Ivy Harper was the most unnoticed guest at Molly Whitakers birthday celebration. The two girls had been studying together at the same college in York.
Molly, with a sweeping gesture, invited anyone who could make it, yet many of the other girls were heading back to their country cottages for the weekend. Ivy, shy and quiet, finally mustered the courage to accept the invitation.
She seldom went out, and she had just turned eighteen, just like Molly. Still, Ivy chose not to mark the occasion with friends.
She had no close companions, and her parents persuaded her to stay at home, to spend the evening with her grandparents, Margaret and Albert.
Thats how it turned out, she thought sadly, a birthday that feels as distant as one celebrated at five or at eighteen.
Of course, Ivy adored her family, but she could not see when she would truly become an adult, independent and seen.
When would any of the lads notice her modest charm, her quiet beauty, her tenderness?
She dreamed of love, yet she was embarrassed by herself. She was not as flamboyant as Molly, nor as vivacious as her friend Sarah Benson.
The other girls dyed their hair, dressed fashionably, sometimes even daringly, especially for college gatherings, which earned them reprimands from tutors.
Ivys wardrobe, however, was always chosen by her mother, while her grandmother knitted sweaters.
She resented the fact that her granddaughter rarely wore those handmade pieces.
Ivy simply could not step out in her grandmothers old-fashioned cardigans; she kept them for home, and only when the winter was truly cold.
On the day of Mollys party, the colleges boys and girls assembledtwelve lads in total.
When the banquet ended and the dancing began, Ivy slipped out of the flat and perched on a bench by the entrance hall.
No one even noticed she had left. She was embarrassed by the strangers, though in truth they had never given her a glance. Perhaps that was what hurt her most.
She glanced at her watch.
Mother must be worrying now, she thought. She promised she wouldnt be late
Suddenly a boy emerged from the stairwellnot one of Mollys invited guests.
He took a seat at the far end of the bench and stared sorrowfully at the windows of Mollys flat on the second floor, from which cheerful music and laughter drifted.
Are you from there? he asked Ivy abruptly. She nodded toward the windows.
And hows Molly? Dancing? Having fun? he pressed, his eyes soft with melancholy.
This time Ivy gathered enough nerve to reply:
What? Cant you hear? Yes, theyre having a good time
Exactlythats what birthdays are for, the boy said. I was just moping about my own. I didnt even celebrate, just a modest tea and cake with the family, like a nursery rhyme
Ivy raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
The same here. Are you her friend? she asked, still looking toward the windows.
Both and neither, he answered. Id love to be friends with her, but she never notices me. She didnt even invite me to her birthday. Weve been neighbours for ages, and she sees how I treat her
He fell silent. Ivy sighed in understanding, then spoke suddenly:
Dont worry. Im feeling the same way. Whats the point? No one sees us anyway. I left there and no one noticed. So Im like an invisible personif Im there, it doesnt matter to anyone
Come now, the boy tried to soothe her. Youre right, there are people like usunlucky ones
No, not unlucky, Ivy corrected. Just unnoticed, unintrusive. Perhaps thats a kind of freedom, a quiet independence.
You think so? he wondered. By the way, Im Paul Whitaker. And you are?
Ivy.
They listened to the music for a while, glancing now and then at the windows, each hoping that Molly would appear and summon them inside to dance and revel. But no invitation came.
Its been lovely meeting you, Ivy said politely, but I must be on my way home. I promised not to linger.
Allow me to walk you a bit, at least to the bus stop, Paul offered.
Through the park they strolled, talking and smiling without quite realizing it.
Paul sensed his attention pleased Ivy; the faint flush on her cheeks and the tiny dimples by her eyes confirmed it. He began to tell amusing anecdotes from his youth, hoping to hear her bright laugh and keep her company longer.
When they reached the stop, Ivy thanked Paul and prepared to part, yet he lingered until she boarded. She missed the first bus by a whisker and caught the second.
On the bus she waved at Paul as if they were old friends.
Paul lingered a moment longer at the stop, unable to move. The girls expressive eyes and charming dimples had truly enchanted him.
He turned and headed home, then realised he wanted to see Ivy again. He had taken neither her phone number nor her addresshow clumsy of him.
The next morning Paul hurried to Mollys flat, climbed the stairs, and rang the bell.
Molly opened the door, frowning slightly.
What are you doing here again, Paul? Im not going for a walk with you. I told you so.
No, Im not I just wanted to ask for the number of your roommate. She was here yesterday. I need to give her something she left on a bench Please, could you give me her contact?
Whose? Molly asked, puzzled.
Its Ivys.
Ivy? Which Ivy? Molly thought for a moment. Oh, Ivy Right! Hold on.
A few minutes later she handed Paul a scrap of paper.
On the Roméo. Quiet one And when did she just get here? Molly smiled and closed the door.
Paul clutched the note like a talisman and raced home.
All day he rehearsed what to say, his nerves buzzing. As evening fell he dialed Ivys number.
He invited her for another walk, promising ice cream. To his delight, Ivy accepted gladly.
Her voice over the phone sounded softer, sweeterperhaps he imagined it.
They wandered through the park, shared ice cream, and learned much about each other. Their personalities and interests matched remarkably well.
Now its my turn to invite you, Ivy said with a grin as they said goodbye. Next time, not the park but the cinema. Shall we?
From that day on Ivy and Paul were inseparable. They frequented the cinema, visited museums, and a year later began travelling together, already being spoken of as a couple.
Two years after their first meeting they married.
Ivys mother declared it too early for her daughter to wed, while her grandmother beamed:
Well done, dear Ivy. Youve found your destinymarriage. No need to chase other suitors. A lad like Paul is a solid man; hell look after you as if you were his own child. What more could you ask for?
Their classmates muttered, That quiet one finally got hitched. And the boy looks radiant.
Both young people glowed with happiness. In each other they discovered understanding, care, and the love they had long dreamed of.
Years later they smiled as they recalled the bench by the entrance hallthe very spot that had linked their lives forever.
