Finding Him (Him Series Book 2)

3-We meet again

12 years later

Izabelle

The eerie feeling of being watched was like icy fingertips trickling down my spine.

Fear lifted the hairs at my nape making me shiver. Scanning the crowd of children, all of whom were waiting for me to entertain them, I tried to pinpoint the danger. All I saw were grateful moms and a dad who hadn't once looked up from his phone.

"Izzy, Izzy," the children began to chant, clapping excitedly.

Forcing a smile, I focused on the kids and began to charm the crowd. Soon I was on autopilot, having done this routine hundreds of times. My mind traveled back in time as I went through the motions and tried to block out the warning bells screaming in my head.

Everyone had a talent for something, and my talent was making people smile. Ironically, not much made me smile but I didn't like to think about that. I didn't do very well in school, probably because I was always working and had little time for studying and homework.

My grades were barely enough to earn a diploma, and not good enough to get into any college even if I'd had the money to enroll, which I didn't. I had experience with waitressing and not many marketable job skills, so I was limited in the kind of work I could find.

One day, while I was waiting tables at the Buttered Biscuit, a little girl about four-years-old, accidentally popped the balloon tied to her chair. Startled, she gasped and then began to cry. Her flustered mother couldn't settle her, and several customers were glancing irritably at the screaming toddler.

I hurried over to their table and fished out the handful of colorful balloons from my apron pocket. Crouching down, I spoke to the distraught child. "Do you like mermaids?"

The little girl stared at me, maybe she was surprised I'd spoken to her, and she stopped crying.

"I can make all kinds of animals, mermaids, dolls. Would you like one?"

Tears still dripped down her cheeks, but she nodded.

"My name is Izzy. What's your name?" I asked.

She sniffed. "Hannah."

I glanced at Hannah's mother, who was watching me closely with a grateful expression.

Blowing up several balloons, I asked Hannah her favorite colors and then proceeded to make a blonde-haired mermaid, with a pink tail. Hannah's eyes were brown so I drew a pair of big, brown eyes onto my mermaid's face. I smiled. "All done."

Her eyes widened, and she reached for the mermaid and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome, Hannah."

Hannah's mother looked at her daughter, amazed. "How many kids do you have?"

I blinked. "None."

"That was amazing. You're wonderful with kids. Thank you so much."

"No problem." I smiled and walked away feeling like I'd accomplished something.

"She's right," Sara, one of the other waitresses, told me. "You should get a job working with kids. They love you."

Long after I'd given Hannah the mermaid balloon, I thought about what Hannah's mother and Sara had said. I would love to be an elementary school teacher but that required a degree. I had no money, but a lot of balloons and make-up.

A week later Izzy the Clown was born.

Ironically, I was never a fan of traditional clowns. Something about all that white make-up, fake smile, and big red nose made me want to run.