It was that evening when Samantha once again had to cross the fence to get to the house of a boy who needed her help.
She was soaked again, she felt that her shoes were full of water, as she had previously ignored the puddles and ran into them to get to Alex as quickly as possible. She was worried about him. He sounded so depressed on the phone that she got the impression that he had completely given up.
She rushed to the front door, but it was locked. She banged on it and shouted for him to open it for her, but unfortunately, in this situation she had to manage on her own, as the boy was not going to let her inside. Without thinking, she ran to the back of the garden, where the veranda was located, and a white table and chairs were set on it. The door to the kitchen was also closed, but a tilted window caught her attention. At that moment, she felt like a thief, but she had to do it.
Clumsily, she climbed onto the window sill and jumped inside, leaving a trail of mud behind her. Pushing her wet hair away from her face, she looked around the interior with panic.
- Alex? - A shout echoed through the quiet house. The boy did not answer her, so she searched all the rooms.
When she didn't find him on the first floor, she ran to the second floor. Breathing heavily, she rushed into his bedroom. The bed was bedded, but her attention was caught by the door, behind which she could hear water. She walked up to it and, closing her eyelids, pressed on the handle. She knew it was inappropriate behavior, but she had a bad feeling and had to check if he was okay.
Furthermore, she peeked inside, and her heart went up to her throat when she noticed the faucet turned off, causing water to flow onto the floor tiles. She stepped closer and opened her eyes wider when she noticed that the boy was at the bottom with his eyes closed.
She jumped into the tub and grabbed him, but at the same moment he opened his eyes and surfaced. He looked at her with disbelief in his eyes as she put her hand to her chest.
- Samantha?
She sat on his feet, unable to hold back tears. She lowered her head and then burst into tears.
- Why did you want to do this, you jerk! - she screamed.
- I would rather not do anything. It's simply my way to calm down. I often do that when it's a stormy night," he replied, and she couldn't stand it and poked him in the chest with her hand.
- You moron, do you know how scared I was? You sounded so depressed on the phone that the worst scenarios were manifesting in my head. I almost died when I drove here.
He put his arms around her and hugged her close. The girl lay on top of him in the bath, cuddling her face into his neck. She couldn't stop crying. He stroked her wet hair, feeling a pleasant warmth around her breasts.
- You are impossible, you know? - She smiled through her tears. - Again, you came running to me in this weather after one phone call, but the puzzling thing is, how did you get inside?
- Through the kitchen window. - At these words he laughed. Samantha snuggled tighter into him because at that moment she was so comfortable that she could have spent her whole life in his embrace.
- I should be embarrassed because if we found ourselves in danger, I'm afraid you would be a better heroine than I am, and that would no doubt hurt my pride. - His lips twisted in a fake smile. - Too bad I'm not like you. You probably would have saved the entire family if necessary.
- Hm - she moved back to him and carefully looked into his eyes.
- Ten years ago I was just a child, but I am still gnawed by remorse for not helping my family. I know that as a ten-year-old, I wouldn't have done anything, and probably would have died at the hands of a murderer, but I didn't try anything. I was so terrified that I just protected my ass.
- I guess you're talking about a situation that has been destroying your life so far, but finally understand that you can't blame yourself for the rest of your life. You were a child. What could you have done? Hit the murderer over the head with a ball?
Although she was serious, Alex laughed. He imagined the scene and just couldn't help himself.
- You, even at a time like this, can make me laugh. Meeting you was indeed meant for me.
- So what, should I make you laugh more in this bathtub?
Her face said it all, so he took her face in his hands and unexpectedly kissed her. Samantha opened her eyes wider in surprise.
- This is the first time I have kissed someone I have feelings for.
- This is the first time I have been kissed by a person I care about.
- Who has kissed you before? - His amazement was so evident that Samantha giggled.
- I was eleven years old, and I was kissed by a peer I didn't like.
The girl snuggled into him and closed her eyelids.
- You know what, I'm cold. I'm wet from head to toe.
- I can feel you shivering, yet the puzzling thing for me is, do you feel comfortable sitting here in your shoes?
- People say I have a peculiar personality, so it's not surprising.
*
Dressed in his clothes and wrapped in a blanket, she looked at Alex as he wiped her hair with a towel. She was relieved when she realized that no stupid thoughts had crossed his mind. Or was he really trying to do something, but lied to her so she wouldn't worry? Why was he using the bathtub with his clothes on?
- You have to finally forget about what happened in the past and start living a normal life, Alex. You can't keep blaming yourself for something you couldn't do back then. You were a child.
The boy stopped wiping her. He brought a hair dryer from the bathroom and handed it to the girl.
- I keep trying to fight it, but it's stronger than I. Stormy nights always bring with them suffering. I don't know when it will end.
- The end will come when you stop blaming yourself for the death of your family.
- Maybe you should go to psychology? How did the exam go for you? - He asked, cleverly changing the subject.
- I'm not worried about it. I'm going to go to work anyway because I can't afford to go to college.
