The French Exchange

Chapter 25

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Chapter 25

Just as he was about to swing the gate open and make his escape inside, he heard Audrey's voice piercing through the air, calling for him and Karim.

"Will, Karim, à l'intérieur maintenant!"

Given the situation, hearing his name being called by Audrey was the worst possible sound. She was stood about 100 metres away and seemingly unaware of Will's accident, as she called him and Karim inside.

He exchanged a quick glance with Karim, their unspoken understanding clear – they were being summoned for a reason they both knew too well.

Will's heart sank, the brief escape back to normality shattered as he followed Karim back inside, with the wet pants only making the situation more desperate and embarrassing for the young boy.

Audrey had already made her way upstairs to wait for the boys. The walk back up the stairs felt heavy, a weight of apprehension settling in his chest. His shorts occasionally dripping on to the wooden stairs beneath him.

With a sheepish glance at Karim, Will headed to his bedroom, the same room where he had faced the fate of being changed several times by now but this felt different.

It was only 7pm and he had just wet himself in the daytime like a toddler who couldn't control himself. He lamented himself as there was no-one else to blame this time. The only person to blame was himself. He was so engrossed in the tennis that he had totally ignored his need to pee.

Walking into the room, Audrey's eyes moved from Will's face to his shorts before she gave a disapproving shake of her head.

Will's face flushed a vivid red, and he cast his gaze downward, overwhelmed with embarrassment.

She put a towel on the floor and directed him to stand over it, in an attempt to avoid him ruining the carpet in Karim's room with the continuous flow of urine dripping from his accident.

He stood timidly by the side of Karim's bed, watching as Audrey changed her son into a nappy. Will was confused why Karim was being changed into a nappy so early tonight. Audrey normally changed them much later.

The air was filled with the warm, comforting scent of baby powder and clean linen. Will glanced over at Karim, whose eyes twinkled with a carefree innocence that seemed unaffected by the world around him, in contrast to the panic that engulfed Will at this particular point in time.

Audrey's hands moved with the practiced grace of years, buttoning up Karim's shirt and tying his shoelaces into neat little bows. It was as if time had decided to hold its breath, allowing Audrey these tender moments with her son, who appeared entirely content to let his mother take charge.

Despite it not being the first time that he had watched Karim get changed by his Mum, he found the whole situation strange. At his age, most kids would have insisted on dressing themselves, asserting their independence with all the fervor of youthful rebellion. But not Karim. He seemed to find comfort in these simple routines, as if the act of being cared for was a love language spoken quietly between him and his mother.

As Audrey smoothed down the collar of Karim's shirt and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, Will couldn't help but wonder what lay behind this intimate ritual. Was it a symbol of unspoken bonds, a nurturing spirit, or simply a habit that neither had outgrown?