15

Lauren Hart
“I do care.”
His words, our close faces, our almost touching lips…were enough to disrupt my sleep. I had been up since three in the morning and since then I had been twisting and turning in my bed.
For a second I thought his words were meant for me but he had to ruin my tiny magical moment by adding another statement: For everyone around me; be it my employees, my friends, or my family. I do care.
By adding that statement he made it clear to me that I wouldn’t ever be special to him. Forget him; I won’t ever be on anyone’s special scale.
What did I lack? Why I couldn’t get someone I want?
“Ugh, Lauren, don’t cry over it as it isn’t new for you. You have to fight hard to find the one for you.” I chided myself and removed the cover from my body in frustration. I sat up and glanced at the wall clock to find its hands indicating 6:00 am. Sleepily, I stood up from the bed and the first thing I noticed was my ankle; it wasn’t painful anymore. Satisfied, I went into the bathroom, and only came out when I had done my daily routine and had showered.
At fifteen past seven, I went downstairs only to find the rest three of them sitting in the living room with sad expressions. What happened to them? I wondered.
“Good morning everyone. What happened? Why all of your faces are dropped? Ra- Oh goodness, Ryan, why are you crying?” I rushed to him and knelt in front of him, cupping his face.
“Grandma is leaving.” He cried. I turned my head in her direction with a confused expression.
She sighed. “Lauren, I got a call from one of my close friends and she said she’ll be leaving for Texas for good to live with her son. She needs me there for her farewell party which is tonight, so I have to leave now. I can’t bring Ryan with me as I won’t be able to look after him and besides, Sean wants him to stay with him.”
“Oh,” That’s all I could say. I then glanced at Mr. Peterson who was continuously looking at Ryan in worry.
“Ryan come here.” He said and pulled him on his lap. “Ryan, don’t you like it here, huh? You have me and your friend here. Don’t you wanna spend time with us? Don’t you wanna play with us?” Don’t you like us?” He asked him politely. He really loved his nephew.
“I love it here, but…but I want to stay with three of you. I don’t want anyone to leave. I’ll miss her.” Ryan sobbed. Aww!
Grandma reached for him and held his hands. “Ryan, sweetheart, I have to leave, please understand. I will never leave you alone but you know that your uncle and Lauren will love you more than me. They’ll not let you miss me.” She consoled him but the kid didn’t stop sobbing.
I stood up and knelt in front of Mr. Peterson as Ryan was sitting on his lap. I wiped his tears and cupped his face. “Hey, buddy, stop crying then I’ll tell you something interesting.”
“What?” He sobbed again.
“First stop crying otherwise I won’t tell you.” I playfully narrowed my eyes. It took a few seconds for him to stop completely then he wiped his tears with his hands and attentively looked at me. “Now tell me.”
I smiled widely. “Okay, first tell me, if I call you for my birthday party will you come or not?”
“I will.” He nodded his head.
“Now, if I tell you I’m shifting to another city or country and will not return ever. Then will you come to my goodbye party to meet me for the last time or not?” I asked.
“I don’t want you to leave.” He exclaimed and his lips started to tremble again. I squeezed his cheeks. “I’m not leaving but in case I do you’ll come right?” He nodded his head.
“I knew it.” I grinned. “Just like this grandma’s close friend is leaving the city for good and grandma wants to meet her friend. Won’t you let her leave happily? Don’t you want her to meet her friend? Won’t you show her that you have grown up and can stay without her?” I asked. By now he was looking at me with wide eyes. I knew he understood what I wanted to tell him.
“And besides… Grandma is going to a boring party and we here will do our own fun party. We’ll go for an outing. Your uncle will take you to an amusement park.” I added excitedly.
“Amusement park?” He exclaimed in surprise.
“Yep.” I nodded my head. He looked up at his uncle. “Really Uncle Sean? We’ll go to an amusement park?”
“If it brings a smile on your face then why not?” He too smiled.
“Yay! You are the best, Lauren.” Ryan jumped off his lap and hugged me, taking me off guard which made me fall on the floor. I laughed.
“Careful Ryan.” Mr. Peterson and grandma said in unison. Ryan let go of me and faced grandma. “Grandma you can go to your boring party. I’ll go to the amusement park.”
Grandma laughed heartily and kissed his face. “Thank you, Lauren. We were trying to explain for the last twenty minutes but failed and did it in just two minutes.” I smiled at her.
“With you around these boys, I can go anywhere without any worry. I know you’ll handle them effortlessly.” Grandma praised me and I blushed.
I was trying to get up when a large hand came before my eyes. Frowning, I looked up to Mr. Peterson and he bobbed his head indicating me to take the support of his hand. Blushing, I reluctantly held his hand and stood up.
“Thank you…again.” He whispered. Our eyes locked and my hand still in his. I smiled at him but only I knew what uneasiness was traveling in my body because of our close proximity.
“Your ankle, how is it?” He asked in a whisper.
“It’s better. Thank you.” I whispered back. We stared into each other eyes, deeply, as if we both were trying to find something, trying to know each other through our eyes, talking to each other with our eyes. No one blinked. We seemed lost.
“Ahem.” The clearing of the throat pulled us apart. My eyes now landed on grandma who was now looking at us with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Blushing, I stepped away and dressed my hair with my hands.
“I think I should go pack now.” She said as she marched towards her room. “I’ll help you,” I said and followed her.
After half hour, her bag was packed and I helped her drag the bag outside, in the living room.
