OTHERS: Five elements

CHAPTER 3.6: LIGHTNING

21 January 2030, 05:30 PM

Work was tough; I had a lot to do. It's not easy working with electrical installations. After finishing work, I went to the school to pick up Ruby. The crisp January air bit at my skin as I stood outside Ruby's school, waiting for her to come out. The sky was a pale gray, and a chill hung in the air, a stark contrast to Florida's usual warmth. I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, my breath visible in the cold. She had stayed late for her extracurricular activity; an art club she had begged me to let her join months ago. Art had become her passion - sketching, painting, and even crafting small sculptures. Every time I saw her lost in her work, I saw a piece of Evelyn in her. My late wife had loved to paint too. As I stood by the school's front steps, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, my gaze fell upon a small family walking down the sidewalk. A father, a mother, and their son, no older than Ruby, strolling together, their laughter light and unburdened. My chest tightened. That should have been us. Evelyn and I should have been walking Ruby home together, talking about her day, listening to her endless excitement about whatever new thing she had learned. But Evelyn was gone. And it was just me now.

A lump formed in my throat, but before I could sink too far into that dark place, the school doors swung open. Ruby came bounding out, her brown curls bouncing with each step. The moment she spotted me, her face lit up.

- "Daddy!" she said, rushing toward me.

I barely had time to brace myself before she threw her arms around my waist. I lifted her off the ground in one swift motion, holding her tightly. She smelled like school - paper, crayons, and a faint trace of whatever snack she had eaten that day.

- "I missed you," she said, her voice muffled against my shirt.

- "I missed you too, baby," I whispered back, kissing the top of her head.

She pulled away just enough to look up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. 

- "Guess what?"

- "Hmm... You won the lottery?"

- "No, daddy! I got an A+ on my art project, and my teacher said it was one of the best she's ever seen!"

- "That's amazing, sweetheart! I'm so proud of you."

- "Miss Caldwell even put it on the wall!"

- "That's because you're talented. Come on! We need to head to Anna's."

Ruby took my hand, and we started the short walk to Anna's apartment. I had known Anna for six years now. She had been a friend when I needed one most, a kind soul who had helped me when I was drowning in grief. She worked as a waitress at a local diner, but on nights when I had to take extra shifts, she babysat Ruby. I trusted her completely, which wasn't something I said about many people. As we reached her building, I felt a familiar wave of gratitude. I had lost so much, but I had also been given people who had helped me stay afloat.

Ruby and I climbed the stairs, the metal railing cool beneath my fingers. Each step brought back memories—late nights when I had been too exhausted to stand, times when Anna had made me coffee and told me to take a breath, moments when she had read to Ruby while I fought off sleep on her couch. When we reached her door, I knocked lightly. Within seconds, it swung open, revealing Anna's bright smile.

- "Hey, you are already here!" she greeted, stepping aside to let us in.

Ruby darted forward, wrapping her arms around Anna's waist. 

- "Hi Anna!"

- "Hey, kiddo! How was at school?" 

- "I got an A+"

- "Congratulations! That calls for a celebration. I think you deserve pizza and a movie night. What do you say?"

- "Yes!" Ruby cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

- "Long day?" Anna said looking at me.

- "Yeah. I've got a late shift at the school. Should be done by midnight. Last time I didn't have a lot to clean up."

- "Don't worry about Ruby. We'll do homework, watch cartoons, and eat some pizza. I got this."

- "Thanks, Anna. I appreciate it." I exhaled, relieved.

- "Anytime, Richard."

I crouched down to Ruby's level, brushing a curl from her face. 

- "Be a good girl, okay?"

- "I will. Love you, daddy."

- "Love you too, baby."

I pressed a kiss to her forehead before standing and giving Anna a small nod. Then, with one last glance at my daughter, I turned and stepped out into the evening, heading toward my second job, knowing that no matter how tired I was, everything I did was for Ruby.