Chapter 0144 âNoah, are you done with your homework?â I call, but I donât get an answer.
It was Friday afternoon and I was dead tired on my feet. I had forgotten when youâre pregnant how easily you get tired. Every single thing tired me out.
The only thing Iâm grateful for is that I never experienced morning sickness unlike when I was pregnant with Noah.
âNoah?â I call him again.
I wonder what the hell he is doing. I usually get an answer immediately. Unless something has caught his attention and distracted him.
Before I can carry my tired b*dy to go upstairs to check on him, my doorbell rings.
I release a heavy sigh. Itâs not that I didnât want to see anyb*dy, I just wanted to take a break. Maybe have a long bath.
I spent the whole day at the Hope Foundation going through tons of documents that needed my attention. My eyes were dry, My mind was burnt out and my b*dy was aching all over.
Dragging myself, I open my door and I am surprised to find Calvin and Gunner at my doorstep. Itâs been two days since that day in my backyard.
When Gunner didnât show up when Noah got back from school, I assumed that maybe Calvin didnât want anything to do with us.
After all, he was really grumpy during our whole encounter.
âHiâ shock was clearly in my voice and I couldnât hide it.
âHi Miss Avaâ Gunner tells me sweetly with a smile. âThese are for youâ
Itâs then that I notice he has a bouquet of flowers. Pink roses to be exact. He hands them to me and I take them gratefully.
Thank you Gunner. These are beautifulâ Without thinking, I bend down and k*ss his cheeks.
When I straighten, he gives me a shy smile. Just like with Noah, I could already tell that Gunner was a sweet boy.
Ishift my eyes to his father, âWould you like to come in?â
He looks hesitant at first, but when Gunner pulls his hand, he agrees.
I lead them straight to the kitchen where I had been baking cookies and cupcakes. Noah had requested for them and though I was tired, I couldnât refuse him.
âYouâre just in time to eat some goodnessâ I tell them as the oven timer pings.
I look for a vase and place the beautiful flowers Gunner brought me.
âNoahâ I call again as I place some cookies in front of our guests.
âIâm coming mommyâ he shouts back.
I hear his bedroom door close. Then his footsteps as he runs down the hallway and then the stairs.
Seconds later, he breaks through the kitchen door. He comes to a stop when he sees that we have visitors.
ding next to m 1. me.
âCome, my love. I want you to meet someoneâ he hesitantly takes a step until heâs standing Noah is a bit shy at first glance. That is before you get to know him better. When he sheds his shyness, you wonât even believe that heâs the same boy. Heâll talk your ear off.
âNoah, this here is Gunner. He lives next door and Gunner, this is my son Noah. Heâs the one I was telling you aboutâ
If Iâm being honest, I thought things will be awkward between them at first, but I am wrong.
Gunner smiles âHiâ
âWanna play in my room?â Noah asks at the same time.
âSureâ
With that, Noah grabs a bunch of cookies and hands them to Gunner. Then he goes to the pantry and get a couple of juice boxes.
ey walk âCome on, Iâve got a new game to show youâ Noah says as they walk off.
I was super surprised by his actions. I thought it would take a bit of pushing to get him to warm up to Gunner, I guess I didnât need to.
âWell that went well, Iâm surprised Gunner made the first move. Heâs usually really reservedâ Calvin breaks. the silence.
face him. I had completely forgotten that he was even there.
Noah is like that too at first. He has to get comfortable with someone first Really? Then heâs much better off. When I say that Gunner is reserved I mean, he likes his own company. He doesnât like making friends or meeting new people. Even in school, he keeps to himselfâ
âSeriously?â I ask shocked.
âSeriously. At this point I think Rex and I are his only friendsâ
I frown at that. I wasnât a child psychologist but I was a teacher. Even I knew that that wasnât typical behaviour for a child his age.
For a child to be that withdraw, then there is probably a problem. I know it doesnât lie with Calvin. You just have to take one look at them to know they adore each other.
Something else was wrong. If Gunner is as withdrawn as Cal says, then somethingâs made him that way.