A Story A Day. Story 359 of 365: Best (Part XXIX).

Ismene's house became her sanctuary for the rest of the weekend. She didn't set foot out of it, and although she knew she would need to face reality, she was content with her current situation of hiding from everything. When she arrived to her place from her wander by the river, she was extremely confused. Peter meant well, but he unraveled too many thoughts in Ismene's mind. She was taking it easy with both Leo and Frode, and only considered them friends, despite everything that had happened, specially with Leo. But Peter made her think that, maybe, she could be happy with one of them. The thought made her angry, at first, she didn't need anyone to be happy, she had a good life on her own, she had a job on something she truly loved, she had a PhD, she was living in a foreign country on her own, she had a family who loved her, she had friends in many places. It didn't matter she didn't have a boyfriend or a partner with her, she didn't feel the need to share the experience. She blamed the patriarchy and the society in general for making women, and people in general, believe that no one can be happy if they are alone. When she calmed down, she realized that she was angry because she didn't want to admit that they actually made her happy, it was not that they filled a void in her, it was rather that they added something, the problem was that she liked what both of them added, and wasn't ready to let go of one or the other. 

By Saturday evening she realized that she had taken the weekend for herself in part to stop thinking about that, and she wasn't doing it. She knew what the solution was. A few days before, she had bought some microwave popcorn, and she had a TV series to start watching. Since she didn't have anything to do the following day, she could go to sleep as late as she wanted. Huddling on the sofa, with a bowl of popcorn on her lap, and the remote close-by, she proceeded to binge watch her worries away. It was past two in the morning when she finally decided to go to sleep, having a dreamless night. The following day, she woke up to an extraordinarily sunny day. Ismene decided to have breakfast at the sun while reading one of her books, and when she finished breakfast, she just couldn't leave the book at that point, and the sun was too inviting, so she stayed out for as long as the sun reached her terrace. Feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin made her happy, making her feel recharged, so that day she was much more positive on her thoughts. Therefore, when Monday came she felt ready to face whatever would come. 

Eirian was already in the lab when Ismene arrived, or rather seemed to have spent the weekend in, taking into account the chaos in her desk. 

-Good morning.- the blonde girl said, turning down the volume of the music that had been playing outloud from the speakers of her computer. -How was your weekend? 

-Quite quiet, although I did meet Frode by accident. Yours? 

-Awesome, I've been here all the weekend, it's when you work better. Roger lets me stay a weekend every two months, and it's a bliss. You should try it. 

So, Ismene's impression had been right, her friend had indeed spent the weekend in the lab. She thought about the possibility, but she had the basement, and that was even better than a weekend in the lab, it was like having the whole lab for herself at any moment of the day. 

-I think I'll pass. 

-Your loss. So, you didn't succeed in your objective of not seeing anyone you knew this weekend, apparently. You were lucky it was Frode, though, we both know that Leo would have been harder. 

-Yes, he would.- she laughed.- As I told you it wasn't planned, I happened to be on his way to the bookstore and he fetched the opportunity to tell me he wants to spend more time with me. 

-Is, dear, I think you'll need to start considering cloning yourself. There's no way you can spend the time they both want to spend with you and work at the same time. Oh, and swim and run and all that stuff. 

-Maybe I could stop sleeping. 

-Well, I don't think Leo would complain if you did. 

Ismene punched her on the arm as response. 

-Easy, here.- her friend protested. 

-I'm lucky I've found someone who gives better advice than you do. 

-You have? That's impossible, everyone knows I give the best advice in the world. 

-You don't, don't fool yourself. 

-Tsss.- Eirian hissed.- Who's this person who deserves the title? 

-An old man who plays the violin by the river,...

-Peter! 

-You know him? 

-Everyone knows him! He's lovely, and a grandfather for almost all the young people in town. During the town festivities he tells the most beautiful stories.