Nothing More Contagious Than Love

Chapter 1

It was the eve of my 18th birthday. I was in the trailer, helping Lila gather up some of the props for the show tonight.

 "Isabelle, hand me the basket of snakes please." Lila asked nicely.

 Not something you here everyday. Well it was completely normal for things like that to be talked about in the circus. Lila was a snake dancer and always kept a bunch with her. I carefully lifted up the basket. Just as I did, the lid moved a little and a python stuck his head out. I gently pushed him back in and closed the lid. I wasn't uncomfortable with snakes, but I just prefer not to be around them, let alone dance with them like how Lila does. She tried teaching me when I was younger. I caught on alright, but it was nothing I preferred to do. I hand her the basket and she sets it on the table along with all the other props. 

"Is that everything?" I ask. 

"It should be for now." Lila says.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I wipe a bead of sweat off my forehead. Lila takes a deep breath and looks at me with a smile.

"I can't believe you're eighteen today. You're just as old as my little Jerome." Lila says.

"I can't believe it either. Time flies by." I say.

"Come here child." 

I walk over to her and she embraces me in a hug.

"Your mother would be so proud of you." She says.

I smile and pull away from the hug.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. That you couldn't go to school or have normal friends." 

I immediately stop her before she could say something else along those lines.

"No, Lila, don't be sorry. I love it here. I love my job and I love what you have done for me." I say.

Lila smiles. 

"You're right child, what am I saying? You wouldn't have gotten to know Jerome so well then if you lived a normal life." she says.

I smile. That's what I was hoping she'd say.

"Hopefully soon the two of you together will carry on the family legacy." 

A thought registers in my mind of what she was talking about, but I still want clarification.

"Wait, what?" I ask.

"Why, I'm talking about when you two get married of course!" 

I look around nervously hoping Jerome wasn't there.

"He's not here if that's what you're wondering. He's helping Paul with something." Lila says.

I was a little relieved about that, but my face was still hot, and not just from embarrassment.

"I mean...I don't think...it's just." I try talking, but I was too flustered to make an actual sentence.

"Oh come on, a mother knows her daughter like she knows the back of her hand. I've known for a long time that you had feelings for Jerome." Lila says.

I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had no plans in pursuing a relationship with Jerome. That this was as far as we're going to get. But she seemed so happy that I didn't want to ruin it for her. I simply just smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll see you after the show." 

She grabs all her props, ands before she heads out the door, she kisses the top of my forehead. As she heads out the door, Jerome walks in. He notices his mother leaving and holds open the door for her. I notice how neither of them showed gratitude for the others as that happened, which kind of upset me. After Lila leaves, Jerome approaches me.