𝐴𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑟𝑎

Chapter 8 ~ Smiles

Ryder

Coach called me and told me that he needed me in class today but his wife isn't going to be home for the next week due to being in Seattle so she wasn't available.

I didn't know what to do since my sister can't do it so I'm out of choices. I'm thinking of bringing him into the class. Maybe Coach will let Laklyn sit in his office.

I hang up the call and look back to where Aurora and Laklyn are. She is letting him play with her hair and face as she smiles and makes funny faces at him.

My son is attached to the same woman I am. What a coincidence.

"Are you okay?" Aurora's voice pulls me out of my trance. I look at her and nod my head. "Yeah just, the coach needs me today and I have run out of babysitters."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She frowns as she stands up propping Laklyn on her hip. He continues to play with her hair as she walks over to me. She tries to hand Laklyn to me but he starts whining and wraps his arms around her neck and burying his face into her chest.

"Laklyn you have to let go." Her soft voice says to him. She talks to him as if he can hear her clearly and it's adorable.

She sways back and forth trying to calm him down. I will admit, it hurts seeing my own son not wanting to come to me, but if I were him, I would do the exact same thing.

"It's okay baby." She turns around to where her back is facing me as she walks over to the couch. She sits down and tries to get Laklyn to calm down.

I don't think Laklyn has ever been this clingy towards anyone and definitely not as obedient.

I sit on the other couch as I wait for Aurora to calm my son while he lays in her arms and listens to her soft whispers. I can see Laklyn smiling as his head now lays on her upper chest.

"You need to go home baby." She lifts Laklyn up to where he is on her lap facing him. She kisses both cheeks as my baby laughs at the tickle effect.

She stands up and walks over to me. I get scared that once again I will be rejected by my own baby, but when he is plopped into my arms without a struggle, I relax and hold him tight.

I pepper him with kisses and raspberries that make him giggle and laugh. I don't know how this woman got him to let go of her. I swear it looked like he was holding onto the top edge of a cliff.

I stand up with him in my arms and grab our things and head for the door. I turn back to Aurora and see her smiling.

"Aurora?" My voice comes out a lot like a little boy who is entering puberty. Her name on my touch sends shivers down my spine and it's hard to shake them off.

"Ryder?" She repeats my actions as she comes closer to the door and leans against the door frame.

"Are you doing anything today?" I ask, hoping she doesn't take it the wrong way. Although I wouldn't mind spending a day with her.

"Um, nope, I don't have to be at work today." Something like hope sparkles in her eyes. I'm afraid to let her down.

"Would you mind watching Laklyn?" I find myself asking and before I can even wait for her to answer she starts to jump up and down and nods her head.

"I would love to!" She gives me a huge smile that makes me want to fall to my knees. I smile back at her and hand Laklyn back to her.

"I'm going to go get his bag, you'll need it." She nods her head. I walk away and head down to the house and open the door. I grab Lakelands bag and quickly head out the door before locking it.

I head back to Aurora's place and see there are still standing where I left them. I jog up the stairs and once I'm at the door, I place the bag on the floor.

"You don't understand how grateful I am." I feel weird leaving Laklyn with her, but something in my brain is telling me that I should have full trust in her.

I know she would never do anything to harm Laklyn. They have only known each other a few days and he already loves her.

She gives me another smile. Her dimples are coming out. That contagious smile.

"I'm excited! Maybe he can help me run an errand or two?" Her eyes never leave my son and she laughs heartily and plays with his hair.

I smile once more and nod. " Laklyn likes stores, especially ones that have those fun carts to be in."

"Well there's one thing me and Laklyn have in common." She smiles and turns her attention to me.

"Thank you for trusting me, I know that it can be hard as a parent to let go like this sometimes. My sister in law struggled a bit with her at first, but now she can't wait for them to come over." I snort at this. The fact that she gets the situation even though she isn't a parent herself.

"It's definitely not easy, but no one in your family has ever let me down, so I trust you." She turns to me and smiles at me. It drops though when she sees the eye contact that I'm keeping with her.

"Well I should go before the coach has my head." I chuckled humorously. She laughs along with me. "Laklyn say bye to dada!" She lifts his hand in a wave.

I walk over to them in a step and lean down leaving a kiss on Lakelands head. I pull back and smile. "I'll be off now."

"Alright! Bye!" That's all I hear before the door shuts.