Minutes

Chapter Two

•••
"Miss, you dropped something!" I heard a squeaky voice say behind me.

I turned around abruptly and looked down at a boy who seemed to be no more than 6 years of age. He had a proud grin on his plump face as he lifted his hand to show me my leather wallet.

My heart felt heavy as I took the wallet off him, dismissing him with a thank you. I watched him wave and run off to a petite woman- his footsteps echoing on the concrete path- and start pulling on her jean jacket.

The buzz of the traffic faded as I looked over at them. Everything went stand still at that moment. People looked at me with bizarre looks as they carried on with their daily lives, but I stood transfixed at the scene happening in front of me.

The woman looked down at him - pride filling her face as she hunched down and spoke to her little boy.

It was clear that the woman was his mother. They had the exact same shade of hair- a dirty blonde color. He had the same button nose as her, and thin pink lips. His eyes, however, were blue- unlike the woman's brown. And yet they still held the same wonder and happiness as each other.

The child's face lit up at her words as she whispered something into his ears. The boy nodded furiously with the biggest grin on his face. Had she promised him something?

Maybe a full day at the park? Or a sneaky little trip for ice cream straight after dinner? Or did she promise him any toy he wanted from the toy store a few streets away?

A handsome man walked over to the woman with two coffees in his hands, it was clear they burnt his hands from the pain-filled expression on his face. She straightened up and looked up at him - love clear in her eyes. Even I could tell from a few feet away.

He kissed her on the cheek - which made the little boy frown in disgust, making the woman giggle. The man put the coffees down, before picking up the boy and placing him on his shoulders, which had changed the boy's facial expression to one of pure glee.

They all laughed together- it was a beautiful scene of a perfect family.

And it made my heart clench.

•••

"Hey, Emilia. Thanks for popping in. You would not understand the type of morning I've been through!" Amelia- my coworker and ex-roommate- told me.

Her ginger hair was thrown into a very messy bun- with strands of hair dangling in front of her face. With a sigh, she blew them out her eyes and looked at me with a hopeful expression on her freckled face.

"Can you please take over later? I have to meet with my possible new roommate about the whole moving in situation- now that you have bailed on me." She told me with a serious look on her face-and failing at making it not obvious that she was joking from the slight hint of humour in her voice.

"Sorry, Eli. You know I would still live with you if I could, but.." I drifted off- biting my lip, not wanting to put what happened into words.

Amelia grabbed onto my hands and smiled at me softly.

"We're all here for you Em. And don't worry, maybe I'll have a hunk of a roommate next!" She told me, with a wink.

"If that happens I might have to come over more often." I giggled, halfheartedly.

Amelia let out a laugh before putting up her index finger in the air- signalling me to wait.

I let out a small huff- happy that Amelia forgives me for bailing on her so unexpectedly.

My eyes wandered over the small office we shared. It wasn't anything to be proud of for a normal person, however, in my case, everything is an accomplishment nowadays. The walls were made of soundproof glass, and on either side of the actual office- were more offices.