Escaping to Ireland

Vinessa

Liam smelt precisely like I remembered him smelling. I didn't fight when he threw me into his bed. I knew we would be strictly sleeping; I was hoping less talking would occur because, at that moment, I just wanted him to hold me.

His strong arms encircled me, he went slow, and I knew he was doing this to see if I was okay with him. The tears rolled out of me; the three weeks of worrying about him, of worrying he was with someone else, just started coming and didn't stop. If he knew I was crying, he didn't say a thing. He just held me, and I was thankful we didn't have to talk.

I woke the next morning to a knock on the door. Liam still was wrapped around me, and I smiled for a brief moment.

"Good morning," Bennett said, letting himself into Liam's room. "I see you stayed."

"I did," I said, not liking that he had seen us together.

"It's okay. Heather used to stay with Keith." I had no clue who these people were. "Keith was my stepfather, and Heather was his new girlfriend."

"I see" Liam was still sleeping through all of this. I snaked out from underneath his arms. "How about we make breakfast?"

"That sounds suitable," Bennett said as I followed him out of the room. He stopped at the closed door. "He needed a good night's rest," he said before he started walking again.

"And did you sleep okay?"

"I slept well. Thank you for asking."

I smiled at him; he was a peculiar little boy. We walked in silence as Bennett let me lead him to the kitchen.

"What would you like?" I asked him.

"Esmeralda always made me breakfast. There was a variety of pastries each morning and plenty of juices."

I opened the fridge, glad to see that it was fully stocked. While Liam was gone, I still stopped by to take Maggie for a walk each day. It was my only way of feeling connected with Liam while he was gone.

"Are you okay with a one-eyed jack?"

"A one-eyed-jack?" Bennett repeated back to me. "I have not had a one-eyed jack before, but I could be inclined to trying one."

"Well, then I am inclined into making some."

Bennett smiled up at me. "Excellent." He watched as I grabbed the bread and the eggs from the fridge. He seemed enthralled by it all. When I was done, I plated the one-eyed jacks up.

"I see where the name comes from," Bennett said, looking down at the toast with the one egg in the middle of it.

"Next time, you can help me make it."

"I would like that very much." He followed me over to the table. "Will there be a next time?"

His eyes shone up at me, and it made my heart pitter-patter. He was in his own league of adorable.

"I believe there will be."