I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
Neal's Point of View-
I was laying on the couch where I would slowly hear footsteps and pitter patter of a small dog running around, I then heard giggles that sounded closer than the other stuff.
"Olivia, leave him alone, he's sleeping..." Leslie said as I heard fast footsteps close to me sounding more distant as if she was running away from where she was.
"When is he going to wake up?" Olivia asked.
"Grown men and women need their sleep." June said.
"How much?" Olivia asked.
"8-10 hours, you need about the same...come on, let's go outside and set the table." June said as I heard the door slide open, and yet heard a sigh of relief come out of someone else.
"Kids..." Leslie said.
"You got to love them..." I said as I opened one eye seeing her jump from me startling her.
"When did you wake up?" Leslie asked as I sat up rubbing my face.
"Not that long, I heard Olivia giggling..." I said smirking underneath my hands.
"Sorry about that..." Leslie said.
"It's fine..." I said standing up folding the blanket.
"Thanks for doing the tooth fairy, she has been running around showing everyone the new quarter she has." Leslie said.
"It's not much..." I said shrugging as I folded the blanket the last time before I picked it up along with the pillow.
"I hope you don't mind but I am going to make breakfast..." Leslie said.
"I don't mind, make yourself at home." I said smiling in which she smiled back, I went into the closet putting up the spare blanket and pillow before I went through my wardrobe finding an outfit for me to wear before I went into the bathroom showering up and getting ready in my fastest manner. When I emerged from the bathroom, Leslie was standing at the stove with Olivia standing beside her and I can hear Olivia talking about June's dog. I went back to my closet setting my pajamas into my hamper with my other dirty clothes before I walked back out heading to the kitchen.
"NEAL!" Olivia said running up to me.
"Morning Olivia..." I said as she stopped in front of me causing me to stop in my tracks.
"Look, the tooth fairy came last night!" She said showing me her new quarter and smiled seeing the gap where her tooth was.
"Cool...do you know what your going to use it on?" I asked.
"No...what can I get with this?" She asked.
"You can get bubble gum from the machine." I said.
"May I mommy?" Olivia asked turning to ask her mom.
"Later Olivia..." Leslie said as June's pug walked in sniffing my leg before Olivia tried to pick her up before chasing her out of the room onto the porch where June was sitting talking on the phone.
"What are you making?" I asked joining Leslie in the kitchen.
"Omelettes...Olivia insisted that we make them after you brought them up yesterday at breakfast."
"You want to split one?" I asked.
"What do you like on yours?" Leslie asked as she flipped the one side over onto the other slide before sliding the spatula underneath it, I grabbed the plate holding it out as she put the omelette on it.
"Ham and cheese." I said.
"Me too..." Leslie said smiling.
"So, you want to share?" I asked smiling making eye contact with her momentarily before she was trying to clean the pan enough for the next omelette.
"Sure...that one is June's..." Leslie said as I took the plate out to June.
"Thank you..." June mouthed as she covered the phone a tad as she did so.
"Is my done?" Olivia asked as I looked over at her sitting on one of my lounge chairs with June's dog on her lap petting her.
"I think your mom is cooking it now..." I said as I went back inside, "Did you put a pot of coffee on?" I asked.
"There should be some left over, if there isn't then no." Leslie said.
"I'll finish this up and put another on...how'd you sleep last night?" I asked pulling down a cup pouring rest of the coffee into my mug and set it aside as I started making another pot.
"Very well, thanks...sorry you had to sleep on the couch." Leslie said glancing over at me as I was rinsing the pot
"I spend multiple nights on the couch."
"You have a lot of guests?" Leslie asked as she begun to put cheese on the cooked eggs.
"Occasionally, mainly Mozzie but I do spend my nights staying up reading books and such and just end up falling asleep on the couch." I said.
"So, the couch has accustomed to you and vice versa..." Leslie said chuckling.
"It's a mutual appreciation..." I said as Olivia ran in with June's dog running in behind her.
"Mom, may we get a dog?" Olivia asked.
"Not now Olivia, maybe when you get older." Leslie said.
"When I'm how old?" Olivia asked leaning against the counter next to the stove.
"When your 13." Leslie said.
"Why that age?" Olivia asked.
"You will know responsibility..." Leslie said as Olivia grumpily stormed off, "She'll get over it..." Leslie said.
