Dating the Dead • lrh

19. 'i love you'

I found Mum cooking in the kitchen. Lukey had relocated under the table and continued napping. "Hey," I started, hugging her from behind.

"Hi baby," she chuckled, obviously surprised. "What's the matter?"

I shook my head, squeezing her tighter before I let go. "I just wanted to say thank you for everything and I love you."

She looked at me with concerned eyes, "Is this about your trip with Shelby?"

I sat by behind the counter while she continued cooking. "Kinda," I swallowed the lump in my throat. The thought of the kids at the orphanage made me sad somehow. "I mean, I had fun and all, but I can't help thinking about the children."

She faced me, spatula in hand. "I know. I heard they're as lovely as kids could get. Shelby talks about them all the time."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she would always ask me if I have spare papers and pencils. Said she would give them to the kids. I asked her one time why they can't have brand new things, she only told me that she's teaching the children the value of saving and appreciating what little you have." She turned to her cooking, "That's what I love about Shelby, she's setting a good example to the children."

I stared at the countertop, smiling. "Yep, she's definitely something."

As my mum went on with cooking, I got up and found my dad and brother, Jack, shouting at each other by the couch. They're watching a football game. I squeezed in the middle of them and slung my arms over their shoulders.

"You guys may be annoying but I love you," I blurted out and they both looked at me the way they frown at Lukey when he rubs himself against their ankles.

My dad placed a hand on my forehead to check if I'm sick while Jack poked me on the side with a silly grin. "You just hung out with Shelby and you were already this mushy," he said, laughing.

Dad removed his hand, and laughed along. "Is that what this is all about? That girl is a miracle."

"Wait, how do you guys know her?"

"Kendall," Jack said, "and we've seen her around here."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "How come I didn't?"

Dad let out a hearty laugh, "You're always out, and when you're not, you're locked up in your room."

I could only let out an "oh" as my eyes trained unfocused on the television.

-

The noise of things being knocked down woke me up. When I opened my bedside lamp, I expected to see Shelby breaking into my bedroom for another adventure. If the old saying went 'you can't please everyone', perhaps I should believe that I cannot be pleased by everyone.

Particularly a walking hairball named after me.

"What the fuck Lukey, it's," I glanced at my alarm clock, "it's three in the morning!" My voice was a sharp whisper, as if the cat could understand. He meowed at me from the end of my bed.

My exhaustion from the day before made me have dinner at four in the afternoon. The moment I hit the bed, I was already snoring. If it hadn't been for the dinky demon, I could add four more hours to my ten-hour sleep.

And since I couldn't go back to bed, even after I tried, I thought I'd pay Shelby a visit.

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