I don't know what love is but I Love You

Chapter 6

Ali looked out the window when she heard a motorcycle pull up in front of her house. Her first thought was that it was a good thing her mom and Harry weren't home. They'd surely try to keep her from getting on that machine as if it wasn't stressful enough for Ali to spend half the day with this elusive guy.

As Ali approached Leo, she was abashed by how intensely he stared at her.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Ali looked uncertainly at the motorcycle, then at Leo, and sighed loudly.

"Let's go," she said, putting on her helmet.

Ali sat down behind Leo, snuggled up to him, closed her eyes, and thought that everything was going to be okay. It had to be okay. Leo warned Ali that they were going to drive up to his house for a moment because he had forgotten something he was supposed to bring with him.

When they arrived at their destination, Ali regretted that the trip had ended so quickly. She looked around. The building where they'd parked didn't look familiar. She was surprised that Leo had taken her to the children's hospice. He explained to her that today was Mia's birthday. When his sister was thirteen, she became ill. He and Daniel threw her birthday party at the hospital. The next birthday Mia wanted to spend with her friend Natalie. At that time Natalie was a patient in this hospice, so Mia's party was organized here.  Since then, his sister has celebrated her birthday at this place every year.

Inside, there was a bustle of activity. A few people were decorating the lobby with balloons, and a few others were setting up and decorating tables.

As soon as Mia noticed Leo and Ali, she walked over to them and hugged them.

"Aiden called and said they'd be here in about an hour. Rebecca should be here soon with the cake too," Mia said excitedly.

"Let's get to work then," Leo said. "Ali, can you help me turn these great kids into princesses, supermen, and batmans?"

Ali nodded. Mia pointed her finger at the bags standing in the corner.

"There's everything you'll need."

It seemed to Ali that painting children's faces was not going well for her. But all the happy kids convinced her that it wasn't so bad and let her enjoy the artistic fun. She enjoyed watching Leo handle the kids so well even more.

After all the children had their faces painted, Ali decided to say hello to Rebecca. Joe's mom, as always, was very nice to her and was happy that Mia and Ali had become friends. While Ali listened to Mia and Rebecca talk about last year's party, Leo chatted amusingly with the duo who were preparing for their performance. Ali watched as the girl blinked her eyes at Leo and casually touched his arm. 

"Have you met Marisha and Aiden yet?" Mia asked.

Ali shook her head. Mia took her hand and pulled her along. After a while, the two stood next to Leo and his friends.

"This is Ali, my and Leo's friend," Mia explained.

"And this is Marisha and Aiden," Leo added.

Ali smiled slightly, and then greeted Leo's friends who reciprocated.

"We went to school with this handsome guy," Marisha said.

"We'll stick with the second cover design," Aiden explained, connecting the last cables.

"Okay," Leo replied.

"Everything is ready, so let's go. The kids are waiting for the show," Marisha ordered.

Aiden started to play the guitar. Ali, Leo, and Mia moved to the back of the room so as not to block the children's view. When Marisha started singing her biggest hit, Ali realized it was the girl from San Francisco who'd made it to the finals of American Idol.

The children liked the performance very much. Despite the first negative impression, Ali came to like Marisha. After the show, Marisha patiently talked to the children, signed autographs, and posed for photos. Then everyone sang a birthday song for Mia and ate a birthday cake, which was made from healthy products, but tasted just as good as regular cake.

Ali glanced at her smartphone to see what time it was. She noticed a text message from Vicki and a missed call from Joe. She decided to get some fresh air and talk to her boyfriend in the process. Joe didn't answer the phone but texted Ali that he'd call her later. She was about to go back inside when she noticed Aiden walking toward her.

"We should hang out together before Leo leaves for Europe," he said shyly.

"Actually, we're not a couple," Ali replied.

"Don't write him off just yet," Aiden suggested.

Ali considered for a moment whether to tell Aiden that she had a boyfriend and barely knew Leo at all. She concluded, however, that this was neither the time nor the place for such talk. Aiden, compelled by the silence, continued his thoughts.

"You know, I remember the beginning of high school like a nightmare. I was short and skinny, and on top of that, my mom drove me to school. You can imagine that I was the object of ridicule and jokes from my classmates. Besides, my father thought I was a failure, and even claimed that they'd made a mistake at the hospital and had given him another child. Leo took me to the gym for the first time and borrowed money from his grandpa to buy me a guitar. Without him..."

Aiden couldn't find the right words to finish the sentence. Just at that moment, Marisha appeared. She suggested that they should get going. Aiden replied that he needed to say a quick goodbye to Leo and Mia. Marisha hugged Ali and whispered in her ear that it was nice to meet her and that she was a lucky girl. Then she took the car keys from Aiden and walked to his 1984 Porsche 911.

A strange day, Ali thought, as she and Aiden re-entered the building.