Richard sat on the bench, baking under the Florida sun. The humidity was causing him to sweat, yet still he sat. Ben had asked him to find Juliet's sister, Rachel, and videotape her for some reason. He did as he was told, so here he was sitting at a park. There were only two other men, dads playing with their children. The rest were all mothers and their kids. Despite the heat, they were all out here, playing in the sun and having fun together as a family.
He had only vague memories of his childhood, having lived quite a long time, but they didn't include playing with either of his parents at parks with other children. Everyone looked so happy. The mothers were thrilled to be mothers, and the children made friends with each other and played games only they knew the rules to. Sometimes he could tell they were pretending to be heroes in other worlds, while others were playing simple games like tag or hide-and-seek.
On the island he was busy giving advice to Ben and ferrying messages between him and Jacob. He was a sort of guide and messenger to the leader of their group, and had been for many years. But occasionally he had to travel off the island and mingle with society. And those times were hard. Such times as these, like watching families having fun together, he became aware of his own biological clock. It may have been buried deep under the years of living on the island, but it was still there. He was still human, and had those same desires and wants as everyone else. He too wanted to fall in love with a wonderful woman, marry her, and start a family. But his gift to not age was also a curse.
"Hello there."
Richard looked up into a friendly face. She was a woman around his visible age, he guessed around her early thirties. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail, with a few strands escaping to fall in front of her face. He'd seen her playing with a young boy earlier. Glancing around, he saw the boy was now playing with a group of boys and girls.
"Hello," he responded pleasantly.
"I noticed you've been sitting her for awhile. Are any of these children yours?" Richard gave a quick laugh before answering.
"No, I was just sitting and watching. I enjoy seeing families interact with one another, especially small children. Your son seems to be enjoying himself." They watched as he climbed to the top of the playground equipment and gave a shout, obviously announcing some kind of victory to his group of playmates. They chuckled together.
"He's not my son," she clarified, "just a nephew; my brother's boy, actually. He makes friends quickly. But he also has an endless amount of energy that I do not." She laughed again. It was a pleasant sound, he noticed.
"I'm Richard."
"Kayla." She shook his outstretched hand.
"Do you bring your nephew out here often, Kayla?"
"Mmhmm. His father, my brother, works late a lot, so I agreed to pick up Geoff whenever he needs me to. I don't mind. My schedule's very open and flexible, so I'm happy to help. Do you have any nieces or nephews?"
"No, unfortunately; I was an only child." Richard tried to bring back memories of his childhood in case this woman asked questions, but the details had slowly blurred over time.
"When I came over here you looked a little sad. Was something bothering you?"
"No, I was just thinking."
Kayla raised her eyebrows slightly, inviting him to open up to her. He recognized the gesture. He'd seen it often enough, though never had it been used on him. He couldn't explain what he'd been thinking about, she wouldn't understand, and yet he found himself opening up to this stranger. She seemed nice enough, and he realized he needed to talk to someone about it, even if it didn't change his situation.
"I was only wishing I could have a family someday, but unfortunately that will never happen."
"Why is that?" He paused, thinking of the best way he could explain.
"Due to a certain physical, condition, I can't ever marry a woman and start a family. It's just not feasible. So as much as I enjoy watching families having fun together, it's painful. I wish I could experience the joy of watching my own child grow and learn, play with other children, even look like me. I could teach my child so much. I'd love to come out to a park to play with my child, and I'd love to come home from a day at work to a loving wife." Kayla put her hand on his arm, a comforting gesture.
"Is there any cure for this condition you have?" A small, ironic smile played on Richard's lips.
"No, unfortunately. At first I thought it might be a gift, but times like these make me see it as a curse."
He sighed, knowing he had to get back to the island. Ben had said something about possible 'visitors,' and knowing Ben, he'd have lots of questions for him and Jacob. Part of him wanted to give up, just forget about the island, and find a woman who loved him despite his unique circumstances. But he knew it would never work. Marrying a man who would never age, who was still young and fit when you were old and senile, would be an impassible wall for any woman. No, he needed to leave, and he needed to leave now. Lingering at this park had been a bad idea.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully they'll find a cure and then you can have a family of your own to enjoy."
"Thank you. And thank you for listening."
"No problem, I'm glad I could." Richard shook her hand again and stood up to leave. "Will I see you around here again?" She smiled up at him, hopeful. He wished he could sit down again and continue talking, but it was no use. Reality, or whatever one would call life on the island, was waiting for him.
"I'm afraid not. It was nice to meet you, Kayla."
"You too, Richard."
She waved as he walked off, and then rejoined her nephew on the playground. He watched for a minute more, treasuring the sight of them playing together. But then he turned around, reminding himself of why he was needed on the island, of why Jacob needed him. And so he left Kayla and her smile behind, determining that one day, some day, he would have a family of his own to love and enjoy.