"Don't they all..." I said smiling, "So, Olivia is staying here with me again today right?" I asked turning around leaning back against the counter sipping at my cup of coffee that I poured watching Leslie finish cooking the omelette in the pan.
"If you want her to stay here, I was going to take her with me so we can go home afterwards." Leslie said.
"Why are you planning on going home?"
"I can't stay here forever, you work tomorrow and I need to shower at some point along with Olivia...plus, Olivia has school tomorrow." Leslie said as I took a sip of my coffee thinking of what to say next.
"Or..."
"Or what?" Leslie asked as she pulled the omelette out of the pan setting it on the plate before she turned to look at me.
"Or you can leave your keys with me, while your at work Olivia and I can go back to your place grabbing your neccessities bringing them back here, you can stay the night one more night because let's be honest, Olivia will be asleep by the time you get back and you know I won't let you carry her back to your place..."
"But what about-" Leslie begun to say when I interrupted her.
"School and work? Olivia's school is on the way to my work, I can walk with you guys to her school, then you can head back to your apartment and I can go off to work..." I said smirking before I took a quick drink of my coffee.
"How do I know that your not going to steal things from my apartment?" Leslie asked putting a hand on her hip.
"How do I know your not stealing from me?"
"True, plus I don't think anything in my apartment you will need nor want..."
"Plus, I would think you would trust me..."
"I trust you...I just don't know about your sticky fingers..." Leslie said getting us both to chuckle.
"Trust me when I say, the worst thing I will steal from that apartment is possibly a drink or snack from your fridge." I said.
"I don't know Neal...we already stayed the night one night, I feel bad about that as it is, I don't know..."
"I'm not going to take no for an answer...I will go get the kid..." I said as she looked outside to her daughter who was on the ground playing tug a war with the pug over its bone.
"Fine...but tonight is it, we leave tomorrow..." Leslie said as I wassmililing over my victory when she turned the stove off before she picked up the plate heading to the door, I watched her through the glass door talking to her daughter and June hung up the phone joining the conversation. I set my coffee down grabbing the pan taking it to the sink washing it out before I dried it with the dish towel setting it back on the stove turning it back on under the pan I just put back onto it. "What are you doing?" Leslie asked after I heard the door open.
"I'm going to cook our omelette." I said as I sprayed the pan with the canola oil, I put the canola oil away as I waited until it got hot yet again.
"Thanks..." Leslie said as she stood aside, it went into an awkward silence. "Do you always get whatever you want?" Leslie asked.
"Not always, but I am very persistent and stubborn..."
"That must be a good quality to have for your work..." Leslie said as Olivia walked into the house.
"Mommy, may I have some juice?" Olivia asked.
"You have to ask Neal." Leslie said as Olivia walked up to me.
"May I have some juice Neal?" Olivia asked.
"Absolutely." I said as Leslie opened the fridge letting Olivia pull the orange juice out of it, Leslie shut the fridge door and pulled a glass down for Olivia to use.
"Will you hold it for me?" Olivia asked looking up at her mom.
"Yeah, be careful..." Leslie said holding the glass down low enough for Olivia to pour the orange juice into the glass. I then grabbed two eggs cracking them and pouring them into the hot pan, I broke up the yoke making both eggs fill the pan. "I owe you some juice...and some coffeee..." Leslie said as she set the now empty juice container on the counter.
"Don't worry about it...it's just juice..." I said.
"Do you recycle?" Leslie asked looking around my loft for the recycle bin.
"I don't, I give June all my recycables." I said honestly.
"I'm going to go see where June wants me to put this." Leslie said walking out onto the loft as I focused on the eggs in the pan that were cooking, I begun to sprinkle the shredded cheese on it watching that until it begun melting before I sprinkled the cut up ham on it. I heard the sliding glass door behind me open, I thought it was Leslie because she was the last one out there.
"Leslie, our omelette is almost done." I said dropping the last pinch of ham on top of the melted cheese.
"Um, I'm not Leslie..." June said as I turned around seeing June, I was slight embarrassed that I did that.
"Sorry, I thought it would be Leslie since she has been in and out." I said apologetically.
"It's fine...she's a real sweet and nice girl...I like this one Neal..." June said.
"I like her too June, just trying to help her as much as I can..."
