Her Gift

A joke a day.

(Rae now ^^)

He's waiting for me as soon as I get in from school.

"Knock, knock." He said, eyes gleaming with mirth, he hadn't even bothered to greet me so I knew he was especially excited about this particular joke.

"Who's there?" I asked, playing along.

"The interrupting cow."

"The interrupting co-."

"Mooo!" He barks out a laugh, very pleased with himself.

A few months ago he'd been reading a book about humour and jokes, and he was hooked... everyday he'd learnt a new joke that he couldn't wait to share with me.

I figured with his intelligence and photographic memory, not to mention the fact he could download books worth of information off a computer in minutes meant he'd be able to recite jokes every minute... not just every day... yet he chose to learn them slower, more human like, and then share them with me.

"Hello Rae," he finally greeted me, after his laughter died down, the grin remained much to my delight. "How was school?"

"It was okay, Georgette invited me to her cousins birthday party on Saturday. He's going to be sixteen, and apparently his parents are letting him have it without them being there. It'll be my first party without a grown up. That is if mom and dad let me go."

I was fifteen, so I hoped they'd let me. I wasn't going to lie about it though which is what Georgie had suggested I do when I mentioned how I wasn't sure my parents would agree to me going.

"Well, I believe your parents are at a charity ball on Saturday, and it's Delilah's weekend at her boyfriends. If you are permitted to go I can drive you there and then pick you up if you wish." Hayden offered kindly and I nod in thanks.

I followed him into the kitchen where he started making me an after school snack, I'd told him on multiple occasions I could make my own snacks, but he insisted and said he enjoyed feeding me so I let him.

"What did you do today?" I asked conversationally while watching him plate up my food.

"I cleaned, did some gardening and re planting for your mother, then I went to the hardware store to collect an order for your father. Did a bit of reading and waited for you to come home." He smiled down at me.

Before I can say anything else, mom walks in the house; a couple of years ago she'd contacted her old job and they were delighted she wanted to start back at work. Now Hayden was here to help with the house she had decided to go back to work as a real estate agent... she'd always enjoyed working.

"Alright Mr Fletcher, yes I'll see you bright and early in the morning, with the paperwork that's right... yes we will go over them together. Okay then, alright, bye Mr fletcher... you have a good evening as well. Yes, okay... Bye." She finally ends the call and looks to me before rolling her eyes.

"That man I tell you, he does enjoy the sound of his own voice. He's called me ten times today, I had to reject a few of them because I was with clients."

Dad always joked her 70 year old boss had the hots for her and that's why he called her all the time, I agreed, but mom would playfully shove him and exclaim: "Doug! He's far too old to have such thoughts about anyone!"

"Anyways, Hi Hayden, Hello sweetie, how was school?"

I let Hayden greet her first while I take a bite of my sandwich "Good afternoon Susan." He starts making her a coffee and I fill her in on my day, the subjects I enjoyed and anything I had learnt.

"Mom, Georgettes cousin is having a birthday party on Saturday and I've been invited... his parents aren't going to be there though." I tacked on at the end and hoped the blasé way I say it would convince her it wasn't a big deal.

"There won't be any supervision there? Oh Rae, I'm not sure about that, I know you're very mature and wouldn't do anything silly, but it's the other kids I'd be worried about. Your dad and I aren't even here on Saturday either to take you." I looked at Hayden desperate for his aid.

"I've offered to drive Rae to and from the party as I knew you were at a function yourselves and would feel better about me taking her. She could also call on me at any point in the evening and I would be there to collect her." He was using his smooth, persuasive voice and I see mom breath in deeply, the worried look in her eyes faded away. 

"Well, I'll have to check with your dad but I do feel better knowing Hayden will be here to look after you. I guess you can go..." I beam at her. "...as long as your father agrees, but you've always been so responsible, I've never had to worry about you, not like we did with your sister." Mom makes a faux expression of horror and both Hayden and I laugh.

Speaking of my sister, Delilah makes an appearance, texting on her phone and grabbing a can of soda from the fridge before looking up at us staring at her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asks self consciously.

We all laugh and she scowls at us.

"I had to be born into a family of weirdos didn't I." I can tell she's only half joking.

"That only means you're a weirdo too sis." I cheekily mention, when she walks past she playfully nudges my shoulder with hers.

"I'll see you weirdos at dinner then."

D had thankfully left her rebellious years behind her when she found her boyfriend Daniel at fifteen, he'd been able to see past her angry persona and they'd been happily together for four years.

Daniel was funny and sweet, he was perfect for Delilah and she was all the better for him.

I went upstairs to start on my homework and waited for Hayden to call us all to dinner, afterwards we watched a movie together like we usually did and I fell asleep on his chest with Rover curled up at our feet.