THE NIGHT VISITOR
She hurried along, her heels clicking sharply against the deserted pavement. Above, the moon peered down, grinning with smug self-satisfaction. The city dissolved into the haze of night, its buildings occasionally catching the cold, indifferent glow of moonlight. Streetlamps flickered here and there, clawing back the streets from the darkness. Windows glinted like spectacles adorning the faces of the houses.
Up ahead, a tram glittered like a Christmas tree, rattled around the bend, and vanished into the night, melting away like a ghost.
The sharp rhythm of her footsteps quickened, echoing off the walls. No, she had missed the last tram. The moon chuckled mockingly overhead.
She had stayed late at her friends, then stubbornly refused an escort, confident she would catch the tram. Now the click of her heels slowed, then stopped entirely. Exhausted, she sank onto a bench and wept in frustration.
Suddenly, brakes screeched, and a voice from the car sang out cheerfully, “Fancy a ride?” She shrank into the bench, wishing she could disappear into the shadows. Adventure was the last thing she wantedhome was all she desired.
A man leaned out. “Dont be afraidIll take you wherever you need to go.” The passenger door swung open, and hesitantly, she slipped inside. The leather seat welcomed her, warm and comforting, carrying a faint, pleasant scent. On the back seat, a child slept curled against a massive dog, whose hot breath stirred the curls at her neck. She froze.
The man smiled. “Dont worryBellas gentle. Wont harm a soul.”
“Thomas,” he said, offering his hand.
“Eleanor Whitmore,” she managed.
He laughed. “A bit young to be a Whitmore, arent you?”
Catching her reflection in the rearview mirrorsmudged mascara, wide eyesshe barely recognised herself. “Thats a matter of opinion,” she retorted.
“You work at a school, then?” he guessed. She stayed silent, lost in thought.
“Bit late for us too,” he ventured. Slowly, her fear ebbed away. A strange familiarity settled over her, as if they had known each other for lifetimes. She found herself slipping into easy conversation, laughing at his jokes. On the back seat, Bella gave a soft, scolding barkhush, youll wake the child.
Then the car turned down a dim alley. Her heart lurched.
“Just a quick stoppromised my mum medicine,” Thomas explained, noticing her tension.
It was well past midnight, and with no one waiting for her but a stack of school papers, Eleanor didnt protest as they roamed the empty streets, the car slicing through the night like a phantom.
Later, Thomas invited her up to his flat. She wasnt surprised.
The seventh-floor flat was tidy, every item in its place. In the lifts dim light, they stole glances at each other, then laughed like mischievous children. Thomas was tall, broad-shouldered, his sun-kissed skin contrasting with fair hair. Eleanor, even in heels, stood half a head shorter.
Inside, he tucked his sleeping son into bed while Bella settled on the floor beside him. Over tea and classical musictheir tastes perfectly alignedEleanor felt no unease. That odd sense of belonging returned, as if little Oliver were her own.
They talked quietly on the kitchen sofa, sipping wine Thomas had offered. His voice grew heavy as he confessed his wife had died three years prior, during childbirth. She had insisted the doctors save their son, their long-awaited firstborn. Now his mother helped raise Oliver while he worked.
Thomas asked her to stay till morning. She agreed, whether from the wine or something else.
Dawn found her in his bed, awakened by a tiny whisper. “Mummy,” Oliver murmured, patting her cheek. Bella lay heavily across her feet. Tears sprang to her eyes as she cradled him, murmuring, “Mine, mine.”
Thomas appeared with a steaming breakfast tray. “Getting on well, I see,” he grinned. Then, abruptly: “Marry me.”
Eleanor blinked. “You hardly know me.”
“I know enough,” he said firmly. “Lifes longwell learn the rest. Oliver and Bella already love you. Youll be a wonderful mother.”
Outside, the first pink rays of dawn crept in. Later, as she lay half-awake, Eleanor mused over the strange nights dreamwalking through a city that sought to swallow her whole, only to be saved by a stranger.
Beside her, Thomas slept peacefully, Oliver snuggled between them. Bellas weight pressed at her feet. The dog yawned, then dozed off again. Plenty of time before the alarm. Eleanor began planning her school lessonsthen drifted back to sleep as the sun chased away the last of the night. Somewhere above, the moon winked down at her dreams.
