If I could shrink into the floor any more, I think I would. The last thing I want to see is her grubby hands rubbing up and down his biceps like she’s doing right now. He looks at me and catches me watching, which also brings the attention of her cold eyes. She tries to draw his attention back to her, but doesn’t succeed. She gives up when he walks away from her and sits down on the floor opposite me.
I don’t speak at first. I hardly lift my face to see him. I notice his feet and legs because they’re basically touching mine as he sits down in this small area. He nudges me with his foot to get a reaction from me, but I don’t move and I still don’t look up.
“I think we should do something today, like a date,” he says, surprising me. I finally let my eyes trail up and when they do, the look of this man sitting directly in front of me doesn’t disappoint.
“Why are we sitting on the floor?” he asks, not waiting for a reply to his previous question. I point to the ribbon on the doorknob and he laughs. It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen him laugh. He has dimples in both of his cheeks and his eyes light up. It brings a smile to my face. He stands when he sees me smiling and holds out his hand for me to take. I look to his hand then take it without hesitation when he keeps that smile on his face.
“Where are we going?” I ask when I stand. He holds my hand and intertwines our fingers together. Then he smiles brightly and I think my heart stops.
Fuck!
Forgetting is good for the brain. Deleting unnecessary information helps the nervous system retain its plasticity.
The car ride is different from the last. Music is blasting and Kai is singing along. It’s a rap song and every time he tries to rap, I start laughing. He then turns the music up so he can sing even louder. His smile hasn’t left his face since we got in the car and it’s contagious. I shouldn’t be smiling though. I’m still wearing last night’s clothes, I haven’t showered and I can’t even get into my own room. But I guess it’s the small things that can make you smile and help you to forget the bad, like the simple hand hold gesture. Or the dimples in his cheeks that I want to kiss, or the smile that hasn’t left his face, which just makes me happy.
We come to a stop outside of town in front of a modest two-story home. There’s a minivan parked in front and kids toys all over the lawn. I give Kai a puzzled look when he turns the music down and stops the engine. He beams brightly when a small child comes running out singing his name. The little boy is cute and has dark hair like Kai, with a smile that matches his as well. The little boy looks to me and asks who I am. Kai grins picks the kid up and walks to my side of the car. He opens the door and offers his free hand to help me get out. I take it and climb down.
“Jonas, this is, Kristy. She’s a good friend. Say hello.”
The little boy looks at me and I would guess he’s around three years old. He says, “Hello,” and Kai puts him down and he runs off back inside the house. I look to Kai for answers and he intertwines our fingers again, pulling me along to the front of the house.
He opens the front door, kicks some toys out of the way and calls out, “Sierra, come say hey.” He points to a photograph hanging on the wall. It’s him with an equally beautiful girl, which I’m guessing is his twin sister. My heart stops. I look at him wondering why he’d bring me here, of all places.
“I’m here, you pig. Come in the kitchen and help me get these kids organized and make yourself useful,” she yells as she walks out of the kitchen, but she stops when she sees me. She looks so much like Kai, but a female version. She isn’t small, but her build is bigger than mine. Her figure is great for someone I’m assuming has had a child. Her eyes are just as dark, but her hair is shade darker than Kai’s. She looks at me and smiles. It’s then that I notice she has the same dimples as Kai. This family really hit the gene pool with everything. They’re so beautiful.
“Well, this is a first,” Sierra says, looking at me and then to Kai. She looks back to me, grabs my hand from Kai and pulls me, just like her brother does, into the kitchen she’s just come from. There’s a little girl the same size as Jonas sitting at the table eating fruit. She looks at me and her little face lights up while Kai takes a seat next to her and leans down to kiss her. She giggles and I notice that Kai’s face is happy, the happiest I have ever seen him.
“That is my girl, Tasha, and I guess you’ve met, Jonas? Whenever Kai shows up he has to be the first one out there to greet him,” she says handing me a mixer. I look at her, confused, and she starts working on whatever she’s doing. “Oh shit, sorry, I was so excited to have another woman in this house, especially one that Kai has brought home. He never brings girls here.” She holds out her free hand. When I take it, she pulls me into a side hug. “The name is Sierra, not any of the names Kai calls me. He’s the only one to get away with that,” she says, shooting a look over my shoulder at Kai.