The Million Dollar Contract (On Hold)

Chapter 7

7

It was almost seven in the evening when Kelly dropped off Ariel at her house. Miles was home with his classmate's mother who lived next door. When she arrived he was in his room, drawing on a piece of paper. Ariel peeped through the ajar door and slanted her head against the doorframe, admiring his utter absorption. She let him have his time and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

By the time she was done with cooking, she went back to his room and walked in. He sensed the presence of someone and rotated his head only to find her passing smile while strolling his way. She reached him and placed a kiss on his head. Miles had a faint curve on his lips as he turned back to his drawing.

"What are you making today?" She asked, putting her chin on his head and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's a boy sitting on the riverside and playing with butterflies," He answered while jerking up his artwork for Ariel to study intently. It was indeed drawn what he described but what turned her off was that boy had a sorrowful face on. He drew his sadness on the paper. Her heart crumbled a million times.

"Why is that boy sad?" She knew why. He drew himself. Because that's what he was feeling all the time. No matter how many times he'd say he was okay, Ariel knew he had always lied to keep her away from getting overly stressed.

"Because the butterfly is hurt, but look I drew another picture and here he is trying to smile for it this time," He showed her another drawing where the boy was now smiling. That meant he was forced to smile for the butterfly. For her. Ariel couldn't seize water pooling in her eyes though she managed to keep tears unshed. It hurt to see him suffering silently. Heck, she hated it.

"How does that boy know that butterfly is hurt?" She queried with her dismal bottled up behind a smile. He pensively gazed at her with an answer cooking in his head.

"Umm...He just knows, It looks sad so I know its heart is hurt," He retorted with a cute nod and doe-like eyes that stoned at his sister. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"It is happy when the boy is happy," She replied truthfully. "Now, go wash your hands. It's time for dinner. I made your favourite fish and chips," She clapped her back and cleaned his study table while he went to the bathroom and came to the dinner table after rinsing.

Ariel asked about his day and keenly listened to his stories while they had their dinner. After spending an hour together she put him to sleep for school after making him change into his nightwear. It was ten when she stepped into her room and plopped on her bed. Her eyes shut as soon as her back made contact with the mattress. It was a day. She recalled today's events and felt allured to release her deeper feelings on a paper after resting for a few minutes.

She fetched her journal from the chest of the drawer and wrote about the day-long activities. She explained everything to her lifeless best friend. She had been taking down her feelings on it since she was introduced to it eight years ago. Her aunt carved this habit of hers. As she raised her like her own children till she was alive. Life was tough back then, it was the same till now. Everyone left her, judged her except for it.

When she came to write about her interaction with Mr. Maslow, her parched throat bobbed. The man was inadvertently intimidating and awestruck handsome. His grey eyes flashed in her head. They were consuming. She couldn't understand that ardent glint glistening in them when their eyes locked together. No one had ever made her feel scatterbrained this way.

She took a deep sigh and withdrew writing as words felt empty to describe the experience, and also she lacked the spunk to mull over it. Feeling much baffled, she flung back and shut her eyes to drown in sleep. It didn't come easy to her but she managed to doze off an hour later.