"Auntie! Where have you been?"
I grin as Ollie runs up and throws his arms around my legs as I walk in.
Aww.
It feels good to have someone who's happy to see you.
"Hey, buddy. Sorry I haven't been around much, I've been setting up my new apartment."
I explain, ruffling his hair affectionatly.
He cries into my legs.
"Its been like, 30 months!"
I roll my eyes.
Its only been a week.
Kids and exaggeration.
"Aww. I miss you too."
I laugh as he lets go and folds his arms, glaring up at me.
"We should totally do something today. How about I take you out for ice cream as an apology?"
I compromise with a dramatic sigh, smiling a little.
His brown eyes light up almost immediately.
"Ice cream!? Yeah! Can we go to the park, too?"
He begs, skipping around my legs happily.
He's always so full of energy, it's ridiculous.
"Fine, okay. But only because I like to see my favorite nephew happy."
I say reluctantly.
He laughs.
"I'm your only nephew, silly!"
I order a Rocky Road ice cream cone for Ollie and a chocolate chip double-dipped-in-caramel cup for myself (guilty pleasure).
Ollie tells me about his new little sister's room as we wait for our order to get done.
"Mommy says I can help her paint tomorrow. She says I'm a big boy and its my role to be the bestest big brother in the world."
He informs me happily, resting his chin in his hands.
I sigh a little.
"She shouldn't be doing so much."
"Yesterday at the dinner table, she dropped a plate accidentally and when it broke, she started crying really hard. Papa got scared."
He says distractedly, tracing the Braums logo on the table.
"Your mom is probably just overwhelmed."
I explain.
"Everyone gets overwhelmed from time to time."
"What is overwhelmed?"
He questions, frowning at me.
I play with the strap to my watch absentmindedly.
"Overwhelmed is a feeling you get when stuff happens too fast for your mind to catch up and you feel like you cant handle it."
"Oh. Like just before a spelling test."
He wonders out loud.
I can't help but laugh a little.
Kids.
You just have to love how innocent they are.
Until they grow up and learn that the world is a scary place.
It's a lonely place too.
But only for people like me.
.
.
.
"This is a nice little setup."
I marvel, finishing off the last of my ice cream as we walk up to the park.
There's a whole skateboard area and a bike trail.
And a monkey running around, chasing a bunch of happy kids.
"Puck!"
I blurt out, recognizing the furball almost immediately as we get closer.
Ha.
As if I could forget.
And it's not usual that you see more than one monkey over the course of a week.
The little monkey jumps around me, hooting for a moment before scrambling up my leg.
Ollie screams, scrambling away from me.
"No no no, its okay Ol, see? I'm okay."
I reassure him, trying my best (and failing) not to appear freaked out.
Not because of the monkey on my shoulder but because if he's here then that means that guy is too.
Quincy.
"Tee, thats a real monkey! Its going to bite you."
My nephew inches closer just a little as I say,
"He's not going to bite me. His owner trained him real good, see?"
I hesitantly petting the happy animal.
Such soft fur.
"Glad you remembered."
Comes a raspy voice behind me.
I turn with a grin.
Quincy!
For some odd reason, seeing those absentminded eyes makes me feel happy.
I don't know.
This is a pretty small town.
The odds of us actually seeing each other were not really that slim, I suppose.
"Hi, Quincy."
I say, waving awkwardly.
Then inwardly slapping myself.
God, Im such a idiot sometimes.
I forgot he was blind.
He waves back though, which surprises me.
What the hell?
How did he know-
"Sorry for scaring you, little buddy. Puck is a lover not a fighter."
He explains, his eyes darting in Ollie's direction.
Grey.
Oh my God, the guy has grey eyes. How did I not notice that much at the hospital?
Being his usual shy self in front of strangers, Ollie hides behind my legs.
I cant help but laugh a little.
My nephew is so adorable, I swear.
"Sorry, he's a little shy."
I explain quietly, my eyes roaming over his body inappropriately.
Still looking for that dick print.
Damn, is he never hard or something?
Geez, this guy is unbearably attractive. Especially with the sun hitting his face at this angle.
Who knew that a simple white beater and joggers could look so good on a person?
"Oh, that's okay. I'm shy too, Ollie. My name is Quincy."
Quincy says softly, a sloppy grin appearing in his face.
I swoon at the sight, sighing quietly.
Wow wow wow.
Ollie looks at me weirdly so I clear my throat and try not to blush.
"Say hi. Come on, introduce yourself."
I encourage quietly, ushering him from behind me.
"Hi, Quincy. I'm Oliver but my friends call me Ollie."
He says obediently.
His eyes are glued to Puck, who left my shoulder and started jumping around Quincy's legs.
"I like your monkey."
He adds shyly, glancing back at me.
I smile at him.
"Thanks! He's my best friend. He loves children. I take him here sometimes whenever he's feeling anxious."
Quincy explains, clicking his teeth.
Puck scrambles up the side of his leg and to his shoulder almost immediately.
Oliver watches interestedly.
"That's kind of sad."
He comments.
I roll my eyes.
"Alright, alright. Go play, stop harassing my new friend."
I complain, shooing away the blunt little boy.
Kids have no filter, I swear.
"But I want to stay and watch Puck."
He complains.
"Thats okay. You can play with him."
Quincy offers kindly.
Ollie gasps, his eyes getting big.
"Really!?"
"Yeah. He can understand what we say so you can talk to him and everything. Just don't pull his tail. He doesn't like that."
Quincy explains, gently prying the totally calm animal off of his shoulder and setting him on the ground right in front of Ollie.
He blinks.
"Click your teeth."
Quincy instructs.
When Ollie obeys, Puck scrambles up the side of his leg.
"Ahh! Wow, this is so cool."
Ollie marvels, tensing up as Puck sniffs his head.
"He can do tricks as well, all you have to do is say something. He can do a lot of things."
"Including stealing. I'm not kidding."
He adds under his breath as Ollie turns and skips away, eager to play with his new animal friend.
I grin, nervously wiping my sweaty hands on the side of my pants.
"Wow."
"There's a bench over there. Come sit with me, yeah?"
He asks quietly, turning and starting to walk before I can even blink.
What!?
"How do you know that?"
I question, frowning a little as he starts smirking as he sits down.
Real nice. This dude is trying to make me faint on purpose.
"I knew you had more than one question."
He says thoughtfully.
I roll my eyes, sitting down beside him.
"I don't know how to explain it, really. Being blind has its perks. You see, when one of your senses stop working, your other ones become like a team. You are more aware of your surroundings even if you can't see. And me? I've been doing this my whole life, I know every inch of this town."
He adds that last sentence proudly puffing out his chest.
I look on interestedly.
Wow.
He was born blind?
"So you can hear and smell really good?"
I choose to ask, my brain all jumbled by the smell of his cologne.
It smells really good.
"Yes."
He pauses for a second before adding,
"Thats one of the reasons why I knew you were here. I um....remember how you smelled."
His cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink.
"Awwww."
I can't help but gush.
Seeing a guy blush is cute.
"Oh, shut up."
He grumbles, shaking his head thoughtfully.
"So, what do I smell like then? I figured that I smell like any other person who wears Bath and Bodyworks perfume."
I say, getting comfortable.
"No no no, you smell like watermelon and peanut butter. Yeah. I remember because it is weird. Nobody else I know smells like that."
He disagrees, folding his arms.
I just stare.
I smell like peanut butter!?
What the heck?
"Hmph."
"Plus I remembered your voice. According to my doctor, the memory system part of my brain is perfectly accurate."
He continues.
I frown again.
"Geez. Now I don't feel special anymore."
I complain.
He smiles a little.
"Well, apparently you are. I'm a new friend, huh?"
He asks, sounding mildy amused.
I blush this time.
"Well, yeah. I'm fairly new around here so everyone I meet is my new friend."
I hurry to say.
He frowns.
"Geez. Now I don't feel special anymore."
He mimicks me, turning in my direction.
I laugh out loud at that one.
This dude thinks he's funny.
Why does that surprise me so much?
"Aww, don't say that Quincy. You are special."
I assure him, hesitantly patting his arm.
He doesn't say anything.
I glance over at Ollie. He's a few feet away, cheering as Puck rolls around in the grass.
I roll my eyes.
He gets so happy so easily.
"That's your nephew isn't it? The one with the asthma?"
Quincy asks quietly, looking directly at him.
I look from him to Quincy.
"Yeah."
"He seems fine now. Nice kid."
He replies casually.
I stare at the side of his face.
"Yeah. He's my brother's son."
"You're staring again."
He says, suddenly turning his head.
I blush again, caught in the act.
"Sorry. Its just....You are so calm and chill. Like being blind isn't the worst thing in the world."
I admit quietly, staring down at my hands.
He clears his throat.
"Its not. Being dead is worse."
It takes me a whole minute to get that he was making a joke.
"Hahaha, very funny."
I say sarcastically.
He just snickers.
"For real though. Its always been my life. I'm perfectly okay with it, I get that I'm like this for a reason."
He says after a moment.
I bite my lip.
"You're biting your lip."
He announces, starting me.
Okay, that's just weird.
How does he know that?
"You're being weird."
I shoot back, narrow my eyes.
He just smirks again.
"Yep. But I have an excuse."
He points to his eyes.
I blink, not knowing what to say to that.
He's so hot.