Living Alone Together - Chapter Nine
Two separate lives are lived side by side.
Chapter Nine.
"Auntie," James called out.
"Yes, James?" She asked, as she put down her laundry basket and spun around to face her nephew.
"Why don't you have a kid like me?"
"But I have you!" She answered, ruffling his hair.
"No..." He sighed with exaggerated exasperation.
"I mean... Why don't you have a baby? Don't you ever want one?"
"Of course I'd want one."
"Then have one!"
A big smile flashed over her face as she found her nephew endearing.
"Oh, James it's not that easy. I need to have a husband or boyfriend first."
"Oh..." He answered.
"Do you want to find one for me?"
Little James scratched his head in contemplation.
"I wish I could Auntie, but I'm too small."
"Aw, well that's too bad. Guess you won't be getting a baby cousin soon," she quipped.
He went back to matching socks and she went back to laundering.
"How come you want me to have one?" She asked the little boy as an afterthought.
He shrugged, "I dunno."
"How is Pa? Are you taking care of him when I'm away," she asked the little boy wondering what his answer would be.
"He's ok. He's lonely. He told me so."
"He is? Poor Grampa, eh?"
"Yup! And he says he likes when I read to him."
"You read to him, James? Wow!" She exclaimed.
"Yup!" He smiled proudly. "I read only what I can remember."
She softly chuckled.
Of course, she realized, the books he read to Pa were the ones Cora read to him practically everyday. He memorized them.
Such an adorable little boy, she thought. She found herself wishing she had one too.
Maybe tomorrow's date would turn out to be the man of her dreams.
Thursday came and William was checking out the faint markings of the bruise on his face.
Almost gone.
"Good morning, William," Aislinn greeted him as she placed a cup of coffee on his desk.
"'Morning, Ace," he replied taking a sip.
"Ready for the day?"
"Are you?" he countered.
"As ready as you are."
"Good to hear. So what are you up to tonight?"
"Nothing. You?"
"Nothing but yet another blind date care of my sister the match-maker extraordinaire," he rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, she's just trying to help."
"Help what?"
"She obviously cares about you and wants you to settle down already."
"So you're fine with your sister setting you up, now?"
"Heh," she scoffed, "We were talking about your sister, not mine."
"So I take it you talked her out of setting you up?"
"No... I have to go tonight."
"It's tonight?" He watched her thoughtfully. "What would the odds be that..."
"Don't! Do not even consider such an idea. There's no way our sisters could have connived on us both. They don't even know each other."
"If it turns out that we are each other's blind dates, then it's more than a coincidence and we should ride with it."
"And if not?" she asked.
"Then no harm, no foul. Hopefully we wind up with great partners, then. You ready?"
"For the two presentations you have to tend to? Yes, I'm prepared for them."
"You're stubborn. And you're a nuisance. Hopefully she runs when she sees you."
"Bet you just want me for yourself. You don't want to share so there's more for you to love."
It was Aislinn's turn to roll her eyes, "Get over yourself William."
"Fine. On to more serious business. How's everything on the home front? I have a list of contacts and important things you should consider in terms of your Grandpa's health care needs."
Her jaw dropped. She didn't expect him to have done so much already.
"You're serious? You didn't have to go through all that trouble. I could have -"
"It's fine, Ace. You're always helping me out, it's about time I returned the favor, no?"
"But it's my job."
"You know you've gone above and beyond at times."
Her eyes brimmed with un-shed tears at the thoughtful gesture. So she wasn't invisible after all, she thought.
"Thank you, William. You should know this means a lot to me and my family."
"No problem. I told you, you can always come to me."
"I believe you."
"Good. Now," he said, clearing his throat. "How much time do I have to look over my notes before the first?"
"About an hour."
"Ok."
And so the day went on. Before the two left for the day, they wished each other good luck with their blind dates and went on their separate ways.
Was it foolish that she secretly wished that he was the blind date she was waiting for?
