Distorted in paradise

There are no mirrors in his house. It’s a sudden realisation, and I don’t know why I never noticed that before. When I moved in with him, I just looked in his eyes to see myself, and I was never more glowing than in the first two weeks of us living together.

“What we have is like from a movie.” At first, I laughed cynically when he said that because those things never happen to me. I came here only for a couple of weeks, a break from work and routine. The last adventure before I had to start implementing my long-term plan of settling down. Not that I liked the idea or the man I was about to end up with. Becoming the next Julia Roberts in another romantic comedy took me from surprise. I didn’t really try to defend myself.

How come I didn’t notice the lack of mirrors? Yes, we spent long mornings in bed. Yes, I didn’t even have to leave his house, and when I did, I cared nothing about my makeup or hair. My vacation came to an end, and I was still there. I was breathing in the adventure I never expected myself to dare for. I was feeding myself with his words that drew the image of me I never dreamt of.

Here I am, looking at my reflection in the puddle. It surprises me that I didn’t change much. From the way he looked at me I deduced I must have turned ugly. So ugly, that he couldn’t stand my presence anymore. I had to leave his house quickly, to not make him mad at me for getting more and more repulsive. Here I am, a fugitive guilty of wanting to be like Julia Roberts just this once. All my belongings fit in a small plastic bag.

I and the puddle. Proofs that summer in paradise also comes to an end.