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“You know,” she said, turning to look at me, “someday, I’ll see a real life whale.” A few days ago the store had gotten a display of interesting things from other places. They sat in the glass window, among them were whale bones, a monkey skull, and a few odds and ends from countries I couldn’t even imagine. “Sure you will,” I chuckled back at her. “And if you ever see a real life whale, I’ll marry you.” Marinette blushed at this, but she set her eyebrows quickly. There were two things I didn’t know about girls back then. “You sure you want to take that deal, Adrien?” she grinned. One: they never back down from a deal. “Oh of course, because it’s so plausible.” I said. “You’ll never see a whale, we live in the middle of nowhere!” “Shake on it,” she demanded. “We’ll forget about it by this time next year!” I said, laughing. I began to wipe down the counter. I had just started working at the general store a few weeks ago. Marinette coughed into her elbow before sending me a friendly glare. “And if we do then it won’t matter anymore.” “Fine, but it’ll never happen.” “We’ll see,” she said with a nod, and promptly stuck her gloved hand out for me to shake. And number two: girls will always achieve what you think they can’t. I shook her hand and we laughed over it again. I was only a year older than her, and she’d probably be working a job of her own sometime soon. Everyone expected a seamstress. Especially in a town like this. Nobody ever got out of here, it was landlocked and on route to the gold rush. The only thing that happened in a town like this was the occasional crazy old man who would come through begging for gold. The town was too poor to even imagine having gold. “By the way, Adrien,” Marinette said, grabbing my hand again, “I hope you realize I will be seeing that whale someday.” “To quote someone who recently made a silly deal,” I chuckled, “‘we’ll see.’” She smacked my hand gently. I pointed out the window, where Alya was waiting. Marinette smiled at me before retying her apron and rushing out the door. I brushed my hair out of my eyes and watched the two girls wander away. “Adrien,” I stiffened immediately at the voice. “Yes, Father?” “Give me some of that cloth behind you,” he said. My father was tall and slender, wearing the nicest suit in town. He was one of few that found success in the gold rush. Heaven knows why he moved to this small town. It seemed to be the bane of his existence most of the time. He was the town tailor, and he was good at what he did. I couldn’t bare to imagine Marinette apprenticing under him. “Would you like me to add it to your tabulation?” “You know the drill.” “I’m required to ask, Father.” “Yes, Adrien. Add it to my tabulation,” he growled. I only nodded in response, typing everything in on the register. He watched me stiffly, making sure he wasn’t overcharged. “Thank you.” “Have a good day,” I said, some of the joy lost. I knew Father was disappointed I’d chosen to work at the store as my job. He was too polite to say it. I wondered if he’d approve of anything other than a tailor. As customers shuffled in and out, I allowed my thoughts to wander. Being a clerk was a mindless job most of the time. Sometimes it took arguing prices for a deal, but it was a rarity, and usually only with Kim. And even that was mostly for competition’s sake. “Adrien!” Nino called, the bell on the door ringing as he entered. He ducked past someone on their way out the door and pulled off his hat. “What’s going on?” “My parents are going to let me do it!” “Do what?” I asked, feeling a little behind. Nino pushed himself up onto the counter and sat on the edge. “Go to the college and study music, Adrien. They’re going to let me become a musician.” I cheered for him and we had a small conversation in our excitement. I tended customers while he explained how he had convinced his parents. Nino could play everything from the violin to a harpsichord. While he didn’t play anything at a very advanced level, he had a true natural talent. The only time he had the opportunity was when travelling musicians passed through town. Nino did have one instrument of his own, a small baroque violin. But, a few months ago it broke. “So I fixed up my old violin best I could and I played them the best thing I knew. They were so impressed,” Nino announced proudly. I swatted at him, telling him to get off the counter before congratulating him. As he rushed out the door as quickly as he came in I allowed myself to think about what I’d claimed earlier. Maybe people could get out of this town after all. But I wouldn’t. --- I wiped down the counter a final time after flipping the open sign to closed. It was around five in the evening. Willard’s store closed just in time for supper. The name of the store changed with every new manager. Someday it could be Adrien’s Store I thought to myself. This was something I