Author's Notes: The idea came to me one day and was just begging to be written. Hope you enjoy the story.


The Perfect Gift

At first Kyle didn't understand why everyone seemed so secretive around Lori. When ever she entered a room, they would suddenly go quite and pretend as if they were doing something else. It wasn't until he asked his foster mother why every one was acting so different around her, that he learned her birthday was soon approaching.

"Its a surprise." Nicole's words echoed through his mind.

A hint of sadness fell upon him. He, himself had no memory of such a date. The look of happiness he could see on the Tragers' faces as they planned, dawned upon him that he once also had a family that did such a thing.

The world was filled with six billion people, any two of which could be his parents. Even the people passing Kyle through the mall, could be his parents and yet he held no memory of them. The vast amount of people in such a large space, had kept Kyle thinking how each and every one was preoccupied with their own tasks. How everyone else had something while he was alone and lost.

"Excuse me sir, would you like to try our new sample?" Small droplets of moisture fell on his neck. As he inhaled, a musky scent filled his nostrils.

"This is our new line of perfumes, L'heure Bleue." A young women standing next to him spoke, "It'll make a great gift for your girlfriend." Hearing the word 'gift' caught Kyle's attention.

"Gift?" Kyle repeated, "Like for a birthday?" The young women's smile suddenly turned to a frown. She had secretly hoped that this handsome man didn't have a girlfriend. By approaching him with her typical salesman question to sell a product, she would learn if he had a girlfriend. If he didn't, than she would ask him out, if he did than, she would sell him the perfume. It was a win-win situation.

"Yes, its a perfect gift for your girl's birthday." It was a shame that he was already taken. "She would absolutely love it!"

Such a scent had brought back his first memories. Kyle closed his eyes and remembered how he first woken up to feel the cold breezy wind against his skin. The humidity in the air, as it has rained the night before. The way the earth had smelled pure and natural when he breathed it in to his lungs. His mind desperately trying to make sense of all around him as his curiosity peaked.

"Sir?"

Opening his eyes, Kyle gave her a smile.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kyle had learned, through much difficulty, the value people had place among certain types of paper. If it was green that had complex lettering and symbols, it could be used to exchange for something else. Each one had different lettering that made it unique.

When he had began living there, he would help out with little things. Helping to set the table, making his bed or just falling asleep when it was bed time. But every week he would receive three pieces of stripped paper. One had a ten marked on it and the other two had a twenty. At that time he had no use for them, and did not understand their proper purpose.

But everything he had received from the Tragers' he would cherish. In his desk drawer a pile of green paper began to stack up.

"Money makes the world go around." Lori had once said, when her money ran out and she was forced to spend the weekend at home.

Kyle had looked at her confused, "With out money, the earth would stop revolving around it's axis?"

Lori Trager had laughed at Kyle's way of taking everything so literally, his expression was adorable. She wondered how such a head case came to become a part of this family.

"It just an expression." She replied, picking up a card form the deck as they resumed their game of Go Fish.

But now, Kyle understood what it meant. Watching everyone running around to organize her surprise party was a new experience for him. That day in the mall everyone had a task of finding a present for Lori.

Josh was slightly unhappy having to baby sit Kyle, but relented. While Josh was looking for tube socks for his sister, Kyle had wondered away and stumbled upon the perfect gift.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The night of the party, Josh and Kyle had decorated the place, while Nicole cooked the food and Stephen went out to pick up the cake. When the time approached, the lights were turned off and everyone waited for Lori's return from her shift at the juice bar.

This was the first time Kyle had felt as if he was a part of the family.

As the party dragged through the night, the gifts were next to be open. Slowly and delicately, Lori opened her presents with anticipation. Kyle wonder what her expression would be like when she received his.

With the fragile glass bottle in his hands, it was now Kyle's turn to present his gift. As he walked towards Lori, he could feel his heart pumping against his ribs. His fingers began to sweat and when he reached her, his suddenly tripped over his feet

He collided head first, arms in front with the glass shattering on the floor. The scented liquid dripped from his fingers on to the carpet where a stain formed.

He could hear them, their laughter, their shock.

He felt his one chance to finally become a part of something, had slipped away. He now had no gift for Lori. He felt as his heart was going to explode.

"Oh Kyle..." Amanda's soothing voice spoke behind him.

"I'm-I'm sorry." Slowly he backed away, and into his safely comfort zone in his tub. There he could block out the images of everything. Of how he was, of what he'd done, of what he was looking for. Everything slowly drifted away until he felt numb. Such a feeling he had never encountered before in his life.

Sitting down at the side edge of the tub, Lori looked at Kyle. "It okay to be embarrassed." Was that the word to describe his feelings? "It wasn't your fault." Getting no reacting from this boy, Lori snatched his hand and pressed it against her face.

"Its the thought that counts." Lori said, she kind of half expected this. It was what made Kyle, Kyle. Though it was such a waste having good perfume soaked up by the carpet.

"Another expression?"

"No, this time you can take it literally."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day, Hillary had called up to tell Lori that Kyle present was a $250 perfume. It almost was as if she was mocking her.

When Kyle walked in the living room, he saw Lori bent over and scrubbing the carpet. She was hoping to gather up, if any, liquid from the carpet to keep.

"What are you doing?"

She glared at him. "What does it look like I am doing?" She growled, as she continue to scrub furiously with a towel, then twist it. Little drops of liquid dripped down into a cup, she then repeated the whole thing. Kyle knew that when Lori was in this mood, it was best not to bother her at all for the rest of the day.

For weeks the house smelled like Kyle's first memories.

End.