Disclaimer: no matter how hard I wish for it … nothing and no one belongs to me. But you are all allowed to save money and buy them for me for my birthday. Chuck at first please.

Warning: English is not my first language and I don't have a beta for this. Sorry for all my mistakes in grammar and spelling. Consider it a tribute to Charlie.

Einstein's wisdom

Sleepily he opened his eyes. The clock in front of him told him that it was only about 1 in the morning… and he was tired. This led him to one question: why was he awake? He decided to don't care about it and closed his eye again… just to be waked up a second time.

Someone or something was pulling at his blanket. His dad would not do this to him. Alan would be nicer. At least he hoped he would. Next in the row was Don. To light and gentle to be Don he decided. He didn't own a dog or other pet then his koi… This led back to his big brother to try to wake him up. But why to hell should Don wake him at this time anyway. There was it again. He opened his eyes a little more. The something or someone was standing next to his bed. He knew for sure now. Someone he decided. A little short, maybe the person was kneeing. Then he heard the small voice. It was unfamiliar to him but also not he decided. He listened….

"Daddy … I'm thirsty?"

He was grumping a little till it hit him completely…DADDY?

Suddenly he was wide awake. He looked down at is little visitor. It was really a person standing next to his bed. Kneeing was unnecessary cause the kid was small. His sleepy mind would say around 3 years old.
"Daddy… thirsty."

The voice was more begging now. Little hands tugged his out from under the sheets. Seem to try to pull him up to his feet. He looked at her more clearly now, at least as clearly as he was able to do in the relative darkness of the night. Black hair pulled in a loose pony tail and eyes that reminded him of someone else. A few curls hang in loose strands around her face. She looked a little like him but also he decided he could see Amita in her appearance. What was going on here? He picked her up and carried her downstairs. What was going on here? He was debating about all this in his head during the way down to the kitchen. He sat the little girl on the counter and got her a glass of water. She sipped it greedily, putting it down next to her when she was finished. The tiny voice woke him from his thoughts. "Sorry daddy for waking you up" that puppy dog look she had in her eyes… He lifted her back up in his arms. She laid her head sleepily on his shoulder. The glass came in the sink. Carrying the little one up the stairs still even without knowing her name he thought she was already back to sleep. His foots lead him by themselves to Don's old bedroom down the hall. Opening the door he knew he was in the right room. A chaotic child room greeted is view: stuffed animals, colored crayons, books and sheets of paper lay all across the floor. Someone needs to clean her room tomorrow.Carefully he laid her down in her bed. His foots hit something soft nearby. Picking it up, he recognized a doll. It was a small Einstein doll. He said it down next to infant on the bed. Little Amita welcomed the doll in her arms immediately. With a kiss he was about to leave the room to go back to his own bed when she called him back. "S' mommy back tomorrow?" he didn't know the answer to that question. He wasn't even 100 % sure that her mommy was Amita. So he was just going back, brushing a curl out of her face "She is back soon. Good night my little princess" he kissed her goodnight again.

"Okay. Good night daddy. I love you" and with that she was back to sleep. Turning around in direction of the door he could see something else in the room: the wall across the bed had a blackboard on it. He saw drawings made with colorful chalk. There were humans, clouds, flowers, a sun and a… pi? Smiling he looked back at her. That was when he remarked a Rubik's cube on her nightstand in the light that came through the windows from the outside. His smile widened. He could look at her all night he suddenly noticed. He blinked. His eyes itched with fatigue. He really needed some more sleep. The whole situation would make more sense after that. He was sure. Going back to his own room he crawled under the covers of his own bed a minute later. A last look on his watch confirmed him of that action. He closed his eyes still thinking about that little face sleeping just a few steps down the hall. He didn't even noticed how he was falling asleep.

*******

He was woken up by his alarm clock. Grouchy he put the sheets down in its usual daily mess and scuffled down toward the bathroom. Half way down there he remembered something, came to an abrupt halt and turned around. Opening the door to Don's old bedroom slowly he saw… nothing. There was nothing more than Don's old bedroom. No toys, no blackboards… okay, no black boards with drawings made by a child on them. No Einstein doll in a sleeping infants arm. No sign of an infant at all. Nothing. He was disappointed to his own surprise. That was weird. Another look around the room and his eyes were glued to the alarm clock on Don's night stand. Slightly cursing he ran for the bathroom. He would be late for class again today if he not hurried up now.

He barely made it in time, at least his body. His mind was still elsewhere most of the day.

And then he saw Amita at lunch. She smiled at him like she always did and his knees became weak. That was when he made a decision. He kissed her goodbye to go shopping. This day just felt like flowers. But these weren't the only things he planned on buying.

Taking a deep breath in, he made the last step inside the store. The owner greeted him with a kind smile which he answered nervous. "I.. I.. I take a look around at first" he stuttered. He was angry with himself for sounding so insecure, like a little boy. He breathed a few times deep and slowly to get calmer, while taking a look around through the room. It was a nice place to be. Not too big and not too small and with an atmosphere present he couldn't describe else than full of expectations.

He found the right place soon and moved closer. He knew in an instant which one he wanted. He decided on it the second he saw it. And even the size was the correct one.

"I take this one" he said to the jeweler. His voice was back now. He was sure of himself.

With the small velvet box safely tugged in his pocket and the huge bouquet of flowers he was back in his car and on his way home just a little later. On the way he had to stop on a set of traffic lights. He was back to insecure now and doubted his earlier decision.

It's a too big step. It's too soon. How could I assume that she is ready when I am not even sure myself? I can't do this. Not now. It's too early. Could also be too late considering the fact how long I needed to ask her out? I can't do this. Not now.

He looked down on the ring he had bought just minutes ago. It was a small silver band with a diamond in the middle of it. It looked simple but breathtaking. The stone sparkled in the light of the sun. Just like her eyes when she smiles and there was this feeling. The one he always felt when she smiled at him with those eyes, when she kissed him, when she was close or even when he just thought of her.

The car driver behind him honked. He got ripped out of his daydream. For a moment confused he looked around. To prevent further moods of the other drivers he used the next approach to a parking lot. He needed to come to a decision for himself before he generated a car accident.

He closed the velvet box he had kept in his hands for now. This chapter needed to wait another while in his life. Turning around slightly to put the box back in his pocket a least during driving his eyes glanced something in the showcase beside him. He stopped half in the movement, looked up and stared disbelieving at the item inside. A little Einstein doll looked at him with wise eyes. A picture appeared in front of his inner eye: the little girl from last night smiled at him with the doll tightly clutched in her arms. As soon as it was there, as soon it was gone. He opened the box and looked at the ring ones again. The feeling was back with the view. He enjoyed it a second than snapped the box close and stuffed it in his pockets, pulling his cell phone out instead. Letting it dial on its own he turned the car to drive out of the lot and finally back home. The moment the connection was made he had send a last look to little Einstein. He invited a surprised but happy Amita to dinner without wasting time with small talk before he did so. The weight of the ring was suddenly gone.

One day little princess we will meet again. Don't know when it will be but I'm awaiting the day. She smiled at him once again.

He felt little Einstein's proud look on him all the way home.

End.

*******

Author note:
This came to me in the middle of a too long and too boring day at university. I couldn't listen to the professor again until I had written this down. I don't know if it's anywhere near good but my best friend said I should publish this. So if this sucks it's her fault I guess *g*. But I hope it's not that bad. Let me know what you think of my try, thanks