Time for Love

Chapter Six

I opened my eyes and squinted at the little sunlight that was coming in the window. I realized I was still in Chris's bed, and boy was it soft. It felt so fluffy and soft, I could lay in it all day. Made me not want to go to school. Wait...school!

I jumped up and looked at the time, it was 9:40am.

"Chris? Ugh, I'm late for school." I groaned and rubbed my head. I looked to my right and saw that he wasn't even in the bed anymore, but suddenly the bathroom door opened.

"I'm late!" I exclaimed, throwing the covers off me.

"María, it's okay." He said, sitting on the bed and pulling me onto his lap. "The school called this morning, there was a gas leak and it caused an explosion, half the school caught on fire."

"Oh no, was anyone hurt?"

"No, no one was there when it happened. Someone outside saw it and called 911. I didn't want wake you, you looked so peaceful."

"How long will we be out of school?"

"At least a week or longer until they can find a place to teach you at but those things take forever."

"Guess I'll be at home now. I remember when my school was out because of weird things, Papa use to take me out and get ice cream then we'd go to the bookstore and I would pick out one book. I had to read it in 3 days and he'd give me a dollar after I finished." I smiled at the thought. Chris looked at me and for the first time in my presence, a small smile appeared on his face. He has such a sweet smile, I could only imagine how he looked when he smiled for real. And for once, I found myself not tearing up at the thought of my dad. It was because Chris was here with me. It made me not feel alone in this world. Maybe, finally I could start recovering from my loss. Finally start living again.

"Chris?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Please...don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"No, I mean...all this time I've felt so alone after I lost Papa. And finally, since I've been with you, I feel like I'm not alone. I can try to get past his death. But I can't do it alone. So I ask of you...don't leave me. Not when I need you the most."

He hugged me to his chest and kissed my hair.

"I won't." He whispered. "I promise." My body shook as I started to cry once again, but this time it was because I had never really cried for Daddy like I should have at his funeral. At the funeral, I was so dead on the inside, I couldn't cry. I looked like a lost soul, ignoring everyone who told me that they were sorry for my loss. I guess I was right to hold off on my mourning until someone was there to help me through it. Chris laid back and held me tightly as I cried out for my father in his chest. I was screaming for him, wanting him to appear. I wanted the nightmare to end, I wanted him to come back to me. But he was gone, out of my life.

"Let it out." Chris whispered in my ear. "Yo estoy aquí para ti."

"Yo lo extraño mucho." I cried.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I miss him too." From the shakiness in his voice, I realized he was actually crying too. We laid there together, holding each other and crying. I didn't know how long we stayed like that, but soon, I had sobbed myself to sleep and when I awoke, I was alone but his shirt was draped over me, the smell very strong. I found a piece of paper on his pillow and picked it up.

"Got called in for work. Be back as soon as I can." ~ C.B

I folded the note and got up, carrying it to my room. After putting it in my nightstand drawer, I saw the clock said 10:52am and decided to go downstairs to the kitchen to grab myself something to eat. I was hoping that I wouldn't run into the maid or Nick and surprisingly, I didn't. I was alone in the house so I sat at the table and sipped on some hot chocolate I had made. The whip cream was so creamy, I was tempted to get the whole tub and eat it but decided I shouldn't. Papa taught me not to eat too much sugar so I wouldn't get cavities or anything. I believed when he died, he went straight to heaven because of all the good that was in him. Sometimes, I just looked up and wondered what he was doing.