Wanderer

Chapter 28: She is too much of a rainbow in this monochromic world.

There was a beautiful little girl about three months old who was brought to the orphanage.  She had this natural blush adorned on her chubby cheeks. My heart would leap out of my chest at the mere sight of her."

When she paused, I heard her struggle to breath. I enclosed my warm hands over her cold ones, as I sensed the temperature difference; regretted over borrowing the hand mittens from her.

"You don't have to." I said softly.

She shaked her head in denial. "I need to get it off my chest."

"Let's sit. I am feeling cold, walking in these harsh, cold winds isn't going to help our situation. Hopefully, they will find us soon."

She nodded her head, in no position to argue as her brain was clouded with so many thoughts.

I removed the heater pad from our bag, the idea of saving this for gustier cold seeped out of mind. Adjusting the pad between us as we sat on log of wood admist the pitch black surrounding wasn't my definition of an ideal vacation.

We sat in silence. I would turn my head either sides waiting for someone from our group to come looking for us. The hope of catching a lift was in vain and I didn't feel like getting a hitch and hike at this ungodly hour. There weren't any adventures and brave cells left within me.

Paige breathing was getting back to normal. I hadn't left her hand, hoping she would find some comfort in it.

She was the last person, with whom I  would willingly spend time. She is too much of a rainbow in this monochromic world. She has soo many shades. Again, here I am giving her comfort. Maybe, she isn't all that annoying.

"Are you feeling better?"

She didn't react and I wasn't going pry any further. A few minutes later she continued from where she left, I tried to stop her but she was a stubborn person.

"She had my heart. One of the reasons, I had started visiting the orphanage was because of her. I..We..."

"I think.." I was going to interrupt her when she spoke again.

"I wanted to adopt her." She said in whisper.

Paige had shocked me beyond words.

"How couldn't I, she was so sweet. She had of these special smiles just for me. I know you think I am crazy.." She said with sad smile.

"No, I think you are absolutely wonderful." I said with admiration in my voice.

"Just looking at her, I knew I wanted to be her mother. There are very few things we are sure of in our lives and Claire was one of them."

"I didn't want to adopt her for sympathy or providing her a better life but because she meant so much to me."

"Paige, you blew my mind away. I don't think everyone has the heart to love someone like your own." I told her with a smile.

She returned my smile this time genuinely.

"I was young, still trying to settle my work and single. So I wasn't the apt candidate for her adaption."

"Did Aarav ever meet Claire?" I asked timidly.

"He had met her and he knew I was fond of her but I didn't tell him in the beginning that I wanted to adopt her. I had just started dating him, it wasn't the right time."

I nodded in understanding.

She opened her phone quickly to show me various pictures of Aarav and Claire. They were beautiful. One of the pictures was of Aarav, Paige and Claire in a beautiful garden posing like one big family together.

"We were about a few months into dating when I had told him my desire to adopt her one day. He was taken aback but he never reacted. "