"Don't help too much or force it on her too much, it can come off as snobbish..." June said as I looked out at Leslie who was sitting beside her daughter smiling and her daughter was waving her hands around like she was telling a story of some sort. "She just needs a best friend, not someone to show her tricks of the trade, perhaps how to pickpocket better..." June said getting me to snap my head to look at her, "She told me all about it...us girls can talk about anything and everything...don't base this relationship on crimes committed, Leslie doesn't like doing it much less talking about and it's not really a turn-on." June said as she gave me a soft pat on the shoulder before she exited the room to put the bottle in her recycle bin. I looked back out at Leslie and Olivia as Leslie stole a piece of the omelette off her daughters plate. I really let what June said sink in before I turned around flipping the empty part of the egg over onto the cheese and ham covered side before I slid the spatula under the omelette pulling it out of the pan and onto a plate. I turned the stove off putting the dirty spatula into the dirty pan as I pulled out a knife cutting the omelette in half, I lifted that plate up sliding half of the omelette onto the plate that was below it. I dropped the knife into the sink when a knock came to the door before it opened by June.
"You don't have to knock June..." I said.
"I know, but I feel as if I should..." June said as I picked up the two plates following June out onto the patio.
"I like the omelette Neal." Olivia said.
"Did you?" I asked as I set down one plate in front of Leslie before I set mine down in front of another seat leaning against the chair.
"Yeah, next time I want to try ham on mine as well..." Olivia said.
"Why don't you try a bite of mine?" Leslie asked cutting a bite off her omelette feeding it to her daughter.
"Tastes much better." Olivia said smiling.
"I thought so, I got good taste..." Leslie said.
"That you do..." I said as I bit into my own omelette.
"What are you guys doing on this fine Sunday?" June asked.
"I got work tonight..." Leslie said.
"I am thinking Olivia and I are going to the park..." I said.
"I love the park..." Olivia said excitedly.
"What do you like most at the park?" I asked.
"The swings, of course...we got to get there early so I can get the best swing." Olivia said.
"I didn't realize one was better than the other." I said.
"There is, the one goes higher than the others..." Olivia said.
"She likes going really high then jumping...I don't know where she got it from." Leslie said.
"You." Olivia said.
"When have I ever done that?" Leslie asked as I could tell she was embarrassed a tad.
"You taught me..." Olivia said.
"Did not..." Leslie said.
"Mommy, it's not nice to lie." Olivia said.
"Yes, mommy, it's not nice to lie." I said chuckling.
"I've done it a couple times...like you never did that..." Leslie said.
"May I accompany you to the park? I want to see how far Miss Olivia can jump...I'm only assuming you can be the master..." June said chuckling.
"I bet I can jump real far...I love hopscotch so I am sure I can jump far..." Olivia said.
"Hopscotch, boy that brings back memories..." June said as she begun to tell stories about her childhood and school days.
"Why did they hit kids with rulers if they wrote with their left hand?" Olivia asked, considering she is left handed it only made sense for her to ask.
"Because then they believed being left handed wasn't normal nor thought of..." June said.
"Will I get hit with a ruler?" Olivia asked.
"No, I won't allow that plus times have changed since then...your father didn't get hit when he wrote with his left hand." Leslie stated.
"Dad was left handed?" Olivia asked.
"Yep, but I was right handed..." Leslie stated.
"I'm right handed...there is nothing wrong writing with either one, some people can write with both hands." I said.
"People can write with both hands? I thought you would have to be one or the other." Olivia said.
"Some people can write with both, or you can train yourself to write with the other if you work hard enough. I'm sure June learned how to write with her right hand." I said.
"That I did, I feel more comfortable writing with my left hand rather than my right but you do what you have to do." June said.
"We are learning how to write our letters now..." Olivia said.
"You will learn how to write more and more as you get older." Leslie said.
"I love writing..." Olivia said.
"Say that after high school." I said.
"Your telling me you wrote all your essays in high school?" Leslie asked.
"Not all of them...I started young..." I said smiling.
"You used people like me..."
"I didn't use you per say." I said.
"I wrote other peoples essays for money, your the people I need to protect my daughter from."
"Mom, writing for other people is cheating." Olivia said.
"Yeah, that is cheating." I said.
"You cheated too..." Leslie said.
"People cheat sometimes in their lives..." June piped in.
