in a way that goes beyond science, and that is quite magical.”
Eddie listens to her words, letting them settle in. “I suppose you are right,” he replies, but something inside him doesn’t seem to be sitting well. “Klara, why do you know so much about this tree in particular?” Maybe she knows this much about all the trees in the woods, but a part of him isn’t so sure.
She drops her eyes, fidgeting with her hands. “I know a lot about the woods and its inhabitants. I’ve always found the deeper meanings more interesting than just the facts,” she admits half-truthfully.
Eddie nods his head, but he can’t shake the feeling that there is something more to this conversation that he just can’t quite place yet.
“Follow me,” Klara says over her shoulder as she starts running. Her bag is bouncing alongside her, but she is dashing across the soft ground of the forest floor, her hair flying behind her.
Eddie watches as her shoes leave skewed imprints, pressing into the ground as she bounces across it. Klara’s hair is already long, but Eddie notices it has grown even longer, flowing farther down over her back.
“I’m not sure how it’s possible, but your hair looks longer than when we first met. Are you going to let it continue growing?” he asks, trying to keep up with her.
“Do you like it?” she asks over her shoulder, continuing along.
“I like it any way you choose to wear it,” Eddie comments. But he has to admit, he does quite love the soft feeling of her ever-flowing hair under his palm.
“Like this, it reminds me of my mother.”
“Why exactly is that?” he wonders out loud, urging her to continue on.
“I’ll show you a photo of her when we get back to the house. I’ve never had anyone to show—besides Nana, of course. She was a great beauty and had long, flowing hair, like mine. But it kills Father to look upon the photos, so I keep mine tucked away.”
“You have to keep them hidden?” Eddie asks, furrowing his brows. He notices, with the question, Klara seems to push herself farther. Her feet move faster, and he wonders what exactly she seems to be trying to outrun.
“Father hasn’t said this directly, but I don’t see a point in upsetting him further.”
“Klara, slow down,” he says as he stops to catch his breath.
For someone who isn’t in sports, Klara could give his mates on the team a run for their money. She slows, catching her breath as well.
“What do you mean, further?” he asks, moving so that his back is pushed flat against a tree, his chest rising and falling at a slower pace now.
“Father still hasn’t accepted my mother’s passing,” Klara says, moving her eyes to the woodland floor. She feels a mixture of ache and invigoration. She loves running through the woods.
“Why hasn’t he?” he says softly, not understanding. “It sounds like there was nothing he could do about her passing.”
“I think it’s still hard for Father because he’s a great doctor, and he tried everything, but in the end, it did no good. There was nothing he could do.”
Eddie rubs his hand across the back of his neck, unsure of what to say. There isn’t really anything to say in these situations. Eddie has never experienced the loss of anyone close to him, and he prays he never has to.
He thinks for a moment on what response he should give her and ends up with, “Regardless of how your father feels, always hold her memory close. That is the best we can do when trying to honor someone dear to us. Think fondly and often of them.”
“Thank you,” Klara says, bringing her eyes to meet Edward’s.
Normally, people get uncomfortable when faced with how to approach talking about death. She isn’t sure why though because we all experience it. It isn’t something we are detached from. It happens to all of us. It’s something that connects all beings in a universal bond. We all live. And we all die. But people are curious when you bring up death. Usually, she receives sucked in breaths or the usual, I’m sorry. But Edward doesn’t give her the answer she always gets this time. He gives her one better. And the most wonderful part is that it came from his heart.
Eddie smiles at her, lightly placing his hand on her cheek. “So, where are you taking me off to anyway? Are you trying to get me far off on my own, so you can have your way with me?” he teases. He loves making Klara blush over his blatantly inappropriate but often real fantasies.
“And if I am?” she fires back.
It is now Edward who is the one blushing, causing a wide grin to spread across Klara’s face.
“I can’t object to that,” he says, moving his hand from her cheek, running his finger across her plump bottom lip, dipping his head closer to hers.
“Actually,” she says, flicking her gaze up from Eddie’s lips to his eyes, “we are almost there.” As his face is inches from hers, she pulls back, lacing her hand through his and continuing on through the woods.
“You torture me,” Eddie says with a laugh, his
heart pounding in his chest. He can’t help it. Every time he is that close to Klara, his mind seems to fog up while his body notices everything. The smell of her hair moving in the wind next to him, the feel of her soft skin under his rough finger.
Klara giggles, enjoying their playfulness. A feeling of empowerment flows through her, but as she laces her fingers tighter in Edward’s hand, it is replaced with warmth spreading throughout her stomach.
“Here we are,” she says, stopping in front of a large tree.
“And where is this exactly?” he questions, not noticing any difference in the area they are currently at than the one they were at before.
“This is my reading tree,” Klara states, noticing Edward’s reaction of seeming confused.
Eddie laughs, taking in the large tree rooted into the ground in front of him. “And how would you know that this tree is different than any of the others?”
Klara circles the tree, observing the way in which the trunk is bent perfectly to fit her back.
“It’s just one of those things,” she says with a sigh. “When you know, you know.” And she can spot her tree from halfway through the woods. It calls to her. “Sit with me,” Klara says, getting comfortable against it. She pulls out her book from her bag, tightly holding it in her hands.
“Peter Pan,” Eddie states.
She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I thought we might read some of it today.”
“May I ask why you enjoy Peter Pan so much?” Eddie moves to sit alongside Klara. He rests his back against the tree and tucks her against his side. He notices the way her body rises and falls with each breath, and his eyes are transfixed on her.
“I think Peter Pan is exciting. It’s an adventure,” she says, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s also sort of sad, if you think about it,” Eddie says. “I mean, Peter doesn’t really have a home or a family.”
“It is quite dark. There is a certain heaviness to the story,” Klara breathes out. “But it’s also magical.”
“Is that why you like it so much? Because there is darkness in it?” Eddie asks, needing to understand.