Behind enemy lines

✓5

Abby fidgeted with her hands as she waited for Jackson to come pick up Likho. She'd failed at getting the children to pay attention again and was afraid the parents would stop sending them if she couldn't get them to listen. Finally after what felt like an hour, but was most likely only five minutes. Likho rushes to give him a hug, and Jackson picks him up spinning him in a circle. After talking to brave one for a minute he turns to me. "Are you ready Abby?" He asks setting Likho down. I nod picking up my back from where it lay next to the door. Likho and Jackson talk the entire way, even though most of the time Likho is ahead of us so far that he has to shout so that Jackson can hear him. "What made you come to Africa?" Jackson ask, surprising me. I turn to look at him but his brown eyes are fixed on the road ahead.
"I saw a picture of a woman, it was during a drought and in her arms she held a dead child, it made me realize that just because I can take a shower every day doesn't mean that the struggle has ended." When I finish I look to him, his brown eyes are fixed on me. I watch as a thousand questions seem to pass through his eyes but instead of asking another one he just nods his head. It only takes us about fifteen minutes to reach his house. It's small and at the edge of the village but when I see it I can feel that it's not just a house it's a home. When we walk inside it's well lit and I smell something cooking. He turns into another room and I follow him. The room we've turned into is a small kitchen and an older lady is at a stove cooking a stew of some kind.
"Momma, I brought Abby home like you told me." He says in English. It's not until she turns around that I realize she's not African. She's shorter, but when she smiles at me I have the feeling that me and her going to get along just fine.
"Abby it's good to meet you." She's says walking towards me. She then envelopes me in a hug. She turns back to the pot of food on the stove.
"Jackson go help your brother get some water." Jackson nods before ducking to walk out the door.
"My names Emily, by the way. Those are my two sons Jackson and Likho."
So Jackson didn't have kids, he was picking up his little brother. A small spark of hope rises in my chest.
"Where's your husband?" I ask sitting on a stool that's in the kitchen.
"He died, seven years ago now." She says without turning around. Dinner is good and after we eat Jackson ask if I want to go on a walk. I agree and we stand. We walk along a field that borders their house.

"Thank you for inviting me." I say awkwardly. He smiles at me.
"Anytime, I like getting to know you."
Something about the way he says it makes my heart leap in my chest.
I smile and without thinking bump into his arm.
"Me too." I say. He looks down at me smiling. We continue to walk.
"How's teaching the children going?"
He ask as we reach his house again.
"Horrible, I can't get them to pay attention." I confess. He stops walking and looks at me. He looks to be deep in thought.
"Did you try candy?" He finally ask. Candy? I hadn't thought of that.
"No, I guess I should've thought of that." I say bitting my lip and looking down. He laughs bumping into me.
"I'll pick you up some tomorrow before I drop of Likho."

Jackson also walks me back to the hotel. And when he leaves I stand at the door and watch him walk away.
Something about him was different, and oh how I wanted to find out what it was. Finding sleep that night is hard and I toss and turn for hours. What was different about Jackson? I guess a part of me knew that answer it just wouldn't dare say it. When I finally fall asleep it's with the thought of his smile. If only I would've known what tomorrow held.

A/N what do y'all think? Are y'all as excited as me to find out what's different about Jackson? What will happen tomorrow?
Let me know y'all's thoughts
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