"You ever cheat?" Leslie asked June.
"I did my fair share of copying homework..." June said.
"June, you cheated?" I asked shocked.
"What do you expect? My husband was like you, I have a bad side..." June said laughing a tad.
"What did your husband do? Consult?" Olivia asked.
"No, he..." June said.
"He consulted for a different company and was way more important than I was." I said interrupting getting June and Leslie look at me weird, I shrugged and continued to eat at my omelette hoping that June will go along with it.
"He was good at what he did...he had his criminal ways much like the ways Neal had." June said sipping her drink.
"Criminal?" Olivia asked.
"A good criminal Olivia..." Leslie said.
"He's not a bad guy? Isn't criminals bad guys?" Olivia asked as she ate the last part of her omelette.
"Depending on the crime Olivia and the circumstances around it." Leslie said.
"Cops have it hard to tell the difference." Olivia said as I chuckled a little because it was cute, "I'm done..." Olivia said setting her fork onto her plate.
"Why don't you go take your plate to the sink and grab a pen and a paper to make a list of things we need to do and get today?" I asked.
"Okay...where is pens and paper?" Olivia asked climbing out of her chair grabbing her plate and fork.
"It's in the drawer on the left of the sink." I said as Olivia headed into the loft.
"You sure you don't mind watching her?" Leslie asked.
"Not at all, she is my little helper." I said smiling.
"That is why I'm scared...I don't know your limits."
"I won't do anything to put her in harms way...I save that for you." I said smiling as June chuckled a tad before sipping at her drink again when Olivia walked out.
"Is this okay?" She asked holdling a notepad of yellow lined paper.
"Yep...you know how to write?" I asked.
"Yep..." Olivia said.
"Okay, write stool down first." I said as she got into her seat setting the paper down clicking the pen so it will be able to write.
"Stool...s...t..." Olivia said stopping after t.
"Ool...what does it sound like?" Leslie asked.
"U?" Olivia asked.
"No..." Leslie said.
"Ool...oo..." I said trying to help.
"Oo?" Olivia asked.
"Yep..." Leslie said.
"L." Olivia said writing it and stopping when she finished.
"Olivia and mom's home." I said.
"I know how to spell my name..." Olivia said writing her name proudly, she spelt out her name as she wrote it, then begun to write out mom and home. "Why are we going to our home?" Olivia asked.
"Neal is going to pick up a few things, we are staying the night here again tonight..." Leslie said.
"Write down clothes and personal care products." I said trying to think of small words that will be easier for Olivia to write.
"Clothes...c...l..." Olivia said as she was sounding it out and got each letter right, she was having troubles with personal and products but at 6 they are still learning.
"Anything else you need at your house?" I asked looking at Leslie.
"Backpack." Leslie said.
"Yeah, your school backpack." I said as I set my fork on my empty plate stuffed from the half of the omelette I had.
"Backpack...b, a, k..." Olivia stated.
"C then K." Leslie corrected as Olivia marked out the k she just wrote writing a c then a k.
"Same with pack?" Olivia asked.
"Yep." Leslie said as Olivia wrote that.
"Next, groceries." I said.
"Hold on...p, a, c, k." Olivia said.
"Groceries." I said again.
"How do you spell that?" Olivia asked.
"G-r-o-c-e-r-i-e-s." I said slowly for her to be able to write it out.
"Anything else?" Olivia asked.
"Not that I know of." I said smiling.
"Okay..." Olivia said carefully ripping the first yellow sheet off the pad handing me the sheet before she went to return the pad and pen where she got it. Leslie handed me her key ring pointing out which key goes to what door and what one goes to her mailbox.
"What time you have to work today?" June asked.
"2:30." Leslie said.
"Until when?" June asked.
"10...it's the only shift I was able to get that would work with Olivia's school." Leslie said.
"Olivia is always welcomed to come here after school...which school is she attending?" June asked.
"Elmwood." Olivia said walking back out.
"That is just a couple blocks down..." June said.
"That it is..." Leslie said smiling as she stood up grabbing her plate and reached over trying to grab mine.
"No, I got this..." I said.
"Neal, I'm going into the room, just let me take it." Leslie said.
"No, I have two feet." I said trying to harrass her some.
"Fine, you can do it..." Leslie said walking around me taking June's dish for her walking into the room.
