Childish

20

Alex shut the door and turned around to face me in the living room. I sat on the couch, my stuffed animals lying beside me.

"Time to get ready for bed."

I groaned. "But I'm not ready for bed yet."

"It's getting late and I know how you get when you haven't had enough sleep."

"It's not like I have anywhere to go tomorrow."

"That doesn't matter, Lyla. I'm the adult here. I make the rules."

I rolled my eyes. "You weren't the adult two months ago. You were in daycare just like me." I waved my bunny out in front of me to make my point.

He grabbed my bunny, causing a whimper to escape my lips. "How about I'm the mayor of Alpine so I make the rules?"

I leaned over the back of the couch, my arm outstretched toward my bunny. "That makes me like you less."

He walked over to the closet beside the front door and opened it. Several boxes were stacked inside it. He grabbed the top one and walked over to me.

I immediately grabbed my bunny from him and tucked it in my arm, preventing him from taking it again. "What's that?"

He set the box down in between us and grabbed his keys from the side table. He cut the tape and nodded at it. "Maybe you'll hate me less once you've seen what's inside."

My eyebrows furrowed as I got onto my knees and leaned over the box. I pushed the sides up and saw brown paper crinkled and folded up. I pulled it out and tossed it aside to see a variety of toys and clothes.

I knew who sent the package when I picked up the bunny. It was gray with a white nose. It had a pink ribbon tied around the neck.

My eyes filled with tears as I looked through the items in the box. There were several pink outfits and a pair of white sandals. A picture book laid at the bottom, one that I remembered my mom reading to me when I was little. Well, the first time I was little. Beside it sat a card.

I pulled the card from the envelope and began reading it silently, needing the moment to myself before I shared it with Alex.

My baby girl. You have no idea how much we miss you. Your smile, your laugh, your eye roll when dad sings in the car. We took for granted our time with you and that's something we can't ever make up.

Alex has kept in touch with us so we know how you're doing every week. I know being there, away from us, hasn't been easy. We wish there was a way you could be with us again. I think about that every day. What I wouldn't give to hold you again.

Alex said you like the bunny we got you so we'll send you one every few months. I know how kids can get around stuffed animals so you might need to keep a backup on hand.

Please know that your dad and I miss you and love you so very much. There isn't a day that we don't think about you. Be good for Alex.

We love you, mom and dad.

I dropped my hands to my lap, the card resting on the cushion in front of me. I looked at Alex, feeling my chest tighten as the letter really set in.

"You called them?"

He met my gaze and nodded. "It wouldn't be fair for me to keep you from them even more than I already have."

"What all did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them you got shot. I didn't think it would do them any good to be worried when there's nothing they can do about it."

I nodded. It was probably for the best that my parents didn't know that I almost died. I didn't want them to have any more reasons to hate Alex.

"I wanted them to know that you missed them as much as they missed you."

I knew it was hard for Alex. Things hadn't been easy since I moved to Alpine but he was trying to make me more comfortable. He didn't want me to be miserable. If that meant keeping in touch with my parents, he was willing to do it.

I felt bad missing them. I didn't want Alex to think that I didn't like being with him. But it was hard to just forget my own parents.

I looked at the box again and a flood of emotions washed over me. I knew my parents still loved me. They missed me just as much as I missed them. I knew that would make living in Alpine just a little easier.

"Alright, now we need to go to bed."

I looked up at him as he stood. He picked me up in his arms and carried me to the steps, leaving the box on the couch. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and I felt his arms tighten around me as he hugged me.

I buried my face in his chest as I hugged him back. 

I wasn't quite sure what would come next for me. For us. But I knew that as long as I had him, everything would be okay.

---

Okay, I'm not going to end this story any time soon but I would like some feedback on where to go next. Would you guys like to see Lyla stay with Alex or be reunited with her parents? I've thought about both options and like either decision but I wanted your input. What do you guys think?