We walked up the stairs to one of the floors I hadn’t spent much time on. At the end of the short hallway was a pair of old heavy wooden doors. It was clearly the master bedroom.
Kevin wasted no time in pulling the doors open. I felt a little guilty about ruining my trust with my new employer. Still, I continued into the massive room.
The bed was gigantic, but only half of it was made up. The other half was almost unused. The bedroom led into a closet that connected to a bathroom of similar proportions. Most everything seemed normal, save for one item.
On the night stand was a single picture. It was a picture of a woman who looked somewhat similar to me. She had unkempt brown hair with flecks of blond, and I could see how I might have been mistaken for the girl in the photograph.
“Is this your mother?” I asked Kevin.
“It was,” he said. “She’s in heaven now.”
I felt sorry for the little guy. It was like he was pinning all his hopes and dreams on me becoming his new mother. I needed to put a stop to that delusion right now.
“Kevin, I might look like your mother, but I’m not her. I don’t think I’ll ever be her. I hope you didn’t pick me just because I look a little similar.”
Kevin hung his head in sadness. I could tell he was about to cry.
“What’s going on?” I heard William say from behind us.
I spun around only to realize that I was still holding the picture of his wife. I quickly replaced it on the night stand and tried to come up with a good explanation.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“It’s my bedroom,” he said, “and I forgot my phone. You still haven’t answered my question.”
I looked over at Kevin. He was still on the verge of tears.
“Kevin wanted me to see what his mother looked like. I hope I’m not intruding,” I said.
William walked over and took the picture from the night stand.
“You do look a little like her, but I know you’re not. She was always so quiet and reserved. I loved her very much.”
“I’m sorry if Kevin got some crazy idea about me becoming his new mother,” I said.
“It doesn’t seem so crazy to me. You’re a wonderful woman, and you’re the first woman I’ve really felt anything for. I don’t think it sounds like such a bad idea,” he said.
“What?”
“Well, I’ve fallen for you. It only follows that you would fall for me. Besides, after last night, we might as well be closer. There’s no sense hiding it,” he said.
“I still don’t understand what you’re saying,” I said wearily.
“It’s simple: I love you, and you love me.”
“I most certainly do not,” I said.
“Then why did we do what adults do last night?” William said, trying to carefully craft his sentence to avoid alarming Kevin.
“I don’t love you, William,” I said.
“And why not?” he asked.
“Because I’ve known you for less than a few hours in total, and love takes time.”
“So what you’re saying is that you just need some time to realize it?” he asked.
“I don’t know what I’m saying. But the more you keep talking, the more I think I need to look for a new job,” I said.
William looked shocked that I would say such a thing. I didn’t know what else I should say. The idea of falling in love with someone so quickly was abhorrent. I needed some space.
I rushed from the bedroom, William calling my name, But I didn’t stop until I had whooshed past a surprised Bill and planted myself in the backseat. Bill jumped around the car and got into the driver’s seat.
“Umm, where should I take you?” he asked.
“Where you picked me up,” I replied.
8.
“He really confessed his love for you and told you that you should feel the same way? What a creep,” Janey said.
“I don’t know what I feel anymore, but I know for sure it isn’t love,” I said.
“Yeah. Who needs it anyway?” she said.
“Right,” I said.
Janey and I continued to chat for a while. I spent the rest of the afternoon venting into a bowl of ice cream. Janey didn’t seem to mind at all.
The following few days were hard to get through. I didn’t have any interest in working, but the more I sat around, the more my mind continued to wander. I was frustrated and upset. I wanted to break something with my fists, but I also wanted to bake cookies and eat every last one.
So many emotions rocked me, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel at all.
Then I got a phone call. It was from William, and he wanted to meet. I didn’t want to meet him, but he assured me that it would sort a few things out.
So, I took some of Janey’s old clothes and threw them on. I was a sad sight, a petite woman in oversized clothing. I did what I could to make it fit, but nothing really helped.
We met in a small park overlooking the waterfront. On the other side of the water was downtown. It was late in the day, and the streetlights were just beginning to flash on while the sun set hurriedly in the distance.
I found him on a bench. He just stared off into the distance, barely realizing I had sat down.