"You haven't told her?" June asked in a whisper.
"Not everything..." I said.
"I don't like this Neal, not one bit...your playing her..."
"How am I playing her?"
"Just tell her before it gets too late." June said before she stood up going inside, perhaps probably going to do her normal routine for Sunday which included going to the local church for an afternoon service.
"How come you never go to church with June?" Leslie asked joining me on the patio again.
"I don't know...church isn't really my thing...I'm not saying I'm not a believer but I'm just not a church going type person..." I said.
"Afraid of admitting your sins or that they will look at what you did in your past is what you are doing now?" Leslie asked.
"Yeah...some people never look at the good you do but only the bad...I'm glad I found a company that looked past my bad part." I said.
"Me too..." Leslie said.
"Right, I forgot to go grab that newspaper...I'll go grab it..." I said excusing myself going downstairs finding where June had put the newspaper every morning before going back upstairs seeing Leslie pouring herself a cup of coffee and Olivia was drawing in the yellow notepad from earlier that she must of pulled out.
"Olivia wanted to draw you a picture..." Leslie explained as she poured cream into her coffee, I smiled because seeing Olivia and Leslie that comfortable in using my things as their own made me feel like they trusted me, felt as if this was their home and that they can be themselves which is what I wanted.
"Did she?" I asked.
"Yep, you want a cup?" Leslie asked.
"No thanks...let's see here..." I said unfolding the employment section looking over each section, Leslie walked over standing beside me looking over my arm at the jobs as well pointing out ones that looked good and ones she thinks she will qualify for. "Do you have a resume?" I asked curiously.
"No..." Leslie said.
"Lets get working on one for you..." I said smiling.
"What's a resume?" Olivia asked as she looked up from her drawing.
"It's a document that states all your qualifications..." Leslie said.
"Huh?" Olivia asked.
"Its a list of things that says what someone is really good at..." I explained.
"Oh...what would mine be?" Olivia asked.
"Drawing, look at that..." I said looking at her drawing.
"I drew that for you." Olivia said.
"Thank you, I'm going to go put this up on the fridge." I said as I went over to the fridge hanging it up with a magnet.
"I'm going to draw you a picture next mom..." Olivia said.
"Great..." Leslie said.
"Before you start, may I get a piece of paper from you?" I asked as Olivia nodded ripping off a piece of paper handing it to me. "Thanks Olivia."
"Your welcome." Olivia said as I pulled out a seat for Leslie and sat down in a chair between Leslie and Olivia.
"Education...high school at Rosewood High, graduated what year?" I asked.
"2003." Leslie said.
"2001." I said smiling as I wrote down 2003.
"2 years difference..." Leslie said.
"College?"
"None." Leslie stated.
"Me neither...work experience."
"The Dot Spot." Leslie said.
"How long have you worked there?"
"7 years...got hired after Olivia was born." Leslie said.
"Any other work experience?"
"Hm...no, nothing that would be relevant." Leslie said.
"Qualifications, like honors in high school, working with kids..." I said looking to Olivia.
"Worked with kids, CPR certified."
"How'd you get that?"
"They were offering free classes at Olivia's school." Leslie said.
"That is awesome..." I said writing it down.
"That is all I can think of..." Leslie said.
"I think I can spice it up some tomorrow at work..." I said looking at it.
"You don't have to..."
"I know...what was your GPA in high school? Clubs, organizations, anything really good?" I asked.
"I had a 3.78 GPA...'
"Damn, you were the one doing everyones homework..."
"Yeah...the yearbook staff, library aide and office aide..." Leslie said trying to remember.
"No honor groups?"
"I didn't want to apply...that wasn't the group I rolled with...I kept my mouth shut about my grades." Leslie said.
"Why?"
"Because the group I was with were people like you and I, they didn't have nor want a future, barily getting D's...I on the other hand wanted a future but it didn't turn out that way..." Leslie said wiping her eyes.
"Mom, why are you crying?" Olivia asked.
"Nothing Olivia...sorry Neal..." Leslie said as I could tell she was embarrassed crying in front of me.
"What do you mean you wanted a future, I say this is one good future you have..." I said looking over at her beautiful daughter that climbed out of her chair going to her mom climbing onto her mom's lap hugging her.
"It's okay mommy...you want some pudding to make you feel better?" Olivia asked.
