Beautiful Stranger

Eight

A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER.

“Aunt Hannah!” Eight-year-old-Janie-the-second shouted. I was to pick her up at school because her mom and I agreed for me to spend every Tuesdays with her and today is her first Tuesday in school this year.

“How was school?” I asked as I carried her up and took her to the car. She told me about how her classmates. She described each of them. Photographic memory, just like her mom. I asked her how her parents were since I last saw Janie a week ago. She looked rather sad.

“They had a fight last night.” She said and was so sad. I tried to bribe her happiness with an ice cream but she refused. I didn’t know what to do but I was sure I want to wipe away that sadness. I never had a kid because I can’t and I was devastated until Janie had one. But still, I’m never good at parenting.

But I sure am good at story telling.

“Do you want an interesting story?” I was smiling foolishly, which basically made her laugh. I told her about that cold night of October 28th.

 --

The party was louder than I thought. I was feeling the queasy uneasiness of having my heart broken by stupid non-living distance. I guess Janie and I were best friends because we share the same fate, though not in a similar, almost the same way.

Janie and I, together with a couple of friends from work, sat in the middle of the room. There was this program that’s supposed to start, like, an hour ago, but nothing. I wasn’t so patient, so I snooped around and figured what might have caused the delay.

Turns out the masters of the ceremony had a hard time finding where this place is hidden. Anyway, when I left the table, they came. So, I made my way to the punch.

Then there was this dashing familiar face. “This may sound creepy, but I kind of know your friend there, and maybe you’d like to help me become her ideal guy for the night.”

It was creepy as hell. Then again, Janie did need someone I can never be: a sweet, cheesy guy. But before everything else, “Just for tonight?”

He gave me the most incredible smile I’ve ever seen. EVER.