Braydon and Kallie

1.

Kallie loves New Harbour, after being in the city, being abandoned by her young parents, in care until she turned 18, moving to New Harbour meant she could start a new life.
'Kallie, we have new books coming in tomorrow, can you put them on the empty shelves, Braydon will be in later.'
Kallie nodded and looked at her, she had a job even if the teachers said she will be a social outcast for the rest of her life, she has proven them wrong on so many levels and she is happy with her job, her new friends, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
'Kallie, I am so sorry I am late, Jaylen was feeling ill and I needed to find someone to watch him.' She turned from the boxes and looked at him, he was panting closing the shop door, putting his coat in the back and coming back to the counter. 'Melanie said that there will be new books?'
'Yeah, she wants these shelves cleaned ready for them.'
Kallie handed him the disinfectant spray and cloth and he went right away to the shelves, Kallie has thought that since Braydon has come here she has been more talkative, which she thinks has helped her as he doesn't stop talking, he is even comfortable that he told her what had happened to Jaylen's mum. She felt really sorry to Braydon and Jaylen. 'Braydon, can you hand me that big book.' She put her hand out, he placed the book in her hand, for the rest of the day they got the store ready for the new release, Braydon went to get lunch, they helped customers etc.

Kallie was walking home, saying hello to the old couples as she walked past them, she made it to her road when Braydon when running up to her. 'Kallie, wait.'
'Is everything ok?' She then turned to see him holding Jaylen in his arms, he was crying.
'Do you know where the doctors is, still not used to the little roads and everything close together, it gets confusing.'
Kallie turned looking down the path, she remembers Melanie telling her where to go from her house. 'Over that way, I'll take you.'
They quickly walked down the path, they made sure that they were doing it right. 'Braydon, did you take his temperature?'
'Yeah, 39 degrees.'
They got lost, Kallie hurriedly asked the cafe owner, she showed them to the end of the road, the doctors was around the corner, 'I can't believe we got lost in this small town.'
'It will happen, all the streets are small and compacted, the outsides look the same.'
They walked into the doctors, Kallie didn't want to leave, she thought that she could use moral support for Braydon, he is alone and must need it. 'Kallie, you can go if you want, I have got it.'
'No, I'll stay, here, give the bags, they both went and sat in reception, Jaylen was asleep in Braydon's arms, he was a cute 3 year old Kallie, she remembers when two babies came to the home before they went to their foster parents, 'Braydon, is it still hot?'
He touched Jaylen head and nodded, 'I'll call Melanie, can you just hold him for a minute please.' Kallie nodded her head even if she hasn't held a baby before, Braydon walked to the door of the reception, Kallie sat there, nervous about moving because he might wake up, she moved his hair out of his face. 'Jaylen Harris,' the doctor came to the door, Kallie looked over to Braydon, he was still on the phone, she stood up for a minute. 'Braydon, the doctor called you.'
He walked back to Kallie and took hold of Jaylen. 'Thank you, Melanie is on her way,' he said, Kallie said she will look after the bags.
In the doctors room, Braydon holding onto Jaylen told him that he has had a mild fever for a couple of days, 'So, nothing in his diet has changed, drinking until yesterday, did he throw up his food?'
'Yes, before I went into work, I gave him some oatmeal, he had three spoonfuls then threw up, I thought it wasn't something serious so I went back, the babysitter said he was fine.' He was talking fast, the doctor told him to be calm and that Jaylen will be alright. 'It's just that his mum used to do the doctors and health when he was ill, it's hard doing it alone.'
'Oh, I thought the woman holding Jaylen outside was the mother?'
'No, she is a co worker, I caught her near her home, she been here since a year ago, I only came two weeks ago, still getting used to the paths and layout of the town.'
The doctor told him what to do, how to get the fever down and that he is doing a good job.

