Chapter 13

Once I had left the bathroom and found my way back at the library, I wasn't all too surprised to see that Kevin's chair was empty and that his stuff was gone. In fact, I was relieved. I was dreading the conversation that would follow our 'almost kiss' in the bathroom. So I had done what any normal person would have done

I fled too.

I'm a coward right? Well in my defence, Kevin was one too. I had raced home as though my car would catch alight if I stopped. Miriam was surprised to see me home so early but I could tell she was pleased. She had been getting the sniffles and I was starting to think that her sniffles were quickly becoming a body crushing flu. I hadn't done much once I was home. I chose to spend my suddenly free day playing with Tommy and when I had a moment alone, working on my design which lacked a start. I had been so swept into my work while Tommy napped that I hadn't expected or realised Kevin had texted me. It was only after dinner that I had read it.

Meet me tomorrow.

His text was short and to the point as it always was. I smiled and replied with a yes. My anxiety had disappeared when I noticed he was ignoring our previous situation much like me. We were both a little useless really. I shrugged it off and continued with the day as though it never happened. That idea of thinking had however led me to my current situation.

I was supposed to meet with Kevin again except I was a sitter short and horribly desperate for a solution. Miriam had called this morning apologising profusely for her absence. I had been right about her sniffles apparently. What I had failed to consider was the fact that I now had to watch Tommy myself. Easy enough right? Not exactly. Kevin and I also needed to work on our project if we actually stood a chance at winning.

I did the only thing I could.

"Good morning." Kevin answered my call with his trade mark chipper personality.

"Hi, um Kevin I have some bad news." I answered meekly.

"Oh no, is everything alright with Tommy? Are you alright? If you're in the hospital tell me or if someone dangerous is there in the house just blink. No wait I can't see your blink. You need to clear your throat."

"Kevin!" I screamed into the phone ending his paranoid rambling. "Gosh, stress much dude? Calm down please?"

He sighed and I could hear him take in a deep breath and exhale. "Sorry. You just scared me."

I giggled lightly. "It's really sweet that you'd react so passionately if something were wrong." I sighed, "It isn't that bad though. Miriam called in sick which means I don't have a sitter. We'll have to cancel today. It's the only option I can think of."

"No it's not." He scoffed. "Why don't I just meet at your house?"

I nodded and then replied, "Sounds fine, if you're okay with it?"

"Would I have suggested it if I weren't?"

I groaned, "there you go again, answering my questions with your own."

He laughed and I smiled in return. I could listen to him laugh for the rest of my life. It was soothing and contagious. It was an odd mix that somehow only worked for someone like Kevin. "I'll see you there soon." His voice sounded lighter after his spit of laughter.

"See you soon." We hung up and I stood for a moment grinning at my phone. I was really starting to like being around him. I looked towards Tommy who sat comfortably in his own world and smiled. "We better get presentable little man. We have a bigger man to impress." Tommy looked at me briefly and then turned his attention back towards his plastic box that lit up when hit. He smacked his fist hard on the button and a bright red light flashed. Tommy squealed and glanced at me happily. I laughed and Tommy joined me. He looked back towards his box and hit it again so that the light could flash. When the light shone, he looked to me again. I laughed and he followed. After having the action repeated a few more times, I realised that Tommy found more enjoyment in making me laugh than seeing the light flash.

He became more and more like his mother every day.

I joined Tommy on the floor and together we laughed when we saw the red light. I hated the constant banging but his gummy smile and screeching squeal warmed my heart to the point where I didn't care about anything but him. So instead I got comfortable on the floor and enjoyed my time with Tommy which was how Kevin had found me an hour and a half later.

Me on the floor with Tommy and in my blue and yellow duck pyjamas.

"Cute." I swivelled in my seat on the floor and stared in surprise at Kevin.

"How did you get in?" I asked. I was sure I had locked the front door. I couldn't be going senile already could I?

"Your mother was on her way out. I explained who I was and she said to come right in. She seems nice though a little intimidating." He squished his nose up at the thought.

"It's alright to say she scares you," I teased. "She scares me too." I smiled and noticed Kevin's gaze slip to my attire. "Yeah so I haven't changed. Obviously. Could you give me a few minutes?"

He shook his head, "no ways." He pointed at my pants, "You're staying in that outfit."

I frowned. "They're pyjamas. Why would I stay in them?"

"You look cute. Please don't change," He looked into my eyes with a hint of a smirk resting on his lips. "I like looking at you dressed like this."

I shook my head, "I don't know. Isn't it weird?"

He walked closer to me and held my hands in his. He stared at me earnestly and whispered, "not to me. I happen to think you look beautiful." I gulped. Ah heck, how do you deny a request after a comment like that? I nodded feebly and nervously looked around the room. I needed to avoid seeing his lips or I was sure to capture them with my own.

"We um..." I cleared my throat and took my hands out of Kevin's grip. "We should get working." He nodded and I couldn't help but recognise disappointment in his expression. Could he feel the chemistry as much as I could? I hoped the answer was yes but I was also hoping it wasn't. I wanted Kevin to feel the same way I did but then I worried what would happen if he did?

I didn't want to date. Tommy was my focus now. Kevin was a distraction, a very yummy and caring distraction with beautiful hair and deep gazing eyes. Urg... focus Tori! Kevin looked at me and grinned.

Who was I kidding; I couldn't concentrate with him looking at me like that.

"You need a paper bag." I blurted. Crap. I covered my mouth and blushed. I couldn't believe I actually said that.

