Her bright blue eyes followed the movement of the horses ran across the meadow. How she wished that she could be like them… free, with no worries, beautiful. She turned and looked away as a single tear slipped form the corner of her eye. She brushed it away hastily and started her car and headed home. When she pulled into her driveway, she sat in her car thinking for a while. What she would give to be free of the trials of everyday life… what she would give to be beautiful again.
The next day, she went into town to visit her favorite antique store. She took her time walking through the small and crowded store, looking at all the treasures that had accumulated over the years. She was almost ready to go when something caught her eye. It was a small sliver mirror. She carefully picked it up and looked into its reflection. She was expecting to see her ugly, scarred face, but instead, she saw who she had once been. The mirror mesmerized her, so she bought it, even though she had a perfectly good mirror at home. For some reason, she couldn’t leave the store without it.
Once she was home, she examined her treasure more closely. The mirror was engraved with delicate leaves and vines that curled up the handle and across the back. The was something strange about the mirror… when she was holding it, she didn’t feel ugly of trapped, but she felt beautiful and free. That night she slept with the mirror on her bedside table. Usually terrible dreams of the fire that took away her beauty, her family, her everything, haunted her throughout the night. But tonight was different. For the first time in months, she slept peacefully until the sun awoke her early the next morning.
The next morning, she was still feeling beautiful. She took her time getting ready that day. She felt as if something special was going to happen today. She started out to her car, and then decided that she should take the mirror with her. She went to the library and borrowed her favorite book. She took her book to the café, ordered hot chocolate, and sat down in a corner booth to enjoy her book. By the time she got to chapter 4, her hot chocolate was gone and took notice of nothing around her… it was just her and her book. About lunchtime, a young man came and sat down across from her. He thought she was beautiful. She immediately became self-conscious of her appearance. Her scarred face was no match to his flawless appearance. She thought he could only see the ugly scars that masked her face, but he really saw a beautiful person.
The waitress came by and asked if they would like anything to eat. She ordered a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich and some water. He ordered the same. She put her book down and silently studied him. He was tall and muscular, but he wasn’t bulky. He had sand-colored hair and blue-gray eyes. He smiled when he noticed her studying him. He was yearning to talk to her, but he didn’t know what to say. He finally decided that he should ask what book she had been reading. She replied “Black Beauty by Anna Swell.” He smiled again. She loved the way he smiled and felt a rush when it was directed at her. He reached into his book bag and pulled out his own copy of Black Beauty. She smiled and looked away and smiled. “A bookworm like me,” she thought.
When they had finished their lunch, he insisted that he pay for both meals, and she didn’t argue. She liked his company and liked how he didn’t judge her for her appearance. He also enjoyed her company as well, and wished that she would open up more.
A couple of weeks went by, and they got to know each other better. She showed him her mirror, and he taught her how to ride the horses that she’d always dreamed of riding. One day, while they were watching the sun set, he told her that he loved her. She looked away with tears in her eyes and asked how he could love someone as ugly as she was. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile and said, “Love shouldn’t look at the outward appearance, but at the heart.” He went on to explain that the mirror she had would show the beholder what those who looked at the heart saw, not what those who looked at the outward appearance saw. He told her that he loved her for who she was and not how she looked. She smiled and brushed the tears away from her eyes and said, “I love you too.”
© Bella Nikki 2010
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