"Pudding?" I asked.
"I always give Olivia a pudding cup when she is crying to make her feel better." Leslie explained as I mentally told myself to invest in pudding cups.
"The chocolate ones..." Olivia said as she hugged her mom again, Leslie smiled hugging her daughter back. I knew Leslie loved her daughter more than she loved life sometimes, that is what a mother is supposed to be right? I knew that Leslie would do anything she could to make sure Olivia had the best and most she could get, but I also understand that Leslie probably didn't want the life she has right now. Leslie probably wanted the future life of going to college, studying in dorms and gettiner her education so she could work at a place like the FBI or a law firm or whatever she was going to study. I know she won't change having Olivia for anything, I know how much she loves her daughter and how much her daughter idolizes and loves her.
"Why don't you finish your drawing? I think that will make me feel better." Leslie said.
"Okay..." Olivia said hugging her mom again before she went back to her own seat to finish the drawing but quicker.
"I'm..." Leslie started before I cut in.
"It's fine...I understand, more than you think..." I said knowing what it's like wanting bigger and better things for yourself but something always changes it or it never goes as planned.
"Well, what else should I put on the resume?" Leslie asked.
"Awards...have you ever recieved employee of the month?" I asked.
"I have recieved it twice...once in 2005 and once in 2010." Leslie said.
"Do you remember the months?" I asked curiously as I wrote down those two years.
"I believe the 2005 was in March because I was told around Olivia's birthday because I took her birthday off...and the 2010 one was in July because Olivia was there when they announced it..." Leslie said trying to remember.
"Alright...what about in high school?" I asked trying to get anything I could to help her resume.
"Not that I remember." Leslie said.
"I'm done, here mommy..." Olivia said ripping the picture from the pad and carried it around the table to her mom.
"Let's see this..." Leslie said as she grabbed it before letting Olivia climb back onto her lap, "Who's this?" Leslie asked.
"That's you, that's me, that's Neal, that's Mozzie, that's June and that's June's dog..." Olivia said.
"You drew me?" I asked as Leslie turned the sheet so I could see it.
"That's you." Olivia said pointing to the one person.
"It looks just like me..." I said smiling.
"It does..." Leslie said smiling and chuckling.
"Does it make you feel better?" Olivia asked.
"Much better, thank you Olivia...I love you." Leslie said hugging her daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
"Love you too mommy." Olivia said kissing her mom back on the cheek and accepted her moms hug. Olivia climbed off Leslie's lap walking over to me hugging me, "Love you Neal." Olivia said, I looked down at her then up to Leslie who was smiling and shrugged.
"Love you too Olivia." I said as I hugged her back before I ruffled her hair a little bit.
"Neal, you ruined my hair..." Olivia said she was trying to fix it.
"She's already a drama queen..." Leslie said getting us both to chuckle.
"Did she get that from you?" I asked as Olivia was looking at her somewhat reflection in the sliding door fixing her hair.
"Sadly, yes...I was that way in high school..." Leslie said.
"I thought your group was the 'didn't care' type people."
"Doesn't mean I didn't want to look my best." Leslie said smiling.
"Okay, so we have a few jobs here that you can apply to and I will get on this tomorrow at work...I'll have June and other friends look over it to get their opinions because I'm no professional at resumes." I said as I looked over what I had written.
"Thanks Neal for this..." Leslie said.
"No thanks are needed, I enjoy helping...but what about we head to the park?" I asked.
"Sounds good..." Leslie said smiling, "Olivia you got to put your jacket on." Leslie said.
"Do I have to? It's nice out..." Olivia said.
"At least put it on for now, if we get to the park and it's not too cold you can take it off..." Leslie said as Olivia groaned out as she went and put her coat on getting Leslie to zip it up as I was grabbing my own jacket and grabbed Leslie's as I headed to the door handing it to her. "Thanks..." Leslie said putting hers on, it didn't seem that cold today but with it being February it's hard to tell if it's going to be a cold day or a warm day. We headed down the stairs grabbing June who wanted to accompany us to the park. Olivia walked between Leslie and I hanging onto both our hands, she would walk a few then jump letting us swing her forward a tad repeatedly until we got to the park.
"Swings!" Olivia exclaimed running her fastest to the swings where there were only 2 or 3 open, Leslie and I slowly walked in that direction as June went to a bench tying her dog to the bench with her watching.