"Huh? Why?" He seemed amused at my embarrassment.

"Uh... no reason. Don't mind me. My filter seems broken today." I laughed nervously and busied myself by picking up Tommy and placing him in his cot to play. I kept my head down as I bustled around the room straightening objects that were already straight.

"Is that so?" Kevin asked amused. I hope he couldn't sort out my train of thought. If he knew I was about to tell him to hide his face and stop distracting me, than I was surely going to die. I made a noncommittal sound and looked around my house awkwardly. I refused to look at him. I didn't want to know what he was thinking or doing.

After some time where Kevin's amused staring at me and my blatant ignoring had passed, Kevin cleared his throat and spoke low. "Let's just do what we do best and work." I nodded and silently directed him to the dining room where we could work and keep an eye out for Tommy. We silently gathered our work and materials together on the table. Once we had all our work out, we did what we were meant to do.

We easily slipped away from the awkward and somewhat sexual tension and slipped into a platonic work discussion. We began listing ideas for the basic structure of the building, whether it should be tall and cylindrical or wide and jagged. We had come up with easy compromises and great ideas, all until we reached the topic of the business's name.

"I really think it should be welcoming and obvious." I argued.

"And I think it should be clever and possibly witty." Kevin argued back, his voice rising carefully.

I groaned, "that doesn't even make sense. Your description doesn't actually tell me what you want."

"Yes it does." He grumbled. He actually looked kind of cute. No wait, I need to focus.

"Whatever. Please just tell me what name you thought of."

He shuffled his loose notes around until his fingers stopped on one. He looked to me nervously, "don't laugh okay?" I nodded. "I was thinking of the name, 'A house for your home.'"

"I don't get it."

"You know because when you adopt a child you become a family, so your house becomes a home."

"Oh yeah." Great, I laughed nervously. Now he knew.

"You don't like it do you?" His forehead creased.

"It's clever," I told him honestly, "it just sounds weird. It seems too ambiguous."

"What do you suggest then?" He grunted. I ignored his suggestion and answered proudly.

"Collect your little happiness." I stated and he choked.

"What?" He screamed and Tommy made a little noise. I glared at Kevin and quickly went to sooth Tommy before his screams started. "Sorry," He motioned towards Tommy. "It's just that your name sounds creepy."

"What?" Now I had resorted to screeching. "No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does." He screamed back. "It sounds like a place where you get a different kind of happiness. If you get what I mean." I cringed at his suggestion. I reread my business name and slumped back in my seat with a frown.

"You're right." I laughed bitterly. "It sounds sort of perverted now that I think of it." He laughed too.

"Now we're back at square one. My name stinks and so does yours."

I grunted and rubbed at my temples. I could feel a headache coming from all my heavy thinking. I glanced at my wrist watch and gasped. "We've been working for two hours straight! I think we deserve a break." Kevin nodded in agreement.

"What do you want to do?" He asked.

"We can watch an animation with Tommy." I paused. "Or does that idea sound incredibly lame to you?"

He laughed, "I think it's the best idea you've had all day."

"Hey! I'll have you know, my idea of an arch made by two joining hands was a brilliant idea." I scoffed.

"Keep telling yourself that." He mused and gathered a willing Tommy into his arms. I stood momentarily stunned before I cleared my head and continued to defend myself.

"If it wasn't so brilliant, why did you choose to use it?" I questioned.

He grinned as he got comfortable on the couch in the lounge and let Tommy sit on his lap facing the television. "You seemed so excited with the idea. I wasn't going to say no. Besides, I like making you happy." He picked up the remote and pushed at a few buttons until children's voices were echoing in the silence I let occur.

"Thanks." I mumbled and sat alongside of him. Tommy immediately leaned over and fell into my lap. I laughed and sat him more comfortably.

"That's one for me." Kevin whispered with a smirk next to me and I looked at him in confusion. "I just won that fight."

I shoved his shoulder lightly, "shut up." I joked. "Let's just watch this movie with Tommy." Kevin nodded and directed his attention back towards the screen where mice were running around in little outfits. I laughed along with Kevin as one of the mice ran into a wall. We sat in comfortable silence and I soon found myself relaxing against the back of the couch. Tommy easily rested his head against my chest and soon his body had stilled and little snores were heard. I carefully shifted him around in my arms so that he was in a less awkward position.

I hadn't realised I had been staring at Tommy for a while until Kevin spoke. "Maggie's Home: a place where love is shared."

"Excuse me?"

He kept his eyes on the screen. "I think for our project we should call it, Maggie's Home."

My eyes began to water. "You think so?" I choked.

He nodded and looked at me, His clear grey eyes bore into mine. "I do. She deserves to be honoured and what better way than to honour her through a company that specialises in providing children with a loving home. Maggie did the same thing when she chose you to be Tommy's home." He gently closed his hand over mine. "She obviously knows what she's doing."

I couldn't hold it in. I let the tears fall freely. "Thank you." I whispered. My throat felt hoarse but I didn't let it bother me. I squeezed his hand which still held mine. Kevin turned his attention back to the screen and let the silence consume us once again. I wanted to thank him and tell him how much it means to me to have Maggie be honoured except, I couldn't find the words. I wanted to hug and kiss him for hours or buy him a car; anything to show how much his gesture meant.

I didn't though. Instead I wiped my tears away and let him hold my hand as we watched the movie.

It was in that moment that I finally stopped denying what was blatantly obvious.

I liked Kevin and I was certain I was starting to fall for him.