Call me Ade

3. Garcia

Jeffrey's white eyebrows gathered close together, creating a deep wrinkle in the middle of his forehead. He was literally studying my face like it was some kind of map to Narnia. Slowly his old, shaking hand reached for my face, I didn't know whether to move away or to keep my ground.

On one hand, he was this old creepy guy I had never seen before, but on the other hand, his eyes looked so kind, like the kind of eyes that had seen it all and still chose to see the good rather than the bad. Plus, he called me Jessie, which means he must have known her, he must have known her very well, because no one called her that besides my dad and Amy. Suddenly the decision was easy, I let Jeffrey's hand rest on my cheek, ''Oh, you were right, I can see it now-'' his voice so deep and hoarse like he had been smoking for years, ''You almost had me fooled, but those eyes..'' he captured my gaze with his dark, wise, eyes, making it impossible for me to look away, it was unbelievable. ''Those eyes are not Jessie's eyes'' he stated dropping his shaking hand from my cheek, ''I am very sorry about that dear, you looked like someone I knew many years ago, my mistake.'' Suddenly the fogginess around his eyes disappeared and he became more present.

It took me a minute to process what had just happened. That old man literally just mesmerized the heck out of me, what was he? Some kind of wizard?

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks, he used to know her, he saw her in me. It amazed me that he could tell that my eyes weren't hers, but he was right. I had taken everything after her, except for my eyes – the eyes, were dad's.

I cleared my throat before speaking, ''No it's okay, I get that a lot. People used to say I look like her all the time'' it was like ripping off a band aid just by talking about her, it hurt like hell.

Jeffrey looked surprised, ''Dear Lord, you're Adeline aren't ya?'' my heart ached when he said my name, I couldn't help but hear my mother's voice every time that name was said these days. That was why I tried to leave it behind, I couldn't bear having to hear my mother's voice every time the word Adeline would slip out of someone's mouth – she left me. It was a choice she made, a choice that tore me apart and left me screaming in my sleep for months. That name doesn't belong to anyone or anything other than her and Newcrest – both of which, I will never see again.

''I'm Ade actually, I just moved in on the first floor.'' I replied looking down, trying to avoid the subject about my vanished mother.

Surprisingly it seemed like he caught onto it, because the next thing that came out of his mouth was a total change of subject, ''Ohh yes! I think Amy mentioned something about a new neighbor having some extra time on their hands to walk my sweet Franky, would you be up for that Ade?''

I don't think Jeffrey ever will know just how grateful I was to him in that moment, ''I would love to, I can walk her everyday if you want'' I smiled so big it reached my greyish green eyes, I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled like that.

Jeffrey returned the favor by smiling back, ''You got yourself a deal young lady, I'll throw in some free rent since you're being so generous to big, ol' Jeffrey here'' his hand on his heart.

This man was literally amazing I didn't deserve his liberality.

''Free rent, really?'' I asked in awe, was he really gonna give it to me that easy?

''Of course. Franky is not just my dog, she's been my best friend for over 10 years. Anyone that is kind enough to invest their time in her, deserves a whole lot more than just free rent.''

He literally said that as I was standing there in an outfit that cost over three hundred dollars and he was letting me live in his building for free, what was wrong with this man?