The Stranger I Met

No Matter What

" Why didn't you ever visit me later?" Is what I asked Aunt May before leaving with Jason. She answered me honestly," The contract, sweetie. Meredith made sure through it that none of the relatives from David's side can meet you." I nodded in understanding and took Jason with me as soon as Jenna came.

I took him to the Lake House.

" Why didn't Aunt May ever get married?" I ask while dangling my legs from the wooden extension in the lake while Jason's legs easily dip into the water till his ankles.

He looks at me but I keep looking at the picture perfect scenery in front of me. Even though it's afternoon, the sun is not blazing like it should, instead the sunlight falling on the trees is making them look much greener.

" Yeah, I know." I answer his unspoken question." I'm not that ignorant that I can't catch up on the obvious details." I turn to look at him." Whenever you guys talk, it's always about the four of you."

His eyes meet mine and he squints to avoid the rays hitting his pupils directly." She gave up on love after she got cheated once. I think she was 25, ready to marry the love of her life but it just blew in her face. She tried to give relationships another shot but after what happened between Mr Welsky and your mom, she threw her hands up on the topic and buried herself neck deep in Mr Welsky's business." I frown, too many heartbreaks in my family.

" Why do you call my dad Mr Welsky? You always refer to my mom as my mom or Meredith but I've never heard you call dad anything else." His nose crinkles at my question. Shit!

I open my mouth to take it back but he beats me to it." Mr Welsky... Umm how should I say, I am used to calling him that since I was a kid. After dad's death, he even asked me to refer to him as David and Moira suggested I call him dad." He shakes his head slightly and chortles at the idea.

" But I refused to do either. Calling him David was too casual and I respected him a lot and, well, calling him dad was kind of out of the question. Even when I talk to you about him, it comes out as I'm talking about someone related to me and not you."

I should have felt bad about me, angry even, for not having the kind of relationship with dad that Jason shares, a deeper attachment than I ever can. But I don't.

Instead I feel pity, for the boy who is losing everything with each passing second.

I nod a little and try to think about something that would get us off topic.

" Sooo...." I breathe out." Where are you going to college after school's over?" Before he can even answer, a thought comes to my mind and I answer my own question." Ooh ooh, why don't you go for H.U.D.A. , I'm taking the offer and I know that Eleanor Hound asked you as well."

A picture instantly forms infront of my eyes of us going to college in his Bentley. All girls eying him with dripping mouths and me with the telltale green envy. " Just imagine how much fun we'll have. Four years of college, together!"

Jason laughs.

Not chuckles, not grins but laughs, and it is music to my ears. " God, you're adorable." He says while laughing and touches the tip of my nose with his index finger.

" Don't bounce off from the question. Tell me. Where will you be going to college?" I say and playfully push away his hand, already missing the sound of his laughter. " I'm sorry, baby, but I can't. "

" Why?" I say, trying to use my best whiny voice, making him chortle.

" Because, I'm already in college." He states. And just like that, I lose all the humour in my mood at his confession. When I don't reply for sometime, he exhales." Well, it's time that you knew. I'm not a senior in high school, Aurora . I'm in my second year of college." He completes.