black & white

henry and scarlett

"do I look alright?"

"jane, they're kids, they don't care how you look."
"I just want them to like me."
"they will. wait right here."

I sat in the living room. he was going to get them from their mother at the door and bring them in to meet me. I heard voices, the door closing, and small, hurried footsteps running up the stairs.

jack came in with his son, henry lee, but scarlett was nowhere to be seen.
"scarlett's really shy. she ran up to her room," jack said, his hands on henry's shoulders.
I shrugged and nodded. "is this henry?"
he smiled up at me; he was the spitting image of his father. "hi!"

he was cute. I talked with him for a bit; his mannerisms and little gestures were just like his father's, too. I was relieved because he seemed to like me.

"I'll go get scarlett," jack said, starting towards the stairs.
"no, that's alright. maybe I could go up there by myself?" I suggested; I felt like it was right.
jack smiled. "if you're sure. her room is the second one on the left."

I ascended the stairs. I carefully knocked on the door, and a nervous little voice uttered, "come in."
I opened the door just a bit and showed myself, and I saw her; she looked just like her father, too. she was sitting on the bed clutching a magazine, and her eyes widened when she realized I wasn't her dad or her brother.

"are you jane?" she asked; she was just as nervous as I was. I nodded and smiled at her.
"are you scarlett?"
she nodded. she studied me for a minute, gauging my hair color right down to what kind of shoes I was wearing.

"you're so pretty," she uttered, almost in awe.
"aw, thank you!" I said, only a little awkwardly. "so are you. I really like your outfit."
this broke the ice; she completely opened up after I said this.
"thanks! my mom bought me this shirt from topshop. I really like your outfit too. I love your dress."

I was sort of embarrassed by this. I was still in my third man records dress and my dr. martens because I'd just gotten off work only an hour before.
"thank you. it's actually my uniform. I work at third man records."

"is it fun? my dad says it's really fun to work there. didn't anna sui design the uniforms? I like anna sui."
"I'm guessing that you like fashion?" I asked her, and her face lit up.
"I love it! I was actually just looking at this new issue of vogue that my mom bought for me at the airport. wanna see it?"

needless to say, scarlett and I hit it off just fine.

♤

somehow I'd ended up asleep on the couch with the kids that night. henry and scarlett were snuggled into me, with henry in my arms and scarlett cuddled up to my back.

jack walked by and saw me with them, and he smiled to himself. he threw a blanket over the three of us, and went upstairs to shower.

I woke up only a few minutes later. I looked down at henry and scarlett and smiled. I rolled over on my back so I could hold both of them, and I dozed off again.

I woke up again a couple of hours later at one in the morning. I carefully carried scarlett up to her bed and then I did the same with henry, and then I slipped into the bedroom where jack was.

I was too exhausted to find my pajamas and put them on, so I stripped down to my underwear and got into bed.
"baby?" jack said sleepily, turning over.
"hey."

"you were great with henry and scarlett down there," he said, yawning.
"I like them a lot. and I'm pretty sure that they like me too." I was relieved about this. I had been so nervous about it.

"they love you," he yawned again. "would you hold me? I've missed you."
I laughed. "I love you."
I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back, kissing his forehead.
"I hate sleeping alone," he said, burying his face in his chest.

"well, aren't you just a big baby?" I said, poking fun at him.
"only for you," he whimpered, half-asleep. I kissed his forehead again, and we dozed off.