I could sense Ante wanted to tell me something as soon as Sylvie left. The urge to ask him was strong but I guessed he was waiting for Ethan to be in bed so I tried to be patient even if the words were burning my tongue. During dinner, I told him what we did and encouraged Ethan to go into details. Which he did... Slightly. But it was a step in the right direction, I guess. After that, we went upstairs and I waited inside the bathroom while Ethan was taking a shower, listening to him rambling about random stuffs. I turned toward Ante as soon as I heard his bedroom's door close.
"So, what's on your mind?" I finally asked, the words leaving my lips instantly.
"What do you mean?"
"Since you came home, I can feel something is off. Is something bothering you?" I reiterated, stepping closer and gently putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I-..." He started before sighing softly. "The woman I told you about came this morning." He started, taking my hand into his and leading me downstairs.
"Who is she? Do you know her?" I asked as we sat on the sofa. He sighed before explaining the whole story. I listened to him with attention but, in the end, I couldn't help but ask in a slightly worried tone. "Are you sure you can handle it? Won't it bring back too many bad memories?"
He took a minute before answering. "I think I will be fine. I want to help her the same way Mr. Biersack helped me when I needed it. And if it gets too much to handle, I could always stop. But I doubt it will go that far."
"Don't hesitate to speak to me if you need it, alright?" I told him and smiled slightly when I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder.
"Stop worrying about me, I'm fine." He replied and I could hear the smile in his voice.
"How else am I going to spend my days if I don't worry about you?" I asked, pretending to be shocked.
I chuckled when I felt him softly hit the top of my head. "I swear you're so dumb."
"Hitting me on the head, won't help. But I love you too."
He turned the TV on and we watched an episode of Drag Race UK before going upstairs. I undressed myself and went under the covers, pulling him closer. He fell asleep pretty quickly while I stayed awake a little longer, gently caressing his back. As much as I hated to admit it, I didn't like the fact this woman came to him. I was worried it would be too much for him and that he would fall back in bad habits of the past. And, even if I trusted him, I couldn't help but feel my stomach squeeze at that thought. I almost lost him once and I didn't want to risk it happening again.
With time, I ended up falling asleep and woke up to an empty bed. I got up and went to the bathroom to take a quick shower before getting dressed and going downstairs. I could hear voices in the kitchen and I greeted Sylvie and Ethan as I opened the fridge. I took a yogurt, eating it quietly while listening to Sylvie explain a board game to Ethan. I then threw my empty cup in the bin before sitting on the sofa to continue my book. I managed to make good progress in the story when Ethan's voice pulled me out of it.
"You can read?"
"Yes, I read in braille. Look." I answered, patting the seat next to me. I smiled when I felt him sit next to me and I held out my hand to him. "Here, give me your hand. I will show you how I read." I squeezed his hand softly when I felt it against mine before concentrating on his fingers and putting them on the braille letters. "You feel all the different dots? This is how I read."
"What does it say?" He asked as I let go of his hand.
I placed my fingers back on the book and started to read him the first few sentences. "I could teach you one day, if you want."
"Okay!" He exclaimed and I could hear the smile in his voice, making me smile as well.
"You know, you're pretty cool for a kid." I told him with a chuckle.
"Thank you!" He replied with a laugh before adding. "Do you want to play with us after lunch?"
"Sure." I answered as I closed my book and got up to put it away. We went in the kitchen where I helped Sylvie prepare something to eat. Today, we decided to make something simple but good: fish and chips. "So, what do you want to do after lunch?" I asked as I was finishing my plate.
"Modeling clay!" He exclaimed, chuckling as a jaded look appeared on my face.
"How nice of you to pick something I can easily do. But sure, I'm sure I can do something even better than the last time." I said before adding. "Oh, and Ante bought me a few games made for blind people years ago. I could show you later if you want."
"Okay!" He answered, making me nod.
Sylvie and I washed the dishes while Ethan brought everything we needed on the kitchen table. Once we were done, we all sat around the table and I waited for Ethan to pick the colors he wanted before taking a random one. I gently malaxed the clay, thinking about what I could do with it. I then separated a small part of it before making a ball between my fingers. I was trying to create a dog - the version I imagined in my mind based on what I read and the ones I touched. I found it harder than the last time when I tried to recreate myself which was something, especially as the last time didn't go exactly as planned.