dreamed about often. Maybe I could prove to my father I was able to make good choices if I only ran the store. He’d understand how responsible I am. That was hard to imagine, even in a world where I owned a general store. After supper, I returned to finish closing the store. It was around ten in the evening. As I put the last few lights out, I saw a face appear in the window. Bluebell eyes and dark hair frightened me momentarily before I realized who it was. “Marinette?” “Open the door,” she mouthed. I turned the lock and allowed her in. Maybe this was against the rules, but I would do anything for her. Especially when her face read danger. “What? Are you okay?” “Adrien,” she gasped. She had obviously ran the whole way. “Your mother, she-” Marinette’s coughs cut her off. I realized she was dressed in her nightclothes, barefoot, carrying nothing but a candle. It was the middle of November. I would have offered her a coat, a blanket, anything, but as soon as she mentioned my mother I knew it was bad. She grabbed my fingers, hers were ice cold but neither of us seemed to mind. I barely managed to lock the door before rushing down the path with her. “What happened?” “She’s been coughing up blood you know. And I was with your father and we were discussing-” Marinette coughed a few times, “and he asked me to check on her because he really needed to finish a job and you know how long-” “It takes to get from one side of town to another,” I said with her. Everyone in town said that on a daily basis. “Yes so when I arrived I couldn’t hear her and-” she let out another scratchy cough. “she was laying on the floor next to the door and she could barely speak and-” I didn’t let her finish, mumbling a thank you as I dashed in through the front door. Marinette immediately turned toward the other path and began running again. My mother was laying on the couch and I assumed Marinette had helped her get there. I slid beside her and grabbed on to her hand, it was ice cold. “Mother?” “Adrien,” she croaked. “My sweet boy.” “Hold on mother, I’ll send Marinette for a doctor-” “No,” she murmured. Her blonde hair was as dull as her blue eyes. She squeezed my hand and coughed a few times. They shook her to the bone and flecks of blood landed around her. I gripped her weak hand in my own. “We can save you,” I begged. “It’s too late for me. But I wanted to see my baby one last time.” “Mother… I love you.” “I love you too, Adrien.” She pulled me into a hug, expending the last of her energy on the action. I sat with her for what felt like hours as she drifted away into another world. Marinette did not return with the doctors, they had sent her home halfway. I watched them take my mother away, Father arriving just as they left. “No!” he screamed into the night. It was painful. Everything was painful. I knew it wouldn’t be the same. My head and heart were numb. The funeral was a few days later. I was still numb. Friends were all around me. They couldn’t understand. She’d been sick for so long. I thought she would get better. It wasn’t fair. I was still expected at work. Willard’s Store stayed busy, and being busy prevented me from sinking too deep. After she passed, I felt hollow, but it was better to ignore that fact. Every single day felt the same. A never ending cycle of waking up, working, and going to sleep. Friends were small lights, sometimes they made things feel a bit better. But I was trapped in mourning. Marinette didn’t even walk by the store anymore. I assumed she partially blamed herself. Heaven knows why; she did the best she could under the circumstances. At least, that’s what I tried to tell myself. I’m not proud to admit that at times, I pinned it all on her too. Maybe if she’d remembered her shoes or gotten a horse or anything that could have sped her up. “Where has Marinette been?” I asked Alya one day. It had only been a few weeks since my mother had passed away at that point. She was purchasing ink and paper, likely to write another story. “Oh,” Alya said, then murmured something unintelligible under her breath. “What?” “I’m not sure if I should tell you,” she whispered. “I can take it,” I assured her. The curiosity was a good distraction as well. “Come by my house before supper, I don’t want to upset you on the job.” As soon as I was allowed to leave, I hurried toward Alya’s house. Fears had filled my head. Did Marinette hate me? Was she being married off? Sold? Had Alya killed her? I knew every one of the thoughts was irrational. “Oh, Adrien. You’re here,” she said, seeming a little surprised. “Yes,” I replied smoothly. “It’s good to see you.” “Come inside, it will only take a minute.” “Thank you,” I said. Alya led me to her front room, gesturing for me to sit down on a sofa across from her. She dropped the formality as soon as I was seated. For a moment, she looked nervous. “So,” I said. “Do you want the whole story? Or just the recent history?” “The whole