Me, myself and I (english version) [PAUSE]

Chapter 7: An Afternoon at Eric's (2): Revelation

"A true friendship is when you confuse it with the family"

A silence welcomes my answer. The good mood has left the room, so I get up and head for what seems to me to be the bathroom. I wash my face with cold water to freshen up and regain my spirits.

As I get out of the small bathroom, I come across Timothy, who is leaning against the wall in front of the toilet. As soon as he sees me, he detaches his large body from the wall, stands in front of me and asks me:

- Are you okay?

- I will be...

- Really?

- Yeah, don't worry.

I give him a little smile to reassure him, but his lack of answer makes me understand that he is not fooled, so I decide to change the subject:

- Come on, let's join Eric, he must be really worried, and I don't want him to be.

When we arrive at the salon, Eric runs toward me and hugs me apologizing:

- I'm sorry pequeñita, I didn't know...

- Don't worry, I don't blame you. As you said, you didn't know...

Eric tightens his embrace and adds:

- I don't like to see you sad...

- I know, and if you don't want to see me dead too, you should stop doing that...

- Doing what?

- You're holding me too tightly, I can't breathe...

- "Ah shit!" exclaims Eric while letting me go "I really can't do anything right! "

- Don't worry my favorite giant, that's how we love you! Go stop stressing out and enjoy the rest of the day, I didn't say my last word, I'm going to beat Timothy!

- I didn't know you were so competitive!

- There's still a lot you don't know about me, little Eric. Come on, I'm going to show Timothy what I'm made of!

An hour and five losses later, I finally admit my defeat. I drop my controller and exclaim:

- Why are you so good?!

- "Maybe you're just not that good pequeñita?" says Eric

- I don't think you are in the position to say anything little Eric... May I remind you that I beat you in less than three minutes?

- "I can teach you some techniques if you want," Timothy tells me in his low voice.

Timothy is always so thoughtful... I'm about to answer him when his cell phone starts ringing, and Tamara's face appears on the screen. Timothy grabs his phone, stands up and distances himself from us to answer the call.

- Yes?

- ....

- You can't come?

- ....

- Why?

He glances at us from the hallway and continues:

- You know that you can come with her, right?

- ....

- She is not like that and you should already know that I'm sure that she won't judge you.

- ....

- I'm not going to keep lying to her, you know I hate lying.

- ....

- Ok. We're waiting for you

Timothy returns to the living room and announces that Tamara is coming in thirty minutes. The snippets of conversation I've heard let me guess that Tamara is not here yet, because of me...

We wait for Tamara in a tense silence. No one has their head in the game anymore. I am under the impression that our friendship depends on what will happen when she arrives.

About thirty-five minutes later, the sound of the bell rang in the apartment. Eric will open and returns with Tamara accompanied by a little girl who must be three or four years old. She's as redast as Tamara, but unlike Tamara, the little girl has blue eyes. Eric hugs her and asks:

- How are you mini Tam?

When I hear these words, everything makes sense. Tamara has a daughter! She's a mom and that's why she always has something better to do after school or on weekends. However, I don't understand why it is such a big secret, she surely has her reasons though.

Since her arrival, Tamara has not looked away from me as if she expected to be judged by me. It must be hard for her to be such a young mom and maintain a social life, so to reassure her about the fact that nothing has changed for me, I say jokingly:

- Hey Tam! It took you a while! I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind.

- No, I didn't change my mind it's just that my neighbor had an unforeseen event and could no longer keep Leah...

- Is her name Leah?

The little girl hearing her first name turns her head toward me and giggles in Eric's arms as if she was asking him to let her down. He tightens his embrace and declares as playful as usual.

- No! Don't leave me! Don't abandon me Princess Leah!

- But I want to go down uncle Eric! I want to go see uncle Tae!

Eric takes an offended look and lets Leah down. She immediately heads to Timothy who bends down to the little girl's height level.

- Leah, annyeong!

- Annyeong* uncle Tae! I missed you!

- I missed you too little duckling!

Leah then hugs him and whispers something in his ear. But as you probably know if you often spend time with children, they have trouble with the concept of whispering. I think they have a hard time managing their volume sound so the whole room hears:

- Who's the lady on the couch?

Timothy glances at me, a mischievous little smile stretching his lips and then answers him.

- Why don't you ask her?

- Do you think I should?

- Yes, little duckling, don't be afraid, she's very nice.

Leah then walks up to me and asks in her little flute voice:

- What's your name?

- I'm auntie Ana. I'm your mom and your uncle's friend.

- Would you like to be my friend too?

- I'd love to!

*Annyeong= Hi in korean