Birthday, Purpose and Need
It's been three days, and we had found a hotel to sleep in with pay TV so I was happy about that; it gave Annessa something to watch and laugh at like the little girl that she is. I watched her, and felt sad. Sad because this isn't what I could give her anymore, not for any length of time anyway.
There was something else that made me extremely sad, and unbelievably scared. And I had to know.
"Annessa, baby, come her," I said softly.
She looked at me from the couch for a second before she turned away to detangle herself from the blankets. She ran over to the bed I was laying on and crawled into my lap, taking my hands in hers and clapping them together.
"Yes, Alex?" she smiled a little smile at me so I smiled back
"Sweetheart," I began. I turned my lips into my mouth to suck them for a second before and exhaled a deep breath before I continued. "The other day when I went to the shops and I asked you to stay in the cave, why didn't you?"
"I saw a bunny rabbit, and I wanted to play with him, so I chased him. I didn't know I got so far away, and I was so scared," tears started to glisten in her eyes.
"I was scared, too, baby. I was so, so scared. And I was mad, you know why?" I asked gently. I wasn't mad now, and she needed to know that; I just needed to get through to her that she can't go wandering away, whether it's because of a fluffy bunny rabbit or a nice man with an ice-cream cone.
"Because I didn't listen to you," she whispered, a tear dropping from her eye.
I brushed it away as my own eyes started to sting.
"Yes, because you didn't listen to me. Do you think I was more mad or scared, though?"
"Mad," she breathed.
I pressed my lips in a thin line and shook my head vigorously.
"I was more scared, bubby. I didn't know what happened to you. I didn't know if you were safe; what if you were hurt? I didn't know if they came and got you; I didn't know if they took you away from me. What if they had taken you away, baby? What if I never saw you again? I was so, so scared darling; don't do that again, please!" I breathed into her hair when I pulled her forward for a bear hug, my tears soaking her hair.
"I'm sorry," she cried. "I didn't mean it."
"I know you didn't, honey. I know you didn't, but it just scared me. You are my purpose for living; I don't know what I would if they took you. I love you, and I'm living for you now, baby."
I rocked her and patted her back while she had a little cry, and once she had settled again I pulled her back to look at her face and brush the tear streaks away.
"Guess what day it is?"
She looked at me uncomprehending.
I played an 'o' across my mouth and put my hands on my hips in mock disbelief. She giggled at my bad acting and shrugged her shoulders.
"It's August 23rd; it's…" I leant over the edge of the bed and grabbed the strap of the backpack, dragging it closer and opening it to pull out two presents complete with bows; I had grabbed some wrapping paper and ribbons on the trip that day and wrapped them while she was sleeping last night. "… Your birthday."
She gasped in delight as I handed her the bear which was wrapped in shiny blue paper with a silver ribbon and bow. She fiddled with the paper and I couldn't hold my smile in as she pulled the chocolate grizzly bear from the paper and cuddled him so tight I thought the eyes were going to literally pop out of its head.
"Do you like him?" I asked.
She nodded enthusiastically and said she was going to call him Brandon. I laughed and asked her why.
"Because Brandon reminds me of a bear; he's huge!" she said with wide eyes as she held her arms to her sides, stretching them as far as they would go. "And cuddly," she added.
I shook my head and beamed widely as I handed her the second gift. She took it from me and carefully unwrapped the pale pink parcel after she had detangled the gold ribbon from around it. When the white tiger fell into her lap, she picked it up and stared at it.
"It's so pretty," she whispered. "I'm going to call this one Alex."
"Why?" I inquired with a smile and raised eyebrow.
"Because she's pretty and she can be mean, too."
My smile turned into a confused frown. Frown because she said I can be mean, confused because she was smiling.
"Is that a good thing?"
"Yeah!" she said as though I were the stupidest person on earth. Maybe I was; there were not many people left.
"Why?"
"Because you're mean to people who want to hurt me; you protect me," she said plainly.
I blinked and held my arms out for her. She grabbed Brandon and Alex in her tiny hands and jumped into my lap. I enclosed my arms around her and swayed us.
"Of course Ill protect you; you're my purpose."
I pressed my lips to her forehead and swayed her to sleep. It didn't take long, not with the comfort of her huge, cuddly bear and her protective tiger; who wouldn't feel safe?
JAMIE'S POV
"Come on, lover boy!"
Jared aimed a pillow at me and it hit me squarely in the face.
"Piss off," I mumbled through the pillow.
He was annoying me with the whole 'lover boy' thing and he knew it. It wasn't the words, so much as the truth of them. I was mindlessly in love. For no reason; I just looked at her, looked in her gorgeous gray eyes, and fell in love. The end.
I couldn't be bothered to raise my hands so I just let the pillow plaster my face. Mel strode over and ripped the pillow off of my face, pegging it at Jared and then leaning over me.
"Come on. Get up," she said.
"Why?"
"Cos, we're going to the shops. You coming?"
I groaned as I pushed my self up. "Yeah."
"Or," Jared walked up behind Mel and kissed her neck. "Jamie could go, he doesn't really need help, and we could…"
I gagged silently when Mel squealed and grabbed his arms as he snaked them around her waist, dragging her backwards towards the bed.
"Jared!" she exclaimed. "NO! No, no, no. Jamie is not going out there al—"
"Chill, Mel; I'm eighteen, I can look after myself. Where's the list?"
"Here," Jared let go of Melanie and she sunk onto the bed, crossing her legs and watching us eagerly. "We only need the top half of the list; we'll get the other half in the next city."
"Why don't we just get it all so we can go home?"
"You're not gonna manage it all on your own," Jared scoffed.
I glared at him before I walked out of the room muttering, "Watch me."
I kicked all the rocks I came across, aiming them carelessly in front of me until I heard a muffled Ow!
My head shot up at the sound and I saw a little girl around five sitting on the ground rubbing her arm.
Oops.
"Sorry, sweetie. Are you okay?" I dropped to her side and looked at her face.
She nodded silently at me and stood up, walking towards the car and grabbing someone around the legs.
I looked back at the ground before I stood up, feeling like a complete bastard for hurting little girl; accidentally or not.
I decided I better go face the Momma Soul and walked around the side of the car. For a Momma she was pretty fine; her slender legs were dipped a little to bring her closer to the child's height, and the way her booty curved was absolutely awe inspiring. Her thick, chocolate curls were pulled back in a ponytail and arranged over a very nasty insertion wound; they must have cut really deep during insertion, deep enough that even the scar couldn't heal it. Her body was thin, her hips and chest curving in the most delicious hourglass shape. And her chest, from what I could see, damn!
Unintelligent hormones.
She turned around. Her eyes met mine and I felt my face color as her eyes widened. I never realized she was a mom.
Had she caught me staring? Oops. I mentally kicked myself.
"Singing Sun?" she asked in her melodious voice. It was so beautiful.
I nodded my head and somehow managed to say her name. "How are you?"
"I'm… uh… I'm fine, thank you. My sister and I were just leaving."
Ahhh, so she wasn't a mom.
"Really? Where are you off to?"
Okay, so that sounded a bit stalkerish. Still, she smiled.
"Um, we don't know; we're just driving."
"Sounds fun. Be sure to take care of yourself," I passed my begging off as a casual goodbye.
"Will do. Bye," with that she hopped in the car and drove into the setting sun.
I turned on my feet and sprinted.
"Jared! Mel! We have to go!" I barged into the room and ducked straight back out. "Get some friggin clothes on, we're going!"
She was my purpose, and I wasn't going to lose her.
I waited impatiently in the van and took off as soon as the sick lovebirds were in.
"I'm gonna kill you, Jamie," Mel promised bitterly.
"Yeah? Well, wait until I've got her home, please," I murmured as I followed her path into the sun.
Mel looked intently at me for a minute. "You're serious, aren't you?"
I bit my lip and looked at Mel from the corner of my eye. "I need her."
