Leave {z.m.}

Six

Why was I there? Why did I come there? What should I have said? How did I say it? So many questions swam in my head as I tried to somehow formulate a response. 

"Zayn?" Instead of sounding confused this time, anxiety and distress rang in her voice. 

"I waited for you to come back," I admitted. 

"You did?" She was utterly surprised.

"He was sad," the young boy, Harry, informed her. 

I held back a sigh and my eyes remained lowered to the linoleum floor. 

"He was?" 

It was evident that she could not understand any of what was occurring. It must sound extremely unusual. 

"That is not the word I would use," I muttered. 

"What word would you use then?" She smiled smugly.

"Flummoxed." 

"Flummoxed?" 

"Yes." 

"Could you use a more complicated word?" 

"Discombobulated," I replied. 

"Of course. I should've known," she rolled her eyes and began to laugh. 

"Harry? What are you doing?" A woman called the boy's name and he looked from me to her. 

"I'm sorry. He's always running off," the woman, probably his mother, apologised.

"Oh, no need for an apology. Harry was fine." 

The woman smiled with her teeth and scooped Harry in her arms. 

"Bye, Zayn," the boy waved as his mother carried him away and I waved back. 

"Well, that was definitely shocking," Adelaide observed.

"What?"

"You were talking with a kid. You don't seem like the type to tolerate kids," she shrugged.

"They usually get on my nerves, but he was alright," I answered quietly.

Adelaide stayed quiet and I strolled over to her side, picking up her bags. 

"No I can-"

"It's fine," I assured her.

She nervously chewed on her lip and thanked me as we began to leave the airport.

"How was it?" 

"How was what?" She wondered, astonished by my unforeseen interest.

"Your time with your parents," I prompted.

Her face filled with remembrance. "Oh! It was great. I didn't realize how much I missed home even though I used to think it was a little on the boring side when I actually lived there." 

"That's good," I nodded.

"How have you been?" She inquired curiously. 

"Alright I guess. Nothing worth mentioning happened." 

"You seem different," she commented. 

"How so?" 

She shrugged, "You're more you. You actually act human." 

"I am n-" 

"Yeah, yeah. You're not a normal person. I know," she sighed.

This time I was quiet.