Run, Fight, Repeat

7 | Astrid

Astrid

I get home and when I walk through the door little Charles is sitting on the floor using the coffee table as a desk. He looks up to me.

"Mommy said that you left us a while ago." He says.

"How old are you, Charles." I ask him.

"I'm ten." He answers.

He is ten, and so tiny. I wouldn't have guessed that. "When is your birthday?" I ask him.

"March forth." He answers.

I left late July. So my mom was already pregnant with him before I left. So they weren't trying to replace me with a new kid. But what's he doing home alone at ten. "What are you doing home alone right now?"

"Mommy and daddy said you would be home so I was dropped off here rather than at my sitter." He says. He looks like a six year old, talks like a forty-two year old and is ten. Poor kids probably get picked on.

"Well, when they get home, just say that I was home, okay?" I say.

"But that's lying." He states.

"It's not lying. Just a small fib. Okay?" I assure him.

"Okay sissy." He says getting up and throwing his arms around me.

Sissy? Really? I don't know how I feel about that. He lets go and takes my hand and leads me to the upstairs and to a room with his name on the door. How did I not notice it yet?

"This is my room. Want to play something?" He asks with happy eyes.

"Sure." How could I say no? He just has those eyes.

"YAY!" He squeals sitting down on the ground and gets out a box from under his bed. It reads, CLUE.

We play a game to find the dead person, where, when and how. I hate to admit it, but it's kinda fun. We play until we there our parents walk through the door calling for us. Charles takes my hand and pulls me down stairs to meet them.

"Hey guys." Mother says to us.

"Hi mommy." Charles says, giving her a hug. "Hi daddy." And gives father a hug.

"Hey, Astrid." My parents say.

"Did you two have fun?" Our father asks.

"Yea! We played a board game!" Charles says with a big smile. I smile back the best I can.

"We made dinner reservations at The Hot Pot for tonight. They are in an hour. So we should get ready." Father says.

"Okay! Astrid come help me pick out an outfit!" Charles says taking my hand and dragging me up to his room. He tells me to sit on his bed as he gets out outfits from his closet.

"What about this one?" He says holding up a dark grey suit.

"How fancy is this restaurant?" I ask.

"The Hot Pot is very fancy. But I always wear even fancier clothes to a restaurant." He explains.

"Okay. Well," I stand up and walk to his closet. "You should wear this." I say taking out a pair of fancy deep green jeans, a white button up and a pair of tan dress shoes.

"I'll wear it because you picked it out sissy!" He squeals, giving me another hug. "I'm going to change. You need to get changed to! Look fancy like me!" He says ushering me out.