❝ Why do I feel like I'm just a chapter in your book while you're my entire story? ❞
❝ Well, you're obviously wrong, because you're my entire novel, cover to cover. ❞
▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃
A blank canvas. That's how my life was. Until she took my hand...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The cold wind pinched my cheeks pleasantly. The sky overhead was perfectly grey, with wisps of rain-bearing clouds huddled together. Three dark spots circled several feet high. I let out a chuckle, assuming they were a happy family of birds. Oh, how splendid would it be to have one of my own?
I felt the all-too-familiar heat creep into my cheeks as my heart picked up speed. Earlier, Serena had told Officer Jenny that her last name was Ketchum. Even if it had been a lie, it had been a wonderful one to marvel about. I liked the way it rolled off the tongue easily: Serena Ketchum... my—
For once in months, I found myself actually liking my last name rather than remembering the old, insane nightmare at the sound of it.
The signs of an upcoming downpour were evident when I heard a cuckoo nearby. I hugged my soccer hoodie closer to my body, breathing out a shallow breath.
Motorcycles whirred past in a blur, their engines revving loud enough to make a child cry. The mother was trying to calm her down, so I pushed myself off the car and crossed the road to them. Children calmed down with anything they liked, and I had the perfect thing.
"Hey there," I said gently as I kneeled down in front of the little girl. She took on a curious posture as I dug into my pockets and withdrew a chocolate. The sobbing ceased, replaced by desire for the candy. I let her take it and smiled when her mother let out a relieved sigh.
"Oh, thank you so much. Her father's been away for a week because of his work, and she's been too sensitive," her mother explained. I felt a pang of something unfamiliar, an emotion I was not acquainted with. I pushed it down and opened my arms wide to the girl. As if she had been asked for a hug from strangers numerous times, the girl did not hesitate and jumped right in.
Her tiny hands squeezed the fabric of my jacket before I pulled away. She had warm blue eyes, just like Serena's. "I guess I get the feeling of being away from my father," I admitted before stepping away. The woman let out a tiny whimper and gently patted my shoulder.
"You're a good youngster. One of the kindest I've met." She gave a warm smile before they left, the little girl waving goodbye until she was out of sight. With a satisfied huff, I turned back to my car and leaned against the cool steel of its frame.
This day was going well. I was pleased with the way everything unwound despite the siblings' presence. It almost seemed like everything happened the way it did because of Bonnie alerting us to the police and Clemont asking about the license. The encounter with the little girl and her mother showed that I was, just maybe, no different than anyone, even if I was a young adult.
I dug into my pocket and pulled out the photo I was hiding from Serena. It was of her with her Fennekin plush, and I carried it in the dashboard of my car. Luckily, I was able to pocket it before she could put her hands on it. It was fun teasing her, now that I knew about her feelings and that she might have also forgiven me.
