Vanilla And Cocoa

Chapter 40 "Vignettes of the Summer"

When Justin told Merissa, there was no screaming or crying. I blinked in surprise as a smile graced her features after she registered what he said.

"Are they going to help you get better?" She asked, innocently.

Justin returned her smile and pulled her into a hug. "Yeah."

-

While Merissa knew he was leaving in a week that didn't stop her from sticking to his side like glue. She got him to do everything with her. Bedtime stories, playtime, summer worksheets, watching tv, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Sometimes I'd catch Justin's eyes when she'd do these things and he'd share such a soft smile with me that it made my chest hurt.

"She's going to be clinging to you like this after I leave tomorrow." He whispered to me on his last night with us.

I hummed an affirmative and brushed Merissa's hair gently out of her face. Her eyebrows furrowed in her sleep and her hand clinged tighter to Justin's own. "How long do you think you'll be gone?"

He leaned close and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I can't say but I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I know."

-

Justin's departure went quietly the next morning. No one really spoke except for the hushed goodbyes that were said as Justin grabbed his stuff from my car and prepared to go inside the building.

"I love you. Don't give Destiny a hard time." I heard him whisper to Merissa as he hugged her.

He hugged me and parted his lips but I cut him off. "No, I don't want to hear it. You come back to us, alright?"

He nodded and I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Take care of yourself."

"I'd say the same to you."

Merissa and I watched him go in silence.

-

"So, it's just us now."

I glanced at Orlan from over my shades and leaned further into the wooden picnic table. "Looks like it."

Chris lightly tugged at Orlan's hair to get his attention from the other side of the table as Drew leaned his head on my knee from his place on the grass by my feet. "It's such a nice day out. Let's not be sad."

I lightly tapped him with my foot. "No one was getting sad."

He huffed, disgruntled but stayed quiet. I moved my gaze to the playground where Merissa and fifteen other children from the orphanage were playing. I could spot Merissa's small form easily because of the bright yellow flower clipped onto her ponytail. Her smile was just as bright as she chased another little girl around with a water gun. A smile twitched onto my lips as her laughter reached me as she doused the other girl in water.

"You guys want to grab some water balloons and join in on the fun?" I asked suddenly. They turned to look at me and I raised an eyebrow.

Chris shrugged, grinning. "Why not?"

-

Merissa wouldn't stop crying.

It was a late night in the middle of the summer and she had woken up from her fitful sleep bawling.

In a sleepy haze, I tried everything. I tried rocking her back to sleep, singing her back to sleep, getting her to talk about it, get her to watch tv, made her drink some water. I even tried making her laugh.