Amidst love and heartbreak

Kyle the gentleman

Kyle’s POV

She is here. She is finally here. What did dad say? Be a gentleman. What does that mean, though? Does that mean I give her all my toys? I did that yesterday. She didn’t seem impressed. I guess she doesn't like cars. Does that mean I defend her when the other kids try to make her feel bad? That’s it. I have to protect her. Just like daddy protects mummy when we go out. I should hold her hand when we are in line at school. I wonder if the teacher will let me do it. I guess it’s against the rules. Then, everyone would do it.

“Kyle, come help me colour this page,” she calls and I practically jump to go to her. 

“What colour do you want me to do this,” I ask. It is her drawing. I don’t want to mess it up.

“The top part will be yellow. The bottom will be green,” she said and I was immediately at work. She draws so well. I wish I knew how to draw that well. The teacher always puts her drawings on the board to show us an example. 

“Make it fast, Kyle. I want to finish and play,” she said in a hurry.

“But I don’t want to mess it up,” I said worriedly.

“You probably will. Mum says that ladies do things better than boys most of the time, but you don’t get discouraged. I trust you,” she said. That hurt, though. Not all the boys mess things up.

“I will not mess it up, Emma. at least I hope not to,” I said in a hurt voice. She raised her head and looked me in the eye. She seemed to realize what she just did so she just took my hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I didn't mean you, Kyle. You always help me with everything,” she tried to reassure me. “But other boys do mess up. Like my dad, for example. He is making mum upset and I don’t know why,” she said and her face was full of sadness. I don’t like seeing her like that. It makes me sad as well.

“Don’t worry, Emma. They will be alright,” I said but I think I lied.

“Do you think that I was a bad girl and they are fighting because of me?” she suddenly asked and I was confused for a couple of seconds. But when I saw tears in her eyes and I knew I had to do something. 

“Emma, no. Please don’t cry or I will cry with you,” I pleaded but tears were almost falling out of my eyes as soon as I saw hers going down her cheeks. 

“I know mummy and daddy love me, but I don’t understand why they chose to fight all the time. And daddy...he raises his voice when he talks to mummy… and she cries all the time. I don't want my mummy to cry anymore, Kyle. what do I do?”

Her cries and the sadness in her voice made me cry with her. I know I am the boy and I am supposed not to cry but how can I stop myself when I see her so sad. That’s it. I will be the gentleman and comfort her. Miss Maggie was right. I just need to take care of her.

I didn’t know if she was going to push me but I thought that the only way to tell her how much I cared right now was to show her with my actions. I stood up from my chair and went near her. Without thinking twice I pulled her in a tight hug. I thought she was going to push me because I had never done something like this, but instead, she put her hands on my back and tightened the grip. She started sobbing more than before but now I was ready. I had to be there for her. I had to be strong for her. She was my best friend at the moment. Even if she didn’t fall in love with me, she was my best friend. And that is something you don’t get every day.

Maggie’s POV

 My heart is breaking in so many pieces right now. I can’t describe what I am feeling while watching my only granddaughter sobbing like that. I knew there was something wrong with Khloe and Eric, but I would have never guessed it was so bad. And what is worse, is the fact that my baby girl thinks that it is her fault. 

Those two stubborn heads should be ashamed of themselves. How couldn’t they notice that she listened to everything? How could they not think before they act in front of the child? And Khloe is pregnant. She is not only stressing the child out in her womb, she is also stressing the one out of there. Poor thing believes that she is the cause of their fights. 

My first instinct is to go hug her and comfort her the best I can, but I decide not to let her notice me. The young man hugging her at the moment is doing the best he can so I guess what had to be done is done already.

After a few more minutes they get away from each other and I think she feels a bit better because there is a faint smile on her face. Suddenly she bursts laughing with her eyes still with tears.

“What’s funny?” Kyle asks, confused.

“Look at you, Kyle. Your shirt is all wet. I guess I did that to you, sorry,” she said, still laughing. Kyle looked at his shirt and burst with laughter as well. Now that I had two little fools in my living room I decided to show up with something that will seal the good humour.

“Anyone want cookies? They are freshly baked and if there are no little helpers I will eat them all alone,” I said in a teasing tone. 