"She loves her swings."
"What 6 year old doesn't like the swings?" Leslie asked.
"Very true." I said as we stopped at the edge of the sand patch of the playground watching Olivia pumping her legs on the swing trying to get higher. "Does she play any sports?"
"Not yet...she's asked to play soccer, which I don't know why soccer because I was personally a basketball player." Leslie said.
"It's werid how genes and heredity can differ from one generation to the next..."
"What did you differ from your parents?" Leslie asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"Um...I wasn't a sport player nor a band member..."
"A band member?"
"Yeah, my parents met at a band camp...it was quite weird..." I said as she chuckled.
"I bet it was cute though."
"I guess...I don't think I could of been in the band...can you imagine me trying to play the trombone?" I asked.
"Not as bad as trying to picture you playing the tuba..."
"Thanks..." I said as I laughed some as well, I looked back to Olivia watching her as she let go of the swing jumping off the swing landing on her feet and falling back from lack of balance. "She got some air on that..."
"She always does...I hate watching her because everytime my heart stops...I'm always afraid that she is going to get hurt..." Leslie said.
"It's a common thought for most parents...I gave my mom enough heart attacks..."
"Don't go influencing my daughter with that type of behavior..."
"I won't..." I said smiling.
"Don't give me that wicked smile..."
"What? It's not a wicked smile..." I said offended a tad.
"I know that smile that means I am working up a plan...I know about your criminal ways and once you have a criminal mind you will always have a criminal mind..."
"Leslie, I promise I won't influence her...if anything I will just teach her how to jump farther..." I said smiling and walking towards the swings. "You want to know how to jump farther or higher?" I asked.
"YES!" Olivia said excitedly.
"Come on, I'll show you..." I said as Olivia and I claimed two swings next to each other, we both pumped our legs trying to get higher.
"This is too high..." Olivia said as I could tell she was afraid of heights.
"Alright, move your hands like this..." I said demonstrating what way her hands need to be watching her do so and made sure it was correct, "Then push yourself off..." I said demonstrating it jumping off and landing on my feet and caught myself. I moved in front of Olivia's swing to catch her in case, Olivia waited two or three more swings before she pushed herself off the swing and I caught her by her armpits.
"I want to do that again..." Olivia said as she ran back to the swing the moment I let her go, I walked back to Leslie who was in disbelieve.
"She afraid of heights?" I asked curiously.
"Yeah...haven't cured that fear...hence why she doesn't like going near the edge of your patio." Leslie said.
"Ok, now I know..." I said as Leslie and I walked over to the bench joining June watching Olivia swing and run around with other kids that were in the park with their families.
"I got to get going, it's 1:30...you sure you can take care of Olivia?" Leslie asked standing up.
"It's no problem...if I have any problems, I know where you work..." I said standing up as well.
"Thanks Neal...I won't be late..." Leslie said hugging me, I didn't know what to do as she hugged me, "See you later June, thanks for everything..." Leslie said as she hugged June as well before she started to head to her child who was on the spider web thing. "Olivia, I'm leaving!" Leslie said as Olivia climbed down running up to her mom, Leslie squatted down hugging her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. "Behave for Neal..." Leslie said as she headed back to us as Olivia already ran off back to the playground. Leslie headed back waving sheepishly before she headed in the direction of her work.
"Bye Leslie!" I said as she turned around waving, I waved and smiled back.
"Consultant?" June asked as if she still can't get over it.
"Which I am...I just didn't tell her a criminal consultant for the FBI...nor that I'm wearing this..." I said lifting up the pant leg to show the anklet.
"When do you plan on telling her?"
"When I feel it is the right time...right now our relationship isn't right..."
"What relationship is that?"
"I don't know June..."
"You don't know what?"
"About our relationship..." I said.
"Well, Valentines Day is coming up..."
"I think it's too soon June..."
"You will never know until you pursue it..." June said as she stood up grabbing her dogs leash heading back to her house. I honestly didn't know how I felt towards her, I know that I have feelings for her because she is like me in so many ways, I kind of adopted Olivia as my own daughter and don't want anything bad to happen to either one of them, and I don't want to lose either of them. Do I possibly like Leslie more than a friend? That can't be possible because we have only known each other for not even a week.