Confide In Me| Paused

Façade pt 2

♡Eli

I leave the car, turning back to Isabella, who is in the back seat. "I'll just be a sec, okay," I say, hoping she'd understand the situation.

Isabella lifts her gaze to meet mine and replies confidently, "Don't worry, Parker. I can take care of myself."

Her self-assured response brings a smirk to my lips. I nod and walk towards the house to get my younger sister, Daisy.

The reason she needed a caregiver dated back to when our mother had passed away.

It was a tough time for us all, but it had brought Sky Daniels into our lives.

Sky and I had become friends through a chance encounter at the local ice skating rink a year back. She had seen me looking after Daisy while trying to help her practice on the ice. The important word being ‘tried’ and failed miserably.

As I reached the door, Sky stepped out, and our eyes met. "Hey, Eli," she greets warmly.

"Hey, Sky," I reply with a small smile.

Suddenly, a small figure springs up from behind Sky, and my heart melts. I reach out, picking up my younger sister with a loving smile spread across my face. Holding her close, I feel a rush of emotions for the little ball of sunshine.

As I walk back to the car, cradling my 3-year-old sister in my arms, Sky follows closely behind.

The soft evening light bathes the surroundings in a warm glow, casting long shadows on the pavement. Daisy nestled comfortably in my arms.

The sun is warm on my back, and a light breeze rustles the leaves of the nearby trees.

Shifting Daisy to my other arm, I use my free hand to open the trunk and retrieve the baby seat. I carefully attach it to the back seat, securing the buckles with practiced ease.

With Daisy now safely and snugly situated in her seat, I can't help but smile at the sight of her, feeling a rush of love for my little sister.

Sky, standing nearby, waves goodbye to Daisy with a gentle smile. Daisy smiles in response, waving back.

Rather than our usual friendly dap-up, she surprised me with a hug. Confused, I whispered, "Uhm, you alright, Sky?"

She pulled back slightly, her gaze meeting mine with a smile. "Yeah, I'm good.”

I notice Isabella's puzzled expression in the back seat. She looks at me, and I decide to break the silence.

As Sky released me, I turned toward the car door, where Isabella sat in the back seat.

Poking my head through the front door, I ask her with a friendly smile, "I’m passing by BurgerBlast? Wanna grab something to eat?"

Isabella's face brightens a bit at my offer. "Uh, if it's not inconvenient for you." she replies with a small smile.

I get into the driver's seat and turn to Daisy, who's still in the baby seat, gurgling happily. "Hey, Daisy," I say, "this is Isabella."

Isabella leans forward to get a closer look at Daisy, and her expression softens into an 'aww.' She seems to visibly relax at my words, her initial nervousness melting away.

"Hi, Daisy." Isabella smiles as she grabs a hold of Daisy’s extended hand toward her.

Daisy looks at her and asks, "Hi, Bella. Can I call you Bella?"

"Yeah, darling. You can call me Bella." Daisy giggles at that. "I wike you." 

"I like you too." Isabella politely smiles and turns to face forward. Silently observing Daisy, from the corner of her eye.