story, if you have time for it.” “I’ll say as much as I can. Marinette is a very good seamstress, you know this.” “Everyone knows that.” “Don’t interrupt me, Adrien,” she said accusingly. “Do you want to hear the story or not?” I nodded. “For the past few months she’s been meeting with your father after supper, and they’ve been discussing her options. He even began teaching her lessons. She was planning on being a seamstress to start, but always promised she’d leave as soon as she could afford it. Marinette has big things in mind, you know. “Apparently, every time she visited your father, he’d have her go in and make sure your mother was alright. He knew you wouldn’t be home and he just wanted to be sure that she wasn’t hurt or in need of anything while alone.” “The doctors warned us not to do that,” I muttered. “Not to spend too much time at once with her. They said cover your mouth the whole time.” “Every night Marinette would visit with your mother for anywhere between ten minutes and an hour. Just to make sure she wasn’t in need of anything.” "You said that already.” “I’m not sure if I want to talk about the next part, yet.” she admitted. Alya took a deep breath and leaned back into her chair a little. “I think you know how it starts.” “Marinette came and got me right before my mother passed away.” “She ran the whole way. I forgot to mention that the meetings with your father were very informal, and often Marinette would just take a cab and a candle. Didn’t even bring her shoes most of the time,” Alya shook her head a little. “After all the time she spent exposed to that disease, the run across the city three times it-” “Alya?” “You can figure out the rest for yourself. Now go home and eat supper,” she said, practically shoving me out of the front door. I didn’t even have time to take in everything Alya had told me before I was on my way home. I thought back on the night when my mother passed away. Oftentimes I revisited my last memory of my mother. But this time I needed to focus on something else. Marinette. I recalled how much she had been coughing. That stuck out first. Then, I remember how cold she had been, and that her feet had looked sore running down the stony paths. Marinette had stumbled and tripped multiple times on the way to my home, and I hadn’t even seen her on the run to get the doctor. I was so oblivious to everything back then. But this was one of those times when the facts seemed to come together just right. Marinette was sick with what had killed my mother. Perhaps my biggest regret was not visiting her. --- Marinette lived. It was a miracle to everyone. But there was little time to rejoice. It had been a very long battle, and as soon as she could do everything independently again, she disappeared. Alya walked into the store the day after Marinette left, bringing a small box of items to sell. They were all Marinette’s things, and I, having not heard news of her in a while, immediately assumed the worst. “You can’t be serious…” I mumbled, feeling dizzy. She couldn’t be dead. “I know, can you believe she left for college immediately? I hardly had a week with her in full health.” Alya said. “She wants me to send her the money while she studies in Ohio.” “W-what?” “Marinette is going to Oberlin College.” “I-” I had to pause to take a deep breath. “Wow.” “Did you think she was dead?” Alya teased. I nodded blankly, still in shock from all of the information I’d just had to process. “Holy Hannah, I’m sorry if I scared you!” “It’s uh, it’s alright, Alya,” I assured. “How is Marinette doing at college?” “Oh she just loves it. She sends a letter home every week or so. Marinette adores learning new things and she can’t wait to graduate.” “Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Tom and Sabine come into the store for a while either.” “They didn’t leave Marinette alone much while she was sick. Because of that, they were able to save more and work more hours. That was part of the reason Marinette got to go to college. The other reason you haven’t seen them is because they’re moving to the west in a few days. A lot of business opportunities have been opening up now that the gold rush is ending.” “Wow.” “‘Wow’ is right. After Marinette got better, the family couldn’t seem to stay in one place!” she said, turning to leave. “By the way, Alya. Before you go, what is Marinette studying?” “Studying? I think something to do with the ocean.” Things I hadn’t thought of in a while came rushing back to me. That had been the worst day of my life, yet I still remember shaking Marinette’s hand and laughing about it. Alya saw me chuckling. "What are you so happy about?" “She’s going to see a real life whale.”
