The Good in Sin

Everything

"You sure you're good to go to school today? I'll see if I can take the day off if you want," Autumn said the morning after Phoenix's nightmare, leaning over to observe Phoenix's face in a clearer state.

He had plenty of sleep the previous night, even given he woke up screaming, but something about his complexion unnerved her. His sweet gray eyes drooped the slightest, and with his head propped in his hand, he shoveled food into his mouth.

"I'm okay, I'm just still a little tired." Continuing to bring a spoon full of oatmeal to his mouth, he froze, and his eyes lit up with that childlike excitement again and Autumn felt she could breathe once more. "Oh!" he chirped, "I made a friend the other day, he invited me to his birthday party, wanna see?"

With the most speed she had seen in him all morning, the boy rushed over to his backpack in the living room and brought it back for Autumn, taking the envelope and handing it to her. 

She opened it, Phoenix leaning over and watching while bouncing on his feet.

It had Spiderman's face on the cover, shooting a web that looked like it was coming right out of the card, and Phoenix flicked his wrists out in a similar fashion. 

"Zekaria Karim is turning nine, costume party on the twenty-sixth... Hm," Autumn thought to herself, trying to envision her work schedule for the rest of October, when Phoenix took the card from her and read with narrowed eyes. 

"Zekaria?" He mumbled to himself.

"That's your friend, right?"

Like little rose buds, Phoenix's cheeks turned blotchy with embarrassment, and he shrugged. "I never got his name."

Autumn raised an eyebrow at him, and he sat back down in front of his bowl, "he's new!" The boy defended, "I just didn't wanna ask him because he already knew my name. Do you think I can go?"

Sitting back in her chair, Autumn tried once more to imagine how it would work. She wouldn't have to take the car depending on the weather, and it was only a couple more weeks until the party, so Autumn figured a day off then would be better than a day off now.

"Yeah, I'll RSVP today." She said, seeing the look on his face brighten up her entire warm house.

"I'm so excited!" The boy shot up in his chair, almost tackling his mother in a tight hug. "I want you to meet him, do you think he can come over some day?"

Gaining her balance, she stood to grab her jacket, "I don't see why not, my love," and she looked outside to see the other children gathered by the bus stop. "You finished eating?" 

"Oh!" Remembering his bowl, he rinsed and stuffed it in the dishwasher, rushing back over to slip on his coat. 

"I'm so excited!" He said, "He's gonna be so happy, he doesn't have a lot of friends right now."

"Then I'm glad he has you," leaning over and kissing his forehead, she unlocked the door and watched as Phoenix ran to the other end of the yard where his friends were waiting for the bus. He turned back one more time to wave at her and she blew him a kiss, waiting until the bus came to go back inside and close the door.

...

Sin watched Phoenix again that night, but as he was unsure of his relationship with Autumn, he gave her the space it seemed she needed.

Explaining this to Hector on Sunday morning, his friend didn't seem to understand the issue. "You said she would've kissed you back?"

"I don't know for sure," Sin defended, lost in his thoughts as he paced in front of his fireplace. He could just see her then, her sweet hazel eyes like honey drops on forest grounds fluttering shut before him. Her breath nearly devoured by his own just moments before he could do what he'd been dreaming of for months now. Her scent in all the times he had smelled her intoxicated him, coffee and roses. He could almost smell the lingering of grease from the diner and found it amusing at how french fries were now a sensual reminder to him because of her.