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I shifted my weight as I stood stiff by the doorstep, fiddling with my cold, ice bitten fingers. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous, or why my heart was rapidly beating through my chest. Maybe it was because I really wanted to make a good impression on Two-bit's mother. If I was gonna be friends with him, I could have his mother hating me.
With rivulets of sweat running down my temples, I adjusted the hem of my shirt and tentatively knocked on the oak door. Eyes flickering to the ground, I rocked on the balls of my feet and waited for somebody to answer. I could hear footsteps hastily running to the entrance from behind the divider as the feminine voice hollered something inaudible. Probably an I'll be there in a sec. Suddenly, the towering door flew open and behind it stood a beautiful woman, probably in her late thirties.
"Sorry. Hi, can I help you?" She asked, inhaling sharply. She appeared to be in a hurry as she bounced up and down, her perfect blonde ringlets falling in front of her eyes. In her arms was a little girl with large icy blue eyes. I smiled kindly at her and hung my head, shuffling on my toes.
"Two-bit must've not told you, I guess. I'm Holly Randle, Steve's sister. I offered to babysit and he said that was fine. Said he was gonna tell you." My lips twitched upward. I would be talking to Two-bit about this later.
"Oh!" The woman perked up, adjusting the child in her arms. "Steve's sister? He's a kind boy."
"Yeah." I smiled, bending and twisting my fingers. I bit my lip and sniffed awkwardly. My eyes flickered to the child in her arm, fatigued, head rested on her mother's shoulder.
"It's nice to meet you, Holly. I'll have that boy's arm when he gets back here, believe me. Never uses his head. Thank you for being so kind." She smiled, opening the tattered screen door wide. I entered hesitantly and took in my surroundings. It looked almost similar to the Curtis household, only better put together. Understandably, seeing as one of the places was run by three boys.
"I won't be gone for too long. An hour at most, I just need to run some errands." She handed the child off to me. I uncomfortably took her in my arms, wondering silently if there was a specific way to hold a toddler. "So I should be back by, about six, I'd say." She glanced at the watch on her wrist and nodded her head. I smiled and raised my eyebrows, bopping the child up and down. She giggled and clutched onto my long sleeve shirt, gazing up at me with her big blue eyes. Scrunching my nose, I gazed down at the three-year-old and stuck my tongue between my lips.
"She likes you," the woman said, grinning. "By the way, my name is Karen. I'll see you later, Holly. Thank you!" She called as she crossed the threshold, strolling out towards the minivan. I watched through the window as the headlights flickered on, her car pulling from the driveway.