Meanwhile, sitting behind the wheel of his luxury sports car, William wondered the exact thing.
"Auntie," James called out.
"Yes, James?" She asked, as she put down her laundry basket and spun around to face her nephew.
"Why don't you have a kid like me?"
"But I have you!" She answered, ruffling his hair.
"No..." He sighed with exaggerated exasperation.
"I mean... Why don't you have a baby? Don't you ever want one?"
"Of course I'd want one."
"Then have one!"
A big smile flashed over her face as she found her nephew endearing.
"Oh, James it's not that easy. I need to have a husband or boyfriend first."
"Oh..." He answered.
"Do you want to find one for me?"
Little James scratched his head in contemplation.
"I wish I could Auntie, but I'm too small."
"Aw, well that's too bad. Guess you won't be getting a baby cousin soon," she quipped.
He went back to matching socks and she went back to laundering.
"How come you want me to have one?" She asked the little boy as an afterthought.
He shrugged, "I dunno."
"How is Pa? Are you taking care of him when I'm away," she asked the little boy wondering what his answer would be.
"He's ok. He's lonely. He told me so."
"He is? Poor Grampa, eh?"
"Yup! And he says he likes when I read to him."
"You read to him, James? Wow!" She exclaimed.
"Yup!" He smiled proudly. "I read only what I can remember."
She softly chuckled.
Of course, she realized, the books he read to Pa were the ones Cora read to him practically everyday. He memorized them.
Such an adorable little boy, she thought. She found herself wishing she had one too.
Maybe tomorrow's date would turn out to be the man of her dreams.
Thursday came and William was checking out the faint markings of the bruise on his face.
Almost gone.
"Good morning, William," Aislinn greeted him as she placed a cup of coffee on his desk.
"'Morning, Ace," he replied taking a sip.
"Ready for the day?"
"Are you?" he countered.
"As ready as you are."
"Good to hear. So what are you up to tonight?"
"Nothing. You?"
"Nothing but yet another blind date care of my sister the match-maker extraordinaire," he rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, she's just trying to help."
"Help what?"
"She obviously cares about you and wants you to settle down already."
"So you're fine with your sister setting you up, now?"
"Heh," she scoffed, "We were talking about your sister, not mine."
"So I take it you talked her out of setting you up?"
"No... I have to go tonight."
"It's tonight?" He watched her thoughtfully. "What would the odds be that..."
"Don't! Do not even consider such an idea. There's no way our sisters could have connived on us both. They don't even know each other."
"If it turns out that we are each other's blind dates, then it's more than a coincidence and we should ride with it."
"And if not?" she asked.
"Then no harm, no foul. Hopefully we wind up with great partners, then. You ready?"
"For the two presentations you have to tend to? Yes, I'm prepared for them."
"You're stubborn. And you're a nuisance. Hopefully she runs when she sees you."
"Bet you just want me for yourself. You don't want to share so there's more for you to love."
It was Aislinn's turn to roll her eyes, "Get over yourself William."
"Fine. On to more serious business. How's everything on the home front? I have a list of contacts and important things you should consider in terms of your Grandpa's health care needs."
Her jaw dropped. She didn't expect him to have done so much already.
"You're serious? You didn't have to go through all that trouble. I could have -"
"It's fine, Ace. You're always helping me out, it's about time I returned the favor, no?"
"But it's my job."
"You know you've gone above and beyond at times."
Her eyes brimmed with un-shed tears at the thoughtful gesture. So she wasn't invisible after all, she thought.
"Thank you, William. You should know this means a lot to me and my family."
"No problem. I told you, you can always come to me."
"I believe you."
"Good. Now," he said, clearing his throat. "How much time do I have to look over my notes before the first?"
"About an hour."
"Ok."
And so the day went on. Before the two left for the day, they wished each other good luck with their blind dates and went on their separate ways.
Was it foolish that she secretly wished that he was the blind date she was waiting for?
Meanwhile, sitting behind the wheel of his luxury sports car, William wondered the exact thing.
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