If you could see the way both of them launched at the plate I had in my hand, you would definitely be surprised they didn’t get hurt running. I love the fact that 5-year-olds would forget about everything in just a split second and go back to their cheerful ways.

“Finish the cookies in your hands and continue with the little project you two were working on. You are doing a great job with it, by the way,” I said and I noticed Emma feeling proud and Kyle looked her way as if telling me that it was her doing not his.

“Actually, Miss Maggie, Emma did most of it. I was just helping while being careful. She is just amazing… and cute,” he said muttering between his teeth in the last part of the sentence.

“I am sure what you helped with is amazing as well. You guys can make wonders when you want,” I said trying to give him a boost of confidence. He either didn’t have confidence in himself at all, or he was trying to compliment her. Which, by the way, was being done smoothly enough. I don’t know the whole truth about Khloe and Eric but from what I heard Eric could use a lesson or two from this little guy here. He surely knows how to treat ladies and make them feel amazing.

(two hours later)

Emily came to pick up Kyle and to repay for the help I gave her this afternoon she offered to bring Emma to her mum since Khloe was on her way there anyway. It is a great thing when you live near. Everything is more practical with the kids. I guess now I can write in peace, even though what happened this afternoon still has me on the edge. I need to talk to my daughter about what is happening at home. Now I am really worried about them.

Melanie was once again closed in her bedroom. She considered herself blessed to be an only child sometimes. All their parents had was for her, even though they tried not to spoil her with many things. What she always enjoyed, though was her own, personal bedroom, with a window that had an incredible view of greenery. She loved nature. If Melanie could choose where to spend the rest of her life, she would definitely choose under a tree, near a stream. She loved the sound of water streaming down and the one coming from the leaves when there was wind or much as just a breeze. Or the sound of raindrops on her window, maybe with some thunders here and there. Whatever it took for her not to listen to what she had been listening to for quite some time now. 

She heard the door slam and her dad leaving the house in a hurry. He opened the truck door and entered in just as much fury. Something probably had happened one more time and mum would be crying. She needed to get down there and play with the annoying daughter until her mother wouldn’t think about what had happened.

All her life she had seen mum and dad argue about the silliest things. She had seen dad call her mother stupid and other names that would probably upset everyone. She had also seen her dad show his dominance in every aspect. Her mother couldn’t even cut her hair because he liked them in a certain way. She saw how her dad thought that women are only good for bearing children and raising them, doing the chores at home and never argues about the decisions the man of the house had made. 

That is the moment she knew the type of man she wanted in her life. Melanie was shy and everything but she would never accept someone that would not make her feel equal, loved and important. 

The next morning she went to the tree as usual. She did not have a good idea of why that happened, but she wanted to talk to him. Melanie wanted to share with him a burden in her heart.

This time when she arrived at the tree, there was a blanket on the grass, as well as a basket that seemed full of things. Who could have done this? Suddenly, two strong arms hugged her from behind and from the smell on his shirt she could tell who they belonged to.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Arnold greeted.

“Good morning, Arnold,” she greeted. “How are you today?”

“I am fine now. I couldn’t sleep tonight. I was too busy thinking about someone. What about you?”

“I am fine now,” she repeated his answer with a naughty smile.

Arnold not being able to stop himself pulled her even closer, making her body crash on his strong chest. Melani could not help but blush. She had never been this close to him and his body. There came the same rhythm of their heartbeats beating frantically within them. She went there this morning with a resolution, but when her eyes landed on his there was no free will, or asking to be equals. Melanie was lost for his touch and she could not help it to want more.

I raised my head from my laptop and I couldn’t stop thinking with myself ‘what if’. What would have happened if I didn’t listen to my father? What would have happened if I didn’t budge on the decision I had made several times before forgetting all about it?

I decided not to think about whatever the other ‘what ifs’ were so I enjoyed myself every day like it was the last one. I have spent my life with the nicest husband but whenever I mentioned my passion for writing he kept teasing and dismissing it like something frilly. Well, dear husband up in the heavens, look what I am doing now and how much this frilly thing will bring to you economically. What would he think if he knew that she has had ten consecutive books on the best seller stand? That practically everyone she knew came to her for 'love' advice. What Kyle had called her earlier was partially true. She did not have a title but if she thought well enough they were right. she was a sort of 'Love Guru'.