In the reception Melanie and Kallie was sat talking, he walked through the door, they stood up, 'Melanie can you take Jaylen while I get the prescription for him.'
They all then walked out of the doctors, Kallie said bye and started to walk back to her house, hopefully she doesn't get lost again. 'Kallie thanks for helping.' Braydon shouted before getting in the car.
She laughed and smiled as she walked back to her house, thinking this was the first time that she held a baby and it didn't cry, even when he is sick. She felt proud that she did another thing other people thought she wouldn't do, open up her heart and have empathy for other people and their situations, she also thought living in a small town has helped her open up and get friends.
'Kallie, your Kallie who works at the book shop?'
'Yeah, I'm that person, can I help you?'
'I heard the new books are coming into the shop, could you please, if you can, hold one book for me, I'll be in a lunch,' She seemed young, like school young, looking at the girl she seemed like her, invisible and wanting to be alone. 'I have all the books in the series and I saved up my money for the book.'
'Yeah, I can do that, come in at lunch and it will be there for you waiting.'

At her house, she was cleaning, thinking about work as she always does, she then walked to the kitchen to make pasta and tuna bake. 'Are you sure you don't need me to come anymore, I miss coming there, it is so nice and I have no excuse now.'
'Sorry Kyle, come visit if you want but I am ok now, I have a job and a couple of friends, I make conversations with people in the town and I can stop myself from breaking down.'
'That seems fair enough, I'll put that in your goodbye file, is that ok?'
'Yeah, that is fine, I have to go, my pasta is nearly ready.'
Sat on her couch and ate her dinner, watching anime and on her phone, she loves having her own home, no one else taking her stuff, able to watch what she wanted and having a nice quiet night to herself.
She then was interrupted by a knock on the door. 'Kallie, it is me Braydon, I want to talk to you.'
She opened the door, he was looking at her, he looked sad, 'Braydon, what happened, is Jaylen ok?'
'He is fine, fever coming down but I can't cope with it.'
She let him in, she showed him to the couch and they both sat down, 'Why can't you cope, you were doing fine at the doctors.'
'I was hiding how I was actually feeling.' He looked at her, she started to understand. 'Jaylen's mum was always the one that did the doctor appointments, this is the first time since she died that he has been this Ill, it was a total surprise .'
'He is fine, don't worry.'
Braydon was crying, Kallie could tell that he was struggling still but he tried to hide in front of her and Melanie. 'Braydon, I know that it must be hard for you, it is so lucky that Jaylen has someone, I have no one.'
He looked up at her, she had her head down and looking at her hands playing with the blanket. 'What, like you have no family at all?'
'Yeah, my mum and dad were teenagers, they wanted to party and my grandparents didn't want me so I was in care, shut everyone out became anti-social and have no friends, foster parents didn't want me as I didn't connect, being here help, I have opened up, I always liked the small town and this was perfect, far away from my old life.'
'i'm the same, about the small town, Jaylen's mum Tania wanted to move here before she left, she wanted Jaylen to grow up in a close knit town where people know each other for generations, my parents didn't want me to go but I insisted and I am glad.'
'He will love growing up here until he becomes a teenager and there is nothing to do.'
They laughed, he knew that it was right, 'It has been hard since Tania died but I have been happy here, fulfilling her wish, you know?'
'Yeah, it been nice working at the shop and meeting Melanie and you and Jaylen, it is something I have missed in my life.' She said to Braydon, he looked at her the whole time, it made her feel weird but she decided to change.
'Well, it is great that I am making your life better.' He stood up. 'I think that I have to go back home, Melanie needs to get back to hers and I need to be there for my son.' They both walked to the front door, 'well bye.'
'Bye, will you be in work?' She asked as he stood in the threshold.
'Maybe, I'll call Melanie in the morning if something has changed.' He started to walk out of the front yard to the direction of his house, she has only realised that they are a street apart from each other.

Kallie went back to the couch and carried on watching Anime, or overthinking that Braydon had come to her house to talk. 'You can't fall in love with him, he lost his true love, his son's mother a year ago, do fall in love with him, he won't love you back.' She said out loud then signed, throwing her head back, she decided to go to bed, she wanted to forget her thought in sleep, not thinking that she will only think and dream about Braydon and Jaylen.