1001 LOVE STORIES(book Of Oneshots)

Lovely (77)

Word count:2602

"Why do I love them?" I look at the woman who sat with her eyes cold looking at me.

I only turn to him for a moment.

"There's no single answer. It would just be easer to tell you the story?" I say and there's silence.

"It started half a year ago and at the point in my life was steady. Work. Home and repeat.

I thought this was normal. I new I wanted love but I had no idea it would be like this.

I stood at the shelf stacking produce when I saw the thirteen year old putting handfuls of cant into his bookbag not even trying to hide it.

So I grabbed him by the hood of his jacket.

"What do you think your doing?" I ask and he looks at me slightly angry and scared.

His face was covered in dirt and cuts and on closer inspection so was his clothes.

"Come on." I say walking into the back room where my office was and he sits in one of the chairs while I dumped out the contents of his bag. Which was probably everything he could reach.

Lunchables pop tarts chips bread ham cheese juices candy and noodles.

I looked up at him and his eyes feel with tears.

I realise that he wasn't your average delinquent child. And this was confirmed when I offered him my lunch for that day.

He first turns away from it but his growling stomach makes him grab it. Before scarfing down the food.

"Where's your parents?" I ask and he shrugs.

"Why aren't you in school?" I ask and he does it again.

I realized that he was a street kind and even though it would have been smarter to let CPS handle it. I had grown up in the in foster care and it honestly destroyed me.

I know my next decision was a dumb one but I moved all of the things he had stolen back into his bag and took it out of the room.

"Wait here ok?" I told him before getting more things. Feeling the bag to brim with these things.

"I returned to see him licking the bowl clean and I pat his dirty matted hair."

"Where are you staying?" I ask and he shrugs again.

"Look." I say handing him his bag.

"If you need anything come here and ask for Paul. Anything at all." I tell him and this was our pattern.

Everyday he'd come with an empty bag. Id give him lunch and filled his bag while he ate.

Until one day he came with a little boy around six he too was equally dirty only his face was a bright red and he had a bad cough.

At the point I new I couldn't just send them back and call anyone.

I thought back to my little sister. Who i was never able to find. Who had her name changed and was somewhere across the globe.

So I did the only thing I felt was right.

I sat them in my office and this time didn't feel his bag.

I returned for a moment to give the youngest something for his fever and cough and let them stay in my office and after the day ended. I took them home.

I could tell that even though the oldest named Noah didn't trust me he didn't have a choice.

So he went and I fed them let them use my shower and fed them again and let them sleep in my room.