The Playboy's Misfortune

25: Angel

"Though there's rain outside,
you'll be warm and dry
The thunder and the lightning won't hurt you now
So go to sleep, my love"

~-~-~

I stepped out of Chelsea's room with a sigh.

She didn't look too different from the last time I saw her. Fresh bandages were the only difference. The blip was still small. But the scars on her pretty face were healing well.

This time, I had taken Lucy with me. She was surprisingly quiet but she had pointed at Chelsea saying, "Aa!" My little girl tried to reach her but I got out as soon as possible. Still, Lucy kept looking over my shoulder. I felt pathetic thinking she was more hopeful than myself.

"Mr.Xander?" A familiar young voice caught my attention.

I turned around to find Danny and Gary. The older boy was holding what looked like a picnic basket. It had been three days since their father died and I was surprised at how resolute these children could look.

"Ma asked to give you this." Danny handed me the basket filled with fruits, "She said that she would pray as hard as possible for Mrs.Xander. Ma also said that you shouldn't ignore your health."

How the fuck was their entire family so kind?

It hadn't made sense months ago, and even now it didn't.

"I'll try."

"Well, we have to go sell shrimp." Gary straightened his cap as though he was saying goodbye like an adult. "See you later, Mr.Xander," Danny told me. "Bye Lucy," he smiled at her.

"You boys got time to sit down?" I asked as they turned to leave. They stopped and stared at me, then at each other. Danny quietly sat down on the chairs followed by his brother.

"You sell shrimp?" I asked them and shifted Lucy to my other arm.

"Yeah. Our uncle owns a boat. We go with him to catch them but he lets us take half the money."

"You don't go to school?"

They glanced at each other. Gary eventually stared at the floor.

"Ma's a bit sick now... When she gets better, we'll go."

"Right." I could see through their lies.

But if they hadn't quit school to sell shrimp, their entire family would have had to starve.

"Run along," I told them. Gary was the first to sprint outside but Danny turned to me, "I almost forgot... The pastor wanted to see you, Mr.Xander. He asked if you could drop by the church sometime."

"Doesn't he have anything better to do?" I muttered.

Danny smiled, his eyes were warm brown just like his father's.

***

Susan and the guys visited Chelsea again as Dr.Hudson allowed everyone this time.

The woman was on the verge of crying as usual and Chase wrapped his hand around her shoulder. Even Jay and Chuck looked terribly upset. Once they stepped out, Chase went to drop Susan home while Chuck left for work.

"Let's get lunch," Jim told me when Jay left as well.

He talked about his job at the boxing academy. The youngsters he trained were all very talented. Jim even joked that they could easily kick my butt.

Sometimes, it felt as though he had always been with me. It had been barely six months since we met and still, I knew everything about him.

He was a good human being.