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"Have a great day, ma'am!" I called, closing the register with a clang."You don't even look excited, Adrien." Alya said, bringing her items to the counter."I'm excited all right, I just have to work." "Sure, but you can't even be bothered to crack a smile.""Easy for you to say! I'm more nervous than excited in all honesty," I said, counting out Alya's change and handing it back to her."Nervous about what?""It's been nearly seven years, she wouldn't return to this landlocked state any time soon.""She's coming back to see us, numskull," Alya laughed.I paused, gauging whether or not she was telling the truth for a moment."Yes, really, Adrien. Marinette misses me," she took a breath and smiled, collecting her bags and cocking her head. "Don't worry, she's coming back for you too."I silently let a sigh of relief out and closed the door behind her. Alya gave me an offended look when I locked it but I just shook my head and laughed. I was lucky to close early for the chance to see Marinette. First she'd gotten sick and then she'd run away to Oberlin before I could so much as give her a congratulations. But she was never one for staying in one place.The whale bones that had served as the conversation starter for our deal were long gone now, but I rested my eyes on where they had once sat while I counted my drawer. It was silly, really. How many times in your life do you make a marriage based bet? A the long sound of the train horn blasted through the windows of the shop and I froze. Marinette was here. She was on that train. The train arriving now. Right now. "Holy Hannah; I have to go!"I barely made sure to close the door behind me."-lya! Nino! I've missed you so much," Marinette's voice rang out. It was rougher than I remembered, and more mature. She was hugging everyone and smiling like she had won a million dollars. Her hair was braided into a bun. I blushed a little at the smart pants she sported, rather than the dresses adorning every other lady.And when Marinette's eyes met mine...She was in my arms before anyone could blink."Holy Hannah! Adrien!""Marinette! It's been years!" I cried."Well I had to come back to collect on our bet, you know."Our eyes locked again at her statement as I set her down. My hand covered my mouth and I blushed again like a stupid schoolboy."You didn't come back just to see me?" Alya faked offense."That too, Alya. You'll be the maid of honor.""Maid of honor? You're getting married?""Well, on a certain day a few years ago..." she shot me a grin, "Adrien said he'd marry me if I ever saw a whale.""A real live whale," I corrected."Yes, a real live whale. And so I adjusted my college plans slightly and left sooner rather than later.""When were you planning to leave?" I said, shocked that she had actually wanted to marry me."When I had earned enough. Instead I stayed sick in bed and left as soon as I could walk, money would come second.""So you're back now to get married?" Nino asked."And to say hello to my friends. But yes, I'm marrying Adrien. If he doesn't back out...?""I wouldn't dream of it," I murmured, planting a little kiss on her cheek.The four of us spent the day greeting everyone Marinette missed and showing her all of the things that had changed (which wasn't much). At the end of the night, Alya and Nino went their separate ways and left us in the park.The evening stars seemed to sparkle around the quarter moon. Clouds speckled the horizon as the last little bits of light sunk into darkness. Marinette's blue eyes were illuminated by the lamplight and her hair framed her face like she was an angel, swept gently by the wind. I barely registered that she was staring back at me, drunk on love and the new experience of spending time with her. Her hand cupped my cheek and she swept her thumb back and forth softly. "I was determined to marry you, you know.""Why?'"Adrien, you're kidding. I've been head-over-heels for you since you moved into town.""You smashed a squash over my head when we were twelve.""Well you told me my hair was too short!""I probably deserved it.""You think?"We laughed for a little while and let the silence settle comfortably. Marinette moved her hand from my face and leaned against my shoulder."What are you going to do after we're married?""Go back to work. It's your choice whether you stay here or come with.""I always wanted to get out of town when I was younger, but the store...""I understand, Adrien. I'll make sure we spend a lot of time together no matter what you choose.""Marinette," I pulled her away from my shoulder gently. "You would have run to Antarctica barefoot and done back-flips with penguins to be with me.""Yes, but I don't expect the same of you.""I never expected it of you. I'll go where you go.""Do you mean it?""Does the boat have a double bed?"She laughed. She laughed and it was the best sound I'd ever heard.There, under the moonlight and the trees. Where the lamplight flickered gently across her eyes and the stars reflected in the pond, I cupped her face and pulled her lips to mine."You really saw a real live whale?""You'll see one too; the boat has plenty of double beds."