Chapter Eight

Aria

I sat on the couch beside Momma, as cartoons played on the television set. My sketchbook and crayons laying on the empty seat between us, the television background a noise that I would look up occasionally when something seemed new and interesting. Momma laughed, causing me to look at her. "What's so funny, momma?"

"Nothing, I've just never seen you sit this still. Whatcha coloring there, sweetie?"

I looked at the pinks and blues of the circles that were covering the page of the small book; I looked at her again. "A picture for daddy, I'm making it for him to make him feel better. He had a sad night last night. People were being mean to him."

"Why were they being mean to him? What started the arguments?"

"He was taking up for me. This mean girl was being mean to me and saying mean things about me, then this mean old man started being mean to daddy too."

"Oh, what were they saying to you? Did you make them angry at you?"

"No, Momma, I promise, I was being good. I was coming back to sit with daddy and Vincent after taking my plate to the kitchen and they started being mean to me. I was innocent, I swear." As my mom sighed, I looked at my sketchbook.

"It's okay, sweetie, I believe you. People can be mean to others when they don't understand something, or when they are feeling bad about their own lives. Just try to ignore it. Don't let people get inside your head."

She sighed, sitting back further into the couch. I sighed. "But daddy didn't deserve them being mean to him, momma, they hated me, they were being mean to me. Daddy always helps these people, and no one appreciates him. Everyone runs away from him. He's not a bad person, he's not even scary looking, why do people treat him so badly? He didn't do anything to anyone." tears stung my eyes as I blinked them away.

I felt my momma's arm wrap around me and her hand gently stroke my hair. "It's alright, sweetie. Your dad, he's going to be alright, you know why?"

I looked at her, and as she looked down at me with a smile, I shook my head, wiping my tears away. "We're gonna treat him to lunch, and you can draw him a cute picture. Then the two of us are going to give him a day off, let him get some sleep. He looks like he could use some. And if he doesn't want to cooperate, we'll give him a friendly lecture. Do you agree with that plan?"

She looked at me with a gentle smile. As I smiled, my sadness drowned away as happiness for my daddy, and seeing a smile on his face, brought a smile to my face, "Uh-huh!" I giggled as she placed a finger over my lips at the footsteps coming from upstairs.

"Shh, sweetie. Don't give it away; why don't you go to your room, draw a picture and bring it down here? We should surprise him, he'll never see it coming," I smiled, as she patted my head, "Now go on." She gently encouraged me as I ran upstairs.

Nicolae

I walked past Aria who had a sketchbook and crayons in hand; her retreating form seemed bubbly. Once I got downstairs, I heard the banging of pots and pans from the small kitchen and made my way to the table. I sat down. "Do you need help, Charmaine? I forgot to tell you that Aria has an enormous stomach. Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. What do the two of you usually enjoy eating for lunch? I saw some steaks in the freezer that looked delicious and added on to that some seasoned mashed potatoes, and my famous pasta dish, with a nice steaming roll. Talk about some good eating in this house tonight."

I looked at her, feeling my mouth water. "That sounds better than what I put together, honestly, the two of us usually eat breakfast mostly, it's easiest to put together, and Aria seems to enjoy it, so yeah, that meal blows my meals out of the water, by a long shot."

She smiled. "Well, I need to go to the store to pick the items up, would you and Aria like to come with me, maybe we can stop for ice cream on the way, or maybe a cup of coffee, whatever you like to drink."

"I'll go get my wallet." She cleared her throat while I stood up. I turned around to face her.

"Unless you are worried about someone robbing your money, you don't need that. I have money, and it was my idea. It's only right that since I had come up with the idea, I should pay for it. You'll get your shot, I just wanted you to come so that you and Arie could get out of the house, experience this city a little, you have the best location, and I feel as if you are an old hermit that stays cooped up indoors all day, you're gonna live a little while you have me here."

I looked at her. "You're serious?"

"Dead, serious. You don't want to date, fine, I'll suffer that pain until you change your mind, but I would love it if the review or comment I got when I leave here is decent. A joy to be around would be nice, now get your day clothes on, and tell Arie, you two are going to have an actual family day, I'm just going to be the third wheel and I'm fine with that, so no excuses. Just suck it up, have fun, and live a little."

I looked at her, though I felt her words stung her, her smile, however, never faded. The softness of her green eyes stayed. I walked over to her, as she looked at me, I wrapped my arm around her waist, her expression begging me to move into the kiss that we both knew she wanted, I stroked her hair, my heartfelt as if it were going to burst, from fear, love? I found it hard to look at the woman in front of me, however; I felt it was harder looking away from her. Her green eyes were a liquid pool of paradise. Every emotion that I had rarely ever felt was going into overdrive. I felt I was getting the biggest, warmest hug that I had ever received, though we had not embraced. Her eyes, beautiful seas of green, on the beautiful goddess-like creature I knew I didn't deserve, wanted me. Though her past with the man that I detested it didn't matter at this moment, the past seemed as if it were a very distant blur; I leaned in for the kiss, as she wrapped warm arms around my neck, once our lips met, every good moment I had either once had or only ever dreamed of was embracing me, my heart swelling I felt as though it would jump from my chest, however, at this moment. Nothing else mattered, but the family, I thought I didn't want, was now the family that I would do anything to protect.