Childish

36

Alex knelt down in front of me, prying my arms apart from the crossed position I had them in. "Lyla."

I shook my head.

"Lyla."

I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing he would just leave and stop bothering me. I just wanted to pout in peace.

His voice got quieter but also a little deeper, meaning he meant business. "Ly, look at me."

Begrudgingly, I opened my eyes and looked at him. Nothing he said was going to make me feel any better about this situation. Nothing.

"My mom's going to make dinner for you and give you a bath. I'll be back before you wake up in the morning."

I hated the thought of being left with a stranger. I'd only seen his mom a handful of times and I barely even got to meet her. Just because Alex was familiar with her didn't mean I would feel the same.

Alex picked up my bear from where it sat beside me and handed it to me. "You'll be okay, Ly. I promise."

"That's easy for you to say."

"I wouldn't leave you here with her if I didn't trust her."

"Stop smothering her, Alex. Give her some room to breathe." Alex's mom pushed him away from me and closer to the door.

He rolled his eyes. "I should be back by midnight. Try to get Lyla to bed by 9."

"Alex, that's so late. She should be in bed by 8 if she's going to get enough sleep."

She was crazy if she thought I was going to go to sleep at 8.

"Good luck with that." Alex put his jacket on by the door. "Be good, Lyla."

I let my head fall back against the couch and dropped my shoulders. I hated being left alone with Alex's mom. She came across as nice but I learned quickly not to trust anyone in Alpine until I got to know them really well. And this was no exception.

She sat down on the couch beside me. "Do you have some toys you'd like to play with?"

I stared at her. I wanted so badly to know that she was a nice person and not another person I had to be afraid of. I was so tired of feeling so scared all the time. But she wasn't giving off any good or bad vibes that I could tell.

Her hair was graying at the roots, blending into the ashy brown hair that hung just to her shoulders. She was wearing a gray turtleneck sweater and black pants. She still had her wedding band on her ring finger.

I gripped my bear tighter in my hands. "Can I play in my room?"

"I don't want you upstairs alone."

I took a deep breath in through my nose. "Then can I play down here?"

"Sure, honey. Do you want me to bring any toys down for you?"

"My bunny."

She patted my knee and got to her feet. "Alright. I'll be right back. Stay on the couch."

As she walked up the steps, I ran my fingers through my hair. I really wanted to give her a chance for Alex's sake but she wasn't making it easy. Did she really think I'd get off the couch? I couldn't walk and the drop to the floor was higher than I was comfortable with. This really must have been her first time around a child since Alex and Monica were little.

She was gone longer than I was expecting. Did she not know to look in my crib? My bunny and bear were usually in plain view at all times considering how much I used them.

She really didn't know what she was doing.

She walked back down the steps with a stuffed animal that wasn't my bunny. She set it down beside me on the couch. "I couldn't find a bunny but I thought you might like a teddy bear so your bear can have someone to play with."