My name is Terrence Whitter. I am a butler to the Barden family. Well, I was. For twelve years. My master, Mr. Barden, was a successful businessman who ran a conglomerate. He was a funny man, and I quite admired him. His wife had died some years back. And maybe it was because of this that he doted on his only child, his daughter, Miss Caroline. Miss Caroline would always visit him in his offices after school. They were very close. And I was very fond of 17-year-old Miss Caroline. She was kind and gentle but very opinionated. I was very happy taking care of these two. I held great admiration for Mr. Barden and great love (and a little crush) on little Miss Caroline.
But our happy days were not to be. Tragedy struck the family. The plane Mr. Barden was on had crashed, leaving Miss Caroline orphaned and myself master-less. It was decided that Miss Caroline be put under the care of her uncle, Mr. Barden's younger brother. And it was decided that I, and the rest of the staff, were to be let go. It wasn't all bad. Twelve years of employment meant I had quite a hefty separation pay. I rented a small house in the outskirts of town, and decided to take a little break before finding employment again. It wasn't so bad but... God, I missed Mr. Barden and Miss Caroline. Was it normal for staff to grieve for his employer? Because I felt like my heart was rend in two with his passing, and I'm not even related to him. Most days, I just walked aimlessly around my new part of town, feeling lost and wondering how Miss Caroline was faring. I still loved her and the thought of not ever meeting her again grieved me as much as the death of my master.
One day, I was back at my house, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. I think I had been doing that for the past three days. It got hazy and I lost track of time most days. But that day, someone rang my bell. I had thought to ignore it and hope whoever it was just went away. But the ringing was persistent so I reluctantly threw on a robe and answered the door.
"Miss Caroline!"
"Hello, Terrence." She looked just as beautiful as always, but I could see sadness in her eyes.
"Is there something wrong? Are you alright?"
"Everything's fine." But she wouldn't look me in the eye. "May I come in? It's raining."
"Oh, of course!" I opened the door wider so she could enter. "But you'll have to excuse the mess. I wasn't expecting anyone today."
I realized belatedly that the house was indeed a mess. I hadn't started unpacking yet, and all the boxes were just piled on top of each other in the living room. I offered her a seat at the 4-seater dining table of my new home, which she took with the same dignity she always did as with her old home's grand dining room. God, I had missed this girl.
"I'll make tea," I told her.
She was sad. I could see it in the way she sat there, dignified and unemotional. She was always like that when she was sad. She wasn't the hysterical type. Although, I wished she would let her feelings out a bit more. I didn't think it was healthy to keep those emotions all bottled up.
She cleared her throat. "So, how have you been?" She asked.
"I've been well," I told her with a faint smile. "Thank you for asking."
"Do you have a new job already?"
"Not yet, but I'm looking. I decided to take a break for a week or so before getting back to work."
"That's good to hear."
"And what about you?" I asked her as I set the tea before her. "Everything okay at your uncle's place?"
"I'm treated well."
I smiled. "That wasn't exactly what I was asking." I headed to the kitchen with the empty tray. "Call me if they do anything funny," I said lightly. "I'll pick you up."
