Chapter 3 - It was Her

WYATT

"I don't understand why you're so obsessed with this place," I said after kicking the car door closed. I then followed Kevin, who was already leading the way toward the daycare center with a box in his hands. Inside were children's books we would deliver to every child at the daycare center.

I wouldn't have been here if I hadn't lost the damn bet. And it was all Kevin's idea.

"Didn't we meet them yesterday? Don't you think they're adorable?" He responded with a question instead of answering my complaint.

Okay. This was the second day I was here after he dragged me here and made me do a volunteer job to play around with the children. They were indeed adorable. But my question wasn't about them. It was Kevin's motive that intrigued me.

"I saw you playing well with George, Martha, Austin, and others." He continued.

"Don't change the topic."

He laughed, which convinced me more that he had an agenda behind this scheme. "You should familiarize yourself with children." He talked about something I didn't understand.

Familiarize myself with children?

Why should I?

But I couldn't voice the question as the main door opened, and a forty-year-old woman welcomed us.

"Thank you. We really appreciate your kindness. The children will definitely love it." Ada, the head chief of the daycare center, spoke as she guided us inside the building.

"We hope so. A book will open their eyes to the world. It's probably early for them to understand, but we just hope they will enjoy these and grow a habit and love for reading." Kevin replied, and I almost choked on that. He sounded wise, the exact opposite of the waggish person he portrayed to the people close to him and in casual situations.

Well, he indeed has that side. I just couldn't take myself to witness it sometimes.

"You're right."

Then Ada brought us to her office to drop the books and divided them based on age.

"We will visit C class and deliver these." Kevin had separated a pile of books from others and began to divide them for me.

Wait.

How could I do nothing to this assignment and just accept books that were already in my hands? We hadn't discussed it yet.

But how could I say no? We had shown a good image, and destroying it was impossible. It was Logan, and we were also carrying the name on our shoulders.

"Do you need help?"

"No, we're okay. It's not much. You can begin delivering the rest to other classes." Kevin uttered the last time before we left the office while carrying some books with us. Not much because each class only contained around ten children.

"I still don't understand," I repeated the same sentence when it was merely two of us. If it was an orphanage, I might have understood everything. But then, it was not even New York. Why did we go so far just to this daycare center, where New York had a lot, too?

Again, Kevin laughed as if it amazed him why I kept questioning the same thing. Well, it wasn't my fault. Everything was suspicious now, even the bet he suggested when we had just finished our meeting last week.

"Just think that I'm helping you. You'll thank me for this." He answered in front of the C class door, still hiding his real agenda. Then he opened the door without waiting for me to respond.

Fuck him!

"Hello, everyone. Uncle Kevin and Uncle Wyatt are back. Who's missing us?" Kevin spoke the moment we stepped inside the class.

All heads automatically turned in our direction, and soon, smiles were all over the children's faces. It was the second day, so they had familiarized themselves with our presence. At least we weren't wholly strangers to them anymore.

"Uncle Kevin!" Martha exclaimed from her place, calling out Kevin's name.

To which was followed by another call. "Uncle Kevin! Uncle Wyatt!"

"Yes. This is Uncle Kevin and Uncle Wyatt. How are you?"

"Good!"

"Amazing!"

"Wonderful!"

And so on. It seemed everyone was excited to converse with us.

"How about you?" In the end, Sofia asked when we already joined the crowd, and Kevin crouched before her.

"Us? We're always good." Kevin replied while smiling and ruffling her hair.

"Are you going to play with us today?" It was George.

"Of course. We can play baseball or soccer outside. But before that, Uncle brings you something. It's books. Do you love books?"

"Yes. I love Snow White book." It was Dela answering, not George.

"Hm." Kevin hummed as he looked at the books in his hands and mine. "I'm not sure we have a Snow White book. But we have Princess Jasmine's book." He grabbed a book on the top of the pile to show the girl. It was Aladdin's book. And, of course, there was Princess Jasmine.

"I want Princess Jasmine's book."

"You can have it. Here."

Dela stood up and began her steps to approach us. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Kevin ruffled Dela's hair, making her blush.

I admitted that Kevin could get along with the children quickly. It was probably related to his wife being pregnant now.

But he was good even before he met his wife.

"You can also pick your own. But you can only take one." Kevin showed the number with his finger to make it clear. No one could have more than one, though we had prepared more than enough. It was just the rule, and everyone must learn to follow it.

Therefore, the line started. The children took turns choosing their desired book until it was Austin's turn.

"We have the same eyes."

His remark on our first meeting yesterday was running inside my head. It was indeed the first thing I noticed, too. His blue eyes... Those clear blue eyes, were like mine. Even the shine was the same. It was like we shared the same DNA for our eyes.

Today was the same. Austin's eyes mesmerized me one more time because they looked exactly the same as mine.

"Uncle, do you have a Superman book?" Austin asked with his tiny voice. His eyes were scanning the books, searching for what he desired.

"Superman book?" I parroted.

He nodded. "Yes. Superman book." He was waiting patiently as I began to look for it. I was sure I saw it before.

It didn't take long for me to find it, and I immediately thrust it to him. "Here."

His face lit up and more radiant as he received the book. "Thank you, Uncle."

I smiled, ready to copy what Kevin did, when another voice was heard.

"I want a Superman book, too," Martha stated, making Austin's happiness disappear in an instant.

I spotted it, too, so I forced my brain to work fast. But before I could say something, Austin beat me. "But I picked this first."

Martha merely looked at him before her gaze shifted to me. "I also want a Superman book, Uncle."

This was hard. How could I refuse Martha's request without hurting her? Besides, as Austin said, he was the first to have it, and I gave my approval. It wouldn't be fair if I asked him to give the book to Martha. Right?

"How about Wonder Woman book?" Kevin's question was like my savior because it attracted Martha's interest. "I have a Wonder Woman book here. Do you want this?" He offered while thrusting the book toward her.

Martha stared at the book. And it felt like the longest few seconds of silence I had encountered lately. And it paid when she nodded and took the book from Kevin's hand. "Thank you, Uncle."

"Do you want me to read it for you?"

She nodded again, and now both of them were walking toward the corner.

Then, I returned my focus to Austin. "Do you want me to read it, too?" I offered the same thing Kevin had done before. If he could do it, I wouldn't lose for him.

I was in high spirits when, surprisingly, Austin shook his head, making my heart drop in one shot. "No?" I wanted to make sure.

"I want to read it with Mommy. We'll have lunch together."

Okay. I must accept my loss because beating a mother is impossible.

"Hey, Austin. What about Uncle Wyatt joining your lunch?" Kevin's radar always seemed on as he listened to our conversation, even though Martha and some girls surrounded him. "Can he?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. Of course. Just because Kevin was the winner, he could do whatever about my presence here!

But then I couldn't object when I saw Austin's eyes flitting in contemplation as if it was something important, and I didn't want to spoil it. Joining their lunch wasn't bad, though.

"I can join your lunch, right?"

"Mommy usually makes lunch for us."

I knew 'us' he meant for Austin and his mother. "I can buy mine. There's a restaurant nearby."

Only after I said it, a smile plastered on his face. "Yes. Mommy will come soon, and we can have lunch together."

Turned out he was thinking about me. How sweet he was!

I opened my mouth and was about to say thank you when Austin exclaimed, "Mommy!" Then ran toward the door.

I followed his movement, turning my body around, only to be stunned the moment I saw a person crouching in the doorway and hugging Austin. My breath hitched as my mind connected with the familiarity. That face, that smile, those eyes, that voice, that gesture...

"Ruby."

Yes. It was her.