"I know, it probably doesn't look like a dog but that's the best I could do." I said, putting my clay down on the table.
"It's not bad honestly!" Sylvie exclaimed and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Right, Ethan?"
"Uh, yeah!"
I could tell that they were being nice about it and that the result wasn't as I had imagined it but I appreciated it nonetheless. Once they were done with their clay and the table was clean, I went in the living room where our games were stored in a cupboard. I took the Tactile Dominos and the Tic-tac-toe games and went back to the kitchen. I then quickly explained how it worked before proceeding to play a few rounds of Tactile Dominos. The rules were simple and Ethan had no problem understanding them. Sylvie, having played the normal game in the past, seemed to be having a great time as well. We spent some time playing that game before switching to the other one. We stopped when we heard the front door being opened.
"Hey..." Ante's voice reached my ears not too long after and I immediately heard something was off.
"If you don't need me anymore, I will go. I will see you tomorrow. Have a good evening." Sylvie said a few minutes later and left after one last goodbye.
"So, what did you do today?" He asked and as Ethan answered him with only the word play, I decided to give him more details. It made me sad he was so withdrawn when Ante was here.
"I'm glad you had a great day... Would you like me to order some pizza or some chinese food? I'm really not in the mood to cook this evening."
"Do you want me to cook?" I asked as I walked toward him, taking his hand into mine. "But otherwise, I'm sure a pizza will be perfect. Right Ethan?"
"Yes."
"Good, I'll make the call." He answered, letting go of my hand.
I heard him leave the kitchen to make the call and I couldn't help but worry. I wondered what happened at work and I really wanted to ask him if everything was alright but I knew I had to wait until Ethan was in bed. The last thing we needed was to worry him.
"Ethan, why don't we go upstairs so you can shower while Ante sets the table and wait for the pizzas to arrive?" I asked, as this idea crossed my mind.
"I-... Do I really have to?" He asked in a small voice after a few seconds of hesitation.
"Do I really have to answer that question?"
"I-I don't like showering..." He whispered in a shaky voice, making me sigh softly.
"I know that, but you know you have nothing to worry about, right? You can trust us. I swear you're safe. And if there's anything we can do to make you feel safer, you just have to let us know." I answered, kneeling close to him. "And in a few years you will be old enough to shower on your own."
"... Okay..." He ended up saying softly after a minute of silence.
I smiled at these words and got back up, just in time as I heard Ante's steps getting closer. "He's going to shower while the pizzas are on the way. Why don't you stay here and relax a little?"
"I- Alright..." He said and I felt his lips brushing against my cheek a few seconds later, followed by a whisper. "Thank you..."
My smile grew wider as I left the kitchen and went upstairs, followed by Ethan. We went into the bathroom and I waited against the door while he was showering. "All done?" I asked when I heard the water being turned off.
"Yes, I just need to get dressed..." He answered and I nodded.
A few minutes later, we went back downstairs and went back to Ante. When the pizzas arrived, we ate in the kitchen and Ethan went to bed soon after. Once we were alone, I stepped closer to Ante and put my hand on his lower back.
"Let's go upstairs?" I asked, leading him out of the kitchen. I waited until we were both under the covers to ask the question that burned my lips since he came back. "Did something happen at work?"
He sighed before answering in a whisper. "Nothing special... I got a new patient, a young girl and I just... I feel tired. There so many children suffering, why? Why are people so cruel?"
I knew he didn't expect an answer and was just venting out his frustration. It was one of these days. "Do you want some space or would you like me to hug you?" I whispered back, waiting for his answer before doing anything.
"Hug me, please." He answered and I wrapped my arms around his body as soon as the words left his lips.
I wished I could do more to help him and relive the pain he felt but I knew the only thing I could do was to be there for him so I did my best to comfort him. His job was far from easy and I knew he was doing the best he could to help as many kids as possible. With that in mind, I pulled him even closer, running my hands on his back and hoping this could help a little...
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