“Okay, so I’ll be leaving now.” She said as she looked between me and Mr. Peterson. “Take care. And Ryan…” She looked down at him who was standing beside me, holding my hand. “Be a good boy and do not trouble your uncle and Lauren, okay?”
“I’ll be a good boy, grandma.” He responded.
“Lauren. Sean. I hope you’ll be able to take care of him without getting troubled.” She said to us.
“Grandma, don’t worry about Ryan. He’s in good hands, I assure you.” Mr. Peterson replied.
“Oh, I know he’s in good hands and you as well. Lauren, here will take good care of you two, I know.” I again blushed at her remark and moved my pupil everywhere instead of settling them at anyone.
“I can take care of myself. I have been doing it for a long time now.” Mr. Peterson grumbled and I bit my lower lip to stop myself from laughing.
Mr. Peterson took her bag from me and walked out, we followed. A car was waiting for grandma outside, he passed the bag to the driver and opened the door for her. She was about to sit when she abruptly faced me. “Lauren, come here.” She signaled with her hand. I let go of Ryan’s hand and walked near her.
“I forgot to tell you both something.” She said looking between me and Mr. Peterson, who was still holding the door.
“Both of you…if you want to do something…like something.. chose one of your rooms to do so. Don’t scare off the kid by going intimate in the kitchen in the middle of the night like you were on the first night of our arrival.”
Stunned, I choked on air and my jaw dropped to the ground. In no second I turned into a puddle of embarrassment. She knew! And intimate?
“Intimate?! Grandma, you are taking it the wrong way. We were just discussing work.” Mr. Peterson tried to justify and I had gone silent.
“I know. I know.” She laughed at him without giving him another chance to explain, she sat in the car and asked the driver to drive.
I stood rooted in the place, motionless, watching her leave. God, what she must be thinking of me? The whole time I thought she was really thinking that there were ghosts in the house. What I didn’t know was…she was wicked. She knew it was us!
And she had been referring to us as ghosts the whole time!
I didn’t know for how long I stood there but I jerked back to life when Ryan held my hand. “Lauren, let’s go inside. Uncle Sean has already gone inside.”
I looked around and found him gone. Great just great! I again made fool of myself. I went inside with Ryan but didn’t find Mr. Peterson in the living room. I had something very important to talk to him about. Thinking he must be in his room I climbed upstairs only after giving Ryan a cardboard puzzle game to play with.
Reaching upstairs, I knocked on the door of his room but no reply came. I waited for a few seconds but nothing. My eyes then landed on his half-open study room door. Oh, there he is.
I walked there and peeked inside through the half-opened door and found him standing by the window, looking out in a daze. I knocked before widely opening the door. He turned to face me and allowed me in.
“Yes?” He asked, not looking at me but occupying himself by picking up a random file from his desk. I stepped in and sauntered towards him but stopped two hands distance away from him.
“I have something to talk to you about,” I muttered, fidgeting my fingers. This was important.
“Yes?” He gave me divided attention, flipping the pages of the file.
I fidgeted a little more and played with the hem of my t-shirt. “Umm…As Grandma has left now…I think my presence is not required here. I should leave as well.”
“No!” I flinched at his abrupt high tone. He placed the file back on the desk.
“Huh?” I blinked several times to register his words.
“I…I mean you don’t have to leave yet.” He shifted on his feet, looking uneasy.
“But I came here just to help grandma see you are worthy of taking care of Ryan and…and she left satisfied,” I said softly.
My eyes turned wide when he suddenly moved towards me but stopped abruptly. I shifted back to make myself safe…
“Grandma didn’t leave for good, she might come back as Ryan is still here and I don’t wanna take any chance. What if she comes back unannounced and doesn’t find you here? She’ll skin me alive and you know that.”
I stifled a laugh. It’s funny to see him scared. I composed myself before asking. “What if she doesn’t?”
“Whether she comes back or not, either way, you are not leaving. You are here for a week and you will stay for a week, end of discussion.”
I again blinked several times in surprise. I was stunned at his stern, bossy tone. Why didn’t he want me to leave? I had done my part of work then why? Or was he worried that he would not be able to take care of a child on his own? Yes, it could be the reason. He was ashamed to speak it out loud, otherwise, there was nothing more left for me to do here.
“Uh, okay. If that’s what you want.” I said and without waiting for another second I left his study, shutting the door behind me. As I came out a slow and satisfying smile broke on my lips.
To be honest, I wasn’t ready to leave yet. I wasn’t ready to leave Ryan, to leave his house, to leave him.
Though annoying, I liked being with him.
Sean Peterson
I rubbed my face with my palms in frustration. Moving back to my chair I slumped on it. I didn’t know why I ordered her to stay. There were chances that grandma wasn’t going to come back but still I asked Miss Hart to stay. Why? She had done her part of work, then why?
I wanted her away from me as she wasn’t healthy for me. She was unintentionally doing something strange to me. And to be within my limits, to remain in my sanity, she needed to have to leave the place…then why the fuck I didn’t let her leave?
Cursing myself for almost fifteen minutes and asking numerous questions myself I concluded why I told her to stay.
Ryan!
Yes, it was for him I asked or rather ordered her to stay. He was getting closer to her and he would have cried uncontrollably if she too had left. I was amazed at how effortlessly she explained to him why grandma needed to leave. She even brought a smile on his face in just two minutes which I and grandma couldn’t do in twenty minutes. She indeed was good with kids.
In the end, I comforted myself that it was only for three more days. Three more days and she’ll be gone. Three more days and she’ll be out of my mind.
Just three more days.