- And you will spend your whole life scrounging for lousy money? - He sat down opposite her and rested his elbows on his knees. - It's too bad you're not prettier because I would have screwed you in the world of advertising.
- Show me a girl prettier than me. - She snorted under her breath and crossed her arms on her chest with indignation. - I'm going to find myself a rich husband anyway. I will no longer live impoverished.
Alex laughed at these words.
- I'm used to how direct you are as a girl. - He rubbed his forehead with his hand, unable to stop smiling. - Do you think some rich guy will look at you?
- Don't you? One is just sitting in front of me and is in love with me up to my ears.
His face at that moment was so funny that Samantha felt like taking a picture of him.
- But I never said I would marry you.
- That was rude. - She became indignant like a child. She turned on the hair dryer and took care of her hair, purposely ignoring the amused boy.
*
Mark was nervous as he sat across from the man who claimed to be his father. He kept his hands under the table because he was ashamed to put them on the countertop, he was shaking with fear so much.
- I understand your anxiety. I'm sorry I've been acting like this lately. I think I got too carried away when I found out I had a son. I haven't dreamed of anything else for many years. My wife couldn't make me happy with an offspring, so don't think that now I'm so anxious to meet you because you are my only child. I understand that you might have taken it that way. It is obvious that I will not force you to do anything. I was talking out of turn in a fit of nerves. You must understand me.
- You don't know me. You just found out that I'm your son, so why are you so anxious to include me in the family registry and give everything to me? What does your wife think about this?
- Her opinion doesn't matter to me at all. We are in the process of divorce, so I will have to share the property with her anyway.
- I understand.
- Why do I want to include you in the registry? You are my son and I want to compensate you for all those years of suffering. I want you to have a good future. - He clenched his hands into a fist and lowered his face. - I have been struggling with my illness for many years, so for me this money doesn't matter much anymore. They may keep me alive, but I don't know the future and I don't know what will happen.
- Are you sick? - Mark felt a strange prick in the region of his heart, even though he hardly knew the man at all.
- That's irrelevant. We are talking about you. So far, I'm alive and well," he stated, looking at him with a smile on his face. At that moment, he seemed like an entirely different man. Mark was no longer as nervous during this conversation as he was at first. - I want to compensate you and your mother for all the years of suffering. I have no bad intentions. I simply want you to have a good future. You deserve it," he said.
The boy thought of his mother's worries as she cried nights and worried about the next day. How much she suffered, realizing she had no money to send her son to college, despite his hard study.
He closed his eyelids as he realized that this might actually be the only hope for him and his mother to finally bounce back together and start being happy without worrying about what awaits them the next day.
- I need some time to discuss this with my mother. She always supports me and her opinion is critical to me.
- I understand.
*
It was late evening. Mark was lying on a bench, gazing at the stars. Naomi, who came to him immediately after work, squatted next to the boy and put her hand to his cheek. He shifted his gaze to her.
- I spoke to him. You were right. He gave me time to talk to my mother and think everything over.
- Talking is always the best solution. You can't assume anything in advance," she replied, sitting down on the sidewalk. The boy was surprised, especially since she was wearing light-colored pants. - Don't pay attention to that. When I was a child, I always sat under the bench. It's a habit. It's dark, so you won't see the dirt on my butt.
Looking at the profile of her face, he smiled.
- At first you seemed to me to be a self-obsessed damsel who was only worried about a broken nail, but the more she gets to know you, the stronger she becomes convinced of how special you are.
- Did you say a compliment to me?
- I don't know what a compliment is for a girl, because I've never said it to any girl.
- And very well. After all, I'm the special one.
Mark laughed at her answer.
- Tell me honestly... what did you see in me? Was it loved at first sight?
- Mark, what's wrong with you? You are acting strangely today. Talking to your father gave you courage? - She watched his face closely, and he didn't even look away for a moment. - You decided to become a rich daddy's son and immediately became more confident? Is that what this is about?
- Yes. If I agree, I will have unimaginable success with girls. And not just any girls. I will be able to choose.
Naomi was so indignant that she squatted on her knees and snapped at his nose.
- With me, you gained confidence, and now you are just going to put me in a corner like that?
- Maybe not into a corner, but somewhere off to the side, yes," he replied with laughter in his voice, and this time she hit him on the shoulder.
- And so you will not leave me. Destiny was written for us from the beginning. I'm sure of it.
Mark furrowed his eyebrows.
- What, are you talking nonsense again?
- It's true. We needed each other. You made me stop acting like a witch. I am entirely different towards people. I, on the other hand, helped you find yourself because you were lost among the stars.
The boy sat down on the bench and lowered his face, watching her carefully as she crouched in front of him.
- It has come to my attention that you are a devotee of fairies. Have you been to any again?
She shook her head in response.
- I had a dream. In it, I saw a beautiful scene in which we were older and walking along the beach, holding hands. - She rested her hands on his lap and smiled. - And I believe it will happen one day. It must be destiny.