Falling In Love…
Higgins turned to close the door on his way into the house. He wasn't his usual energetic self. He passed by the hat stand and paused for a breath in the doorway. He looked all around. "How did I ever live alone in such a big house?" He wondered. It was so empty. As empty as everything inside him. And, it hurt. Hurt so much. He couldn't live without her. Eliza, she was so beautiful and so interesting to be with. Agreed, Pickering had become a good friend. But Eliza meant so much more. She had understood him and bore with him, something very few people could. He in turn, he felt, had done the same. She was important to him; he had let her know that. But he didn't know what Eliza wanted from him, she confused him.
The previous night she had thrown his slippers at him, what did she mean by that? The whole night she had fought with him telling him how she couldn't succeed without his help. He had tried to instill some confidence in her, but couldn't help her from breaking down. He didn't want her to cry, but didn't know what he could do about it. And…she had left him that first time.
This afternoon he was shocked to see her at his mother's but was he glad. He forgot the pain he had felt that morning in the brilliant conversation he had with her. Well, of course he knew she would come back to him. Well, you know, besides the teacher student relationship they had, she did know they were important to each other. Or that's what he had thought and then she proved him wrong. He had never done this for any woman. He had given her reasons for why she should come back to him. Told her their lives would be great. And if she found anything lacking in him she just had to let him know. But, damn! She left him and it hurt. Mother would not understand. She only left him to his plight and what's more she had acted like it was all Henry's fault.
Why did it hurt? As he stepped into the hallway he looked at his study, but it was not where he wanted to be. He dragged his heavy steps to the little room where he took some of Eliza's speech lessons. There were photographs of Eliza all around the room. He turned his gaze to the chair where Eliza spoke her vowels into the instrument. God, how he missed her. His fingers gently grazed the table which she had touched. He…he…wanted to touch her…hold her close and never let her go. But she was gone, off to be another's. How lucky was that man!
His drawing room – it was the place they had met for the second time the morning after that first encounter a night many months before. How different she was then and really though she had changed externally she was quite the same inside even now. Oh! He would take that Eliza who fought with him for everything or now the Eliza who couldn't resist throwing his slippers at him. As long as she was with him. Eliza was a necessity, but knowing her strong spirit, he wondered if anything he said or did now would bring her back. Anyway, she always blamed him for hurting her even though he didn't realize how. Now, he would only end up hurting her again.
He couldn't stop thinking about her. He had given up the fight with his thoughts. The pain made him realize he was human again. Something he had stopped being years ago. He was in love and it tore him. He would not be able to forget her. He would not be able to stop loving her, even if she became someone else's. But Lord, how was he to live the rest of his life without her? Every part everything about the house reminded him of her.
As he reached the phonograph, he felt Eliza's gentle voice pleading in his ears. "…you have my voice on the phonograph, if you feel lonely without me, you can turn it on." He felt lonely, more than she could ever imagine. He turned on the phonograph and shuffled his feet to a nearby chair to listen to what he had left of her, the voice and the memories. Listening to himself made him embarrassed. He had been rude to Eliza and the realization made him ache further. If only Eliza was here to make it alright. To give him a chance…well, to love her. He did now, and though it would be hard to change his ways, he could try for Eliza's sake. He wanted to make her happy and see her laugh and dance with her…like the night of the ball. How beautiful she had looked then. Everyman there had wanted her but he didn't know what had made him ask her for a dance. Pickering and mother had made it sound as if he had willingly given her up to his nemesis Zoltan Karpathy for the dance, but it didn't please him anymore! Karpathy would have found his chance to speak with Eliza anyway, and it would have been better to wear away the tension of the evening. He had faith in Eliza…and she had not let him down. But he had.
He caught her voice asking him to give her lessons for which she was willing to pay. And he had referred to her as a "draggletailed guttersnipe" moments later. He had wronged her. If he had opened his eyes, he knew he would have been in love with the flower girl she was just as much as he was with the person she was now. "Wait…was that Eliza?" He'd recognize her voice anywhere even if she tried to fake a cockney accent! Henry Higgins' face turned from melancholy to hope to ecstasy in those few moments which convinced him it was his "Eliza!" He sat up with a boyish glee that Eliza standing near the phonograph found alluring. Eliza had seen him this way, so vulnerable, so needy, he hoped she knew that he adored her. But how was he to face her? To know that she loved him as much as he did her? For everything, she might as well have come to say goodbye to Pickering and the household staff! Or, she did really love him and come back for him!
The pause was awkward. "Where the devil are my slippers?" he questioned before pulling his hat over his head and leaning back in his chair with the deepest relief. He was betting his slippers were in his room upstairs. But well, since they weren't here at least she couldn't throw them at him!
Eliza came over to him. She could hear him breathing heavily. She wanted to touch him but now she was shy. She yearned for him and turned to the piano trying to control herself. Higgins got off the chair and stood behind her. "Eliza, I…" She turned to face him. "Please don't leave me again." He was hers now and always. She kissed him hard on the lips and he responded to her tenderly. She was smiling after the kiss. After he had come off his daze Henry asked her why. "Your lips are thick enough for me!" she said and blushed. Higgins swept her into his arms for another kiss and when they broke away it was because they heard voices outside. It was Pickering and Mrs.Higgins. Marriage was not an option for Higgins now, it was a necessity. He wanted Eliza to be his and him to be Eliza's forever. Well, he knew as he put his hand in Eliza's and led her to the sofa he would learn to ease himself into marriage. With his best friend of course.