My Little Penguin

Chapter Twelve

1. Heat up 1/2 a cup of milk

2. Pour packet contents into bottle

3. Mix milk and packet contents

4. Shake thoroughly

I did as the instructions told me and shook the bottle, as I had done all the other steps. I was prepared to bring the bottle back up to Becca and Ash-

"Knock Knock Knock"

I looked up at the door and closed out of my game, shoving my phone in my pocket. I walked across the foyer and up to the front door and opened the door. 

Two men stood in the doorway. One was tall and muscular, fairly young looking. His hair was brown and he had bright green eyes with a baby blue button up shirt, tucked into his khaki pants. The other man was fairly older. He had grey hair that combed over his obviously balding head. He had deep blue eyes, framed with glasses and a maroon shirt that buttoned up and tucked into his grey pants. 

The young one shot me a smile and reached out a hand, taking mine and shaking it. 

"Hello Miss Green,-" before I could object to being 'Miss Green', he continued talking. "My name is James and this is my associate Calvin." He sent me a smile and I gave him one back. 

"It's very nice to meet you but I'm afraid I'm not who you're looking for. She's upstairs, I can go get her if you would like." I gestured toward the stairs. James nodded.

"Please, we have some important information to give her." I nodded and closed the door and began my journey. Up the stairs, down the hallway, up a few more stairs and around the corner to Asher's room. 

I paused by the threshold of Ash's room when I heard a voice. I knew it was Becca's so I listened intently.

"And as the sun went down

We ended up on the ground

I heard the train shake the windows

You screamed over the sound

And as we own this night,

I'll put your body to the test with mine

This love was out of control

3...2...1...

Where did it go?"

A smile spread across my lips when she finished. It was one of my favourite songs by Pierce the Veil (our new common ground) I didn't want her to be embarrassed so I walked in the room after she was done. As though I hadn't heard her.

I shot her a smile and she returned it. "There are some people at the door you'll want to talk to, I can feed him. " 

She nodded and handed Ash to me and headed down to the front door.

 I held him gently, like I had watched all the mothers in the park do it. Since I didn't have a mother of my own, I used to walk in the park by my house and watch them with their babies. The older ones on the playground, making friends and running around while the younger or shy ones would stick to their mother's sides like glue. The babies would lay, cradled in their mother's arms with them staring down at them with such love and adoration. It would only make me more depressed. A mother was supposed to love her child. Why my mother didn't was far beyond me. 

I shook the thoughts out of my head and held the bottle for Asher as he drank from it. His emerald green eyes looked at me and I couldn't help but smile. I looked toward the door when I heard something, I couldn't place what it was so I poked my head into the hallway and listened really hard but I didn't hear it again. 

"C-Catt, I-I ne-need y-you do-down here p-please!" I heard Becca's voice ring clearly through the almost empty house. I got really worried really fast so I made sure Asher was securly tucked in my arms and hurried down the stairs to the foyer where she was standing, tears streaming down her face. 

"What's wrong? What happened?!" I frantically shot questions her way. She was too choked up to answer so I rushed over to Ash's play pin and layed him down on his back before pulling Becca into my arms. She struggled with her words. 

"M-my M-Mom! Sh-She's g-gone, C-Catt!" I hugged her tighter. 

"What? What do you mean she's gone?!" I was so confused. Did they not find her?? She couldn't have just disappeared. Right?

"Sh-She's gone! She fucking died!" My jaw dropped to the floor when the words left her lips. 

"Oh my God, Becca I'm so sorry!" She clung to me and buried her face in my shoulder, her tears soaking my shirt but I didn't care at this point. I wanted to show her that I'm here for her but I didn't know how to go about showing her. I just felt so bad. At least she knew her mom but that only makes it worse. She got time to know her mom, I didn't and that's why it wasn't hard for me.

I stroked the back of her hair and absentmindedly kissed her forehead. My eyes widened and I hoped to some higher power that she didn't notice. I didn't think she did for a minute but she looked up at me and what she did I wasn't prepared for...