Another Snippet

He watched her wander into the market. There was something about her, a stillness even when she was in motion that captivated him. He’d had a stand there for years and knew all the regulars. He also recognized the occasional patrons. She was new, different. From away if he were a betting man. He liked his routine and just her being there was disrupting it somehow. He wanted to ignore her but couldn’t. She both disturbed and fascinated him in ways he knew he’d never be able to explain to anyone, not that he had any intention of trying. When she stopped at the end of his table he had to fight the urge to run away almost as much as his impulse to rush towards her. He watched in awe as his helper greeted her as if she were anyone. Looking around, he saw that no one else seemed to notice anything odd about her. Or if they did, they were hiding it much better than he was. When she looked up at the young man and shook her head his breath caught. He’d never seen an expression of such pure peace before. As if on cue she turned toward him and snared him with her gaze. Waves of serenity exuded from her and washed over him. He still wanted to flee but found himself gravitating to her instead. She glanced at the peaches before her and waited quietly. Without conscious thought, he chose one perfect peach and handed it to her. The anticipation nearly killed him. For a brief instant everything went silent. The surrounding area was as still as she was. Then she brought the fruit to her nose and inhaled deeply. She smiled at him and nodded, biting into it, letting the juice run freely down her arm. She thanked him softly and moved away. The simple act was nothing yet it was everything. He knew deep in his soul that his world had just shifted. She would be back and his life would never be the same…