Last Minute (Short Story) || FreenBecky [Completed]

Chapter 3

Freen kept her word. When I arrived at Town Hall at eight in the morning, she was already there, patiently waiting for me. Our tutoring and babysitting job were scheduled to start at 10, giving us enough time to make it on time.

"Hop on, Rebecca," she grinned, tossing me an extra helmet. It was adorable, a pink helmet with rabbit