All Of You

Chapter Ten | Pregnant?

LUCIAN

I stayed wide awake, staring up at the ceiling, the house too tranquil and the place beside me on the bed empty for Calix was not at home. He had went somewhere with his parents for some business thing and wouldn't return until next evening and Austin was having a sleepover at his friend's house leaving me and Maria alone.

I could have gone with him, he did ask me to accompany him but I wasn't in the mood to go somewhere.

It had been a month since I was staying with them and I could feel some happiness trickle back into my life. This place was peaceful and safe.

It was quite late when the door to the room creaked and I sprang up straight but my body relaxed when I saw a ten year old Maria peeking inside. "Luci?"

She only called me Luci and I hated that nickname but didn't have the heart to correct her.

"Yes?"

She slowly stepped inside, the moonlight shining through the window made the tears in her eyes glisten. "Are you...crying?"

She snifled and wiped away her tears. "I'm scared... to sleep alone. No one is at home."

She used to share a room with Austin. "Oh..." I seriously didn't know how to comfort her.

"Can I...sleep here tonight...?"

Hell no. But seeing the sad and scared expression on her face, my heart clenched and I nodded hesitantly.

Instantly, her lips curved up in a smile. "Thank you, Luci!" And she climbed on the bed and laid beside me, still smiling.

Slowly, I laid down too once again staring at the ceiling.

A minute later, she poked the side of my chest. "Are you going to stay here forever?"

I wanted to, I really did but that was not possible. I would move out once I would be financially independent. "No. Why?" I turned my head to her.

"You are good. Austin's friends are so loud and annoying but you don't annoy me so I like you." She grinned innocently.

I didn't know what to say so I nodded. "Thanks..."

"Can you tell me a story so that I fall asleep? Calix tells me stories..." She requested.

"Fairy tales?"

She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "No. Mystery stories...Calix tell me one and then asks me to solve it..."

"So, you want to be a detective when you grow up?"

She placed her palm under her cheek and watched me and I laid on my side, facing her fully. "Yeah...something like that...now tell me a story, Luci."

I thought hard but couldn't come up with any such stories for her except one but I didn't know if it was okay for me to tell her that. "It's...not a mystery story...but I will ask you a question related to it..."

"Okay." She grinned excitedly.

"There was a boy...he was having dinner with his... family...foster family along with a new member...a woman who sat beside him..."