ISOLATED

c h a p t e r 1 5

Chapter 15

This child is an angel. She woke up at 8 AM, Genesis helped her go to the bathroom, then she got dressed. Charlotte was quiet, but it was obvious that she wasn't that anxious and uncomfortable around Genesis anymore. Gael popped his head in every now and then and he would tickle her, crack a joke or brush the girl's hair.

Gael got someone to go to the store to buy everything this girl needed. Toys, diapers, bottles, baby plates and utensils, food, snacks – everything. Genesis had no idea what to buy, but Gael called his mother and she jumped to help instantly.

One thing Genesis was wondering was if Gael was still going to boxing at night, but if he went, she definitely wouldn't go with him. She can't leave a toddler by herself at home. If Gael leaves, she'd definitely lose respect for him.

"I have to run by the office now, but I'll be back before lunch," Gael announces and he grabs his bag from the floor. His mind is already racing from the amount of toys scattered across the living room floor, but seeing Genesis playing with the girl and hearing Charlotte's giggles was the anchor he held onto to stay sane.

Genesis looks up and she nods. "Yeah, yeah, see you later," she says and she takes a deep breath, turning back to the girl. "Uncle Gael is leaving?" Charlotte jumps up and she runs to Gael, wrapping her arms around his leg. Suddenly Genesis realizes how tall the guy is, and when he carefully untangles Charlotte's arms from his leg, she notices the biceps that are obviously noticeable even when he's not flexing them.

"Go back to Auntie Ginny," Gael interrupts her thoughts and Genesis breaks her gaze away from him to look at Charlotte. "We can play with the ponies until he comes back?" Her high-pitched, but excited voice does pull the girl to her. Genesis shoots a warm smile at Gael. "If anything happens, I'll call you," she says, "Call me if you get any updates?"

Gael's had an entire week of Genesis ignoring him, but now with Charlotte in the house, she's suddenly opening up to him again. Or at least invite him to conversation again.

Charlotte walks back to Genesis and she picks up a pony. "This is-" she pauses, thinking of a proper name for her horse, Gael waits and he watches Charlotte and Genesis bond. Charlotte's eyes meet Ginny's. "You think of a name," Charlotte says to Ginny. She chuckles and narrows her eyes, looking at the pony in Charlotte's hands. "Auntie Ginny," Genesis says, smirking.

"That's your name! You can't do that!" Charlotte bursts out laughing. Gael ques Marcus and the two leave the house to go to the office. Gael makes sure that Marcus knows that he can't stay away for too long, so Marcus drives a little faster than the speed limit.

The ponies keep Charlotte and Genesis occupied until Hannah and Natalia come by. Genesis canceled brunch with them so they immediately raced to the house just to see what happened. Charlotte stayed in the background, playing with ponies or Barbies. She mumbles entire conversations between the dolls and Genesis pauses her conversation now and then to look at her.

"How's Gael around her?" Hannah asks, knowing the guy's rough exterior but also the innocent young child in the house. "He's amazing, I don't know where he got it from but if he could be this nice more often I might actually be his friend," Genesis answers, she laughs. "His friend?" Natalia narrows her eyes, looking over at the girl.

Hannah chuckles at Natalia's comment. Genesis doesn't have to answer to know where she was going with that question. "Nat, there's a toddler in the room," Genesis warns her. "What es ee ex you aye el joke was she making now?" Gael spells out the word sexual so that Charlotte doesn't understand what he's saying.

Hannah turns around. "Is that daddy Gael?" She turns around and walks to the guy, narrowing her eyes to scan him and try and determine any differences from how he's been before. "Why are you acting so weird," Gael asks, looking over at Genesis to figure out what's going on with Hannah.