I look in the mirror, I'm not the scrawny kid I once was. Working out and lifting weights was all I could do when we moved away not to think of Chloe. It seems these days all I do is think of her. I remember her tough New York attitude and jargon that have faded over the years and I laugh.

****************

We stand in Chloe's kitchen eating some fresh cookies baked by none other than Nancy Wesley.

"Do you want another glass of milk?" Mrs. Wesley asks me as she ruffled her fingers through my hair.

"Yes please." I smiled and feel my face go red. Nancy always had a soft spot for me and it drove Chloe nuts. She was always fawning over us and Chloe could easily get annoyed with her mother.

"You're too polite." She whispers to me, when Nancy finally leaves us alone.

"What's wrong with that?" I ask hurt.

"Nothing, I guess." She tells me in that voice that meant there was more she wanted to say.

"No, tell me!" I demand.

"Well, you're always so nice and always saying please and thank you, it's just babyish."

"I can't help it." I tell her sadly.

"See that's it, right there, even when I'm being mean to you, you don't get mad. You never yell. You don't disagree with your parents. I've never even heard you curse." She sighs as if it is the worse crime in the world.

"I don't like to cause trouble." I say honestly.

"But sometimes you should. Think of it this way, your parents are probably bored to death. You're like the model child and they have nothing to do. You have to give 'em a reason to scream at you every once in a while otherwise they feel like they're useless. They want to tell you what's right and wrong and make you think they've taught you everything." Chloe scoffs.

"So I should be bad from now on?" I ask confused.

"Not all the time, just sometimes. Just enough so they feel important." Chloe laughs and hands me another cookie.

****************

By the time I get to work the memory has faded and I'm immersed in tons of files.

I step out of my office and stretch. I've been cooped up all day answering the phone and doing paperwork. My secretary was sick this morning and thank god for Chloe, who I called and she agreed to come in today to help out with some of the kids.

I walk over to the play room and I see her at the bottom of a pile of children. She's laughing and so are they. She just seems to make everyone she is around so happy. I walk into the room and clear my throat. "What is going on here?" I try to sound serious but I can't keep the humour from my voice.

"We're making a Chloe sandwich!" Justin screams. Chloe helps the kids to their feet and stands laughing as she tries to fix her hair.

"Is that right?" I ask as I pick up Justin.

"Yep." He squeals as I tickle him. I put him back on the ground and direct him to the other kids where they're going to learn brail from a teacher the centre just hired. "I'll see you later Justin." I call, then turn to Chloe.

"Chloe thanks again for coming in on such short notice."

"Oh Brady, I should be thanking you for asking me to come in, I haven't had this much fun in years."

"No offense, but I think you need to get out more." I laugh.

"Brady Black, was that humour?" She asks tickling my side.

I laugh and she continues. "You think you're funny don't you?"

"I do alright." I laugh as she continues to tickle my side. I try to move out of the way but end up flipping over a chair and crashing to the ground, taking Chloe with me.

"Ow, not so funny anymore is it?" I laugh and she joins me.

"No, I guess not." She admits and suddenly all the light humour is gone. Her hands are smoothing down my hair and I have no clue what to do. I feel like I'm sixteen again and as clueless as ever.

"I really have missed you." She says quietly and rests her head against my chest.

I smooth her hair from her face and kiss her cheek softly. "I feel the same way."

____

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