Charlie's Angel

5

Chris

"Can you put some real clothes on? Please?" I asked Isaiah, who was still wearing his pajamas. It was almost three in the afternoon, and we weren't planning on going anywhere, but he didn't want to put some regular clothes on. My voice was a little more stern this time. "Isaiah, put these clothes on. Now."

He stopped what he was doing, playing with some Hot Wheels, and looked at me with wide eyes. I hated being mean to him when he was so well-behaved and adorable, but I had been so stressed out lately. I kept snapping unintentionally at him, and he almost cried every time. I hated myself for it, but until I knew for a fact Mystery was okay I would continue this little rant.

Her real name was Charlie. I only knew that because I saw on her nametag when I saw her at her job. I didn't tell her I saw her name, so I was playing along with her little game.

I couldn't put my finger on what it was about her that I liked, but it was something. Maybe it's her nice grayish-brown eyes. Or maybe it's her perfect eyebrow game. Shit, it might even be her beautiful facial structure with those deep-ass dimples, cute nose, and pretty lips. She was beautiful to say the least, and I wanted to get to know her better.

But I couldn't. I hadn't spoken to her in three weeks, since that day at the park. I fucked up any chance I had to be her friend. Or maybe even more? I had good intentions, but I went about her situation the wrong way. You could say I was too forward with her. Her relationship was none of my business, and if she didn't want to make it my business then I wouldn't force her.

She was trapped, and I wanted to help her. She deserved much better.

This three-week span, I had called her three times and she didn't answer. And that told me I would never see her again... unless I showed up to her job.

Isaiah hung his head and reached for the clothes.

"I'm sorry, man. I ain't mean to snap at you," I muttered. "But can you please get dressed?"

He nodded somberly and went about the actions silently. I chuckled at him; he had his shirt on backwards and both legs into one side of the shorts I picked out. I fixed it for him, threw him up into the air a few times to hear his laughs. "How about we go check the mail. Maybe you got a letter from your mom."

His mother was in the Marine Corps, and she was deployed to some country that I forgot the name of for the next eight months. She left a few days after I met Mystery. She didn't get letters where she was, and I hated seeing my nephew so damn sad all the time, so I took it upon myself to write letters to him from her. I had done it since the first time she was deployed. He was only a year old, so he didn't understand then. I did it because I knew they missed each other and I wanted to see him happy. His happiness motivated me and I wasn't even his father.

It wasn't the most honest thing to do, but anything to make him smile.

He nodded excitedly and pulled me down the stairs and outside. The sunshine was brutal. The air was hot and humid after yesterday's rain. Rained all day yesterday and the weather decided to pull a 180; shit don't make no sense.

Isaiah ran ahead of me and waited impatiently in front of the mailbox because he couldn't reach the door to open it. He fidgeted with his hands just like his momma did when she was irritated.

"Oh, look," I grinned and pulled out a letter addressed to him. "You got a letter."

He reached up for it and ran off with it, leaving me behind to laugh at him. When I got inside he was on the couch waiting for me to read it to him. We did what we always did: I sat down and he nuzzled his head against my chest to listen to my heartbeat. Don't know why he did it, but he did it with his mom, too.