A NEW MEMBER

Ashley watched with a smile as Cole slept peacefully. She enjoyed his peaceful state, he looked like a god without flaws. They had been sleeping together for a very long time and it was now a routine to watch him sleep.

Suddenly, his eyelid flung open, revealing his silver eyes which glowed in the darkness. She closed her eyes shut even when she knew he had caught her staring awkwardly AGAIN. He had caught her countless time staring at him and she just tried to cover it up by pretending to be asleep.

"Being a weird night owl again?" he asked.

She could hear a little bit of amusement in his voice.

Finally, she gave up her act and decided to face the consequence.

"Are you finding it difficult to sleep?" he asked.

She couldn't find a more reasonable excuse to defend herself than what he said so she decided to play along.

"Yeah" she replied.

"Okay come over here" he said sitting up on the bed.

Ashely sat up on the bed and moved over to him.

"Sit right here" he said pointing to the space at his front.

She did just as he said as she was curious to see what he wanted to do.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked.

"Mmmm" she replied.

He placed his palm on her head and let his fingers slide into her brunette hair. He moved them with skills, massaging every area on her head. This felt so soothing to her as she let out a sign of relief. She was astonished as to how good his head massage felt.

"Where did you learn how to give such good head massages" she asked.

"I learn it at a young age" he said.

"Wow, you're really good" she said.

There was silence in the room as she continually moved his fingers from her head to her temples.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked but there was no answer.

He looked at her face to see she was already asleep.

He carefully laid her on the bed and laid closely by her side her holding his head up with his elbow, he watched her. It was his turn to watch her sleeping.

*************

Ashely sat in the art room painting a portrait of Cole. She had already painted two portrait of him and she was really bored.

Cole had gone for an important business meeting as usual but this time his absence was really burdening to her. It felt like there was an empty space left in her. She was missing him already and not even drawing or painting she loved so much could make her feel better.

Janet was still doing some chores but still she knew Janet's company couldn't solve her loneliness. She heaved a deep sigh of boredom as she finished with the last portrait. She set the canvas aside to dry.

She heard the door creak open and her heart skipped a beat as it hoped it was Cole. She gives herself smile still turned away from the door.

"Cole is back" she thought in excitement.

She controls her excitement and keeps on a neutral face then turns to see who it was. Sadly, she saw a servant at the door holding box. Her hope and excitement all goes down the drain.

"Miss"

"Yes?" she said trying to control her emotions.

"Master asked to send this to you" he said.

She was confused at what he could have sent.

"What is in the box?" she asked.

"He didn't say, he said it was something for you."

"Something for me?" she asked. "Can I see it?"

The servant drops off the box at her feet and stands professionally waiting for her next orders.

"Thanks, you can leave" she said.

He left her all alone in the room and shut the door. Ashely smiles at the thought of Cole giving her a gift. She carried the box, to her surprise it was heavier than she thought. She went on her knees as she carefully unboxed it. There was a note stuck to it:

"I got this for you because I didn't want you to be lonely. Hope you like my surprise," he placed a smiley face emoji at the end.

This note got her more excited to what it was, she opened the box and looks into it. To her greatest surprise, there was a cute little animal in it, it was a tiger cub. She could recognize that cute little thing from anywhere. The cub she played with at the exotic pet store.

The cute little thing looked traumatized as it must had been in the dark box for a very long time. She stretched out her hands to take it out but it resisted by growling at her and whimpering. She understood how it felt to have a sudden change in environment, away from its family.

"Shhh…baby I'm here for you" she said in a soothing tone. "I promise I won't hurt you"

She let it stay in the box. She placed her palm in the box and gently pet the scared cub. She saw another paper in the box and reached for it.

It was a note and it contained the details of the cub. She found out it was just a month old male tiger cub. Also the only food it could take were milk at least for the next two months.

"I'll make sure you grow strong and healthy" she said still gently running her fingers through its soft fur.

"I'll be your mommy"

***************************************************************

Cole walked into the room to see it empty, he was surprised as he hadn't seen Ashley in the art room as usual. It was weird for her not to be in the room by this time. Just then he heard giggles and splashes of water from the bathroom. He walked over there to see her happily bathing and playing with the tiger he had bought her.

He watched her for some time, admiring her laughter as it was like music to his ears. Just then, she turns to see him at the door, lost in his own thoughts.

"Cole!" she said with excitement.

She rushed to him and wrapped her arms round him.

"Thank you for the getting me the cub" she said. "And I also really missed you while you were at work, I was lonely but now you've got him I won't be anymore"

Usually, they both spent time together whenever he was home. But when he went out, she gets so bored. That was why he decided to get her a companion.

He gave a slight pat on the back and she hurriedly went back to her new baby tiger.

"I gave him a name" she said with a bright smile.

"What?" he asked.

"Kai" she said. "It's a cool name right?"

"Yeah" he said with a slight smile.

Cole waited patiently on the bed for Ashley to come to sleep but she was still sitting on the sofa, feeding the cub some milk with a baby bottle. He wasn't used to sleeping without her staring at him weirdly anymore. It was already a routine for him to give her some head massage after finding out she wasn't asleep. He wanted to create that moment again but it seemed like she was busy with the little cub.

After waiting for her for a very long time, she was finally done after placing the sleeping cub in its bed not far away from her side of the bed. She behaved like a mother who nursed her newborn.

He had acted like he was asleep, he wanted her to stare at him and he wanted to give her a head massage like they always did every night.

Ashley laid in the bed so he kept his eyes shut, counting to a minute when he would open his eyes to see her dark brown eyes staring in the darkness. He got to a minute and he threw his eyelids open but was disappointed to see her fast asleep. Ashley usually couldn't sleep without his special head massage but this time she was deep into the sleep.

He felt she may had been tired since she worked herself out to take care of her cub. He thought that if he couldn't give her a head massage, he could still sleep with her in his arms. He moved a bit closer to her.

He was about to place his arms on her waist went the tiger cub jumped onto the bed from nowhere this made her wake up in fear. He shut his eyes immediately to give the impression that he was asleep

She scanned the area alertly but when she saw it was just Kai, she switched back to her sleepy self.

"Oh.. Kai wants to sleep with mommy, doesn't he" she said.

She placed it in-between them and falls back into a deep sleep. Cole opens his eyes in frustration as the young cub formed a barrier between them. He felt like this innocent little thing took all the attention from him.