aeipathy | one shot collection

distracted.

*Aubree's POV*

The sun's rays reflect off of her eyes like beads of river water dripping off an Australian Shepherd's heavy coat. I watch her watch the people around her like it was her occupation to strip people to their bones with her eyes; trying to figure out their life by the way they walk and hold themselves, how they execute the visage of their emotions. 

Willow and I are sitting on a wooden bench in the park, watching our child scream gleefully, swinging on a tire swing. My mind keeps wandering to other distracting, maybe nonimportant things, sending my thoughts elsewhere. It's been a long time since I could sit outside and just think.

"What are you looking at?"

My thoughts snap away, my eyes focusing on Willow's brown eyes, looking at mine.

"Huh?"

Willow laughs, a smooth sound that reminds me of my grandmother's metal wind chimes, then waves her hands in front of my face.

"Earth to Aubree, can you hear me?"

"Uh, yeah," I stammer, looking down at my hands, feeling heat rising to my face. "I was just, uh-"

"Zoning out again?"

I just look at her and we laugh lightly. It feels nice to laugh about everything and nothing at the same time.

I start to lean my head on Willow's shoulder when we hear a frightened scream.

We both jump up from the bench, leaving our purses on it as we run toward the familiar voice. Marie is laying in the mulch under the monkey bars, holding her knee and crying. I sprint over to her, crouching down and inspecting her knee.

"What happened, sweetie?" Willow asks urgently, bending down to look. I push Marie's hair away from her face, wiping her tears away with my thumb.

"I f-fell off the m-monkey bars and hur...hurted my knee," Marie chokes out between sobs.

I pick her up and cradle her to my chest until she stops crying and Willow runs her fingers through her hair to calm her down. When the tears stop falling, we kiss her on both cheeks and kiss her scraped knee.

"Does it feel better now, honey?" Willow asks, patting her leg.

"Yes, mama," she murmurs, sniffling. She hugs us and we nudge her along to go play with her friends again. I stand up, glancing at Willow. Then I look over to the bench and notice something is off.

"Uh, Willow, you brought your purse with you to the park, didn't you?"

Willow reaches for my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. She looks at me with a questioning glance and replies, "Yeah, I did, why?"

"Um... well, it kind of isn't on the bench anymore."

Willow jogs over to the bench, crouching underneath it and scanning her eyes all around.

"Aubree, did you take it? Are you fucking with me?"

My eyes widen and I raise my arms in surrender. "No, no, I'm being completely serious."

I look around to see if anyone noticed someone take it, walking around and asking people if anyone saw her purse. Everyone I asked apologized and said they didn't see anything.

Willow is starting to pace around. She's getting pissed off.

"Willow, it'll be okay-"

"Aubree, my wallet is in there! My driver's license, credit cards, and money is in there! Aubree, if I don't get it back I'm screwed," she starts to shout, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing loudly.