The Stranger on the Train

Chapter 2: Drawings

Pov y/n

I try to concentrate back on my book, or at least I pretend to because in reality I listen to the blonde woman, reading the book to her daughter. Her voice is soft and in some way mesmerizing. The way she reads is beautiful and it seems like she really feels the story by the way she reads it.

The little girl moved to sit on her mothers lap and looks at the pictures while her mother voice acts the book. She's really good at that I have to say. My eyes move over the edge of my book and linger over her face.

Her features are soft and her green eyes move over the pages of the children's book. Her wonderful curved lips let out her softly spoken words.
The way they move, there's something about them that catches my sight. I shake my head a little, stopping my staring and looking back at the pages of my book.

I still notice how one of the girls hands goes to grip onto the book which makes her mother let go of it and she gently combs her fingers through her daughters hair. Their interaction is adorable and I can't help but smile at them.

When the woman finishes the book, the little girl flicks through the pages again to show her mother some of the pictures in the book and rambles a little about them. Her mother listens attentively and looks at her daughter lovingly.

She sets her daughter back into her own seat and offers to get out the girl's crayons. The girl nods excitedly and starts to draw as soon as she has pen and paper.
Her mother smiles at her daughter before going back to reading her book.

There are a few times where I feel like she's looking at me but I keep my eyes on the book, not wanting to seem nosy.

After a while the child speaks up again.
"Look, Mommy, I drew the dolphin from the book." She proudly says and shows the picture to her mother.
"That looks great, sweetie. Well done." She encourages her daughter.

"Can I show the woman? She knows so much about dolphins." The girl tries to whisper but I still catch it and lower my book a little to see her being leaned towards her mother.

"Well, you can ask her. But don't be rude when she says no, okay?" Her mother compromises and the girl nods. She shifts a little in her seat before looking at me. I put my book down to give her my undivided attention.

"Excuse me, lady. Can I show you my drawing?" She asks politely and my heart melts a little at how cute she is.

"I'd love to see your drawing." I answer and see her face lighting up. She takes the paper and turns it so I can look at it and it's not upside down.

"Wow, that looks really good." I say and she grins proudly.
"Can you tell which dolphin it is?" She asks and bounces in her seat in excitement. I smile and take a closer look.

"Yes, it's the one from the cover of your book, right?" I ask and she nods frantically and claps her hands, happy that I guess correctly.
She grabs the paper again to look at it before handing it to her mother and asking for another paper but a bigger one.
She adds a 'please' when her mom raises an eyebrow and the blond woman smiles and gets out a bigger paper.

After a few more minutes, the mother looks over to her daughter.
"I will go to the toilet real quick, Rosie. Do you need to go too?" She asks and watches her daughter draw who shakes her head.

"Okay, would you still come with me, I don't like the thought of you being alone here." She says in a soft voice.
Her daughter pouts and looks up at her mom, disturbed in her drawing process.

"I'm not alone." She reasons and points to me. I look from the girl to her mother. We hold eye contact for a few seconds.

"Would it be okay if you watched her? It's okay if not." She adds, not wanting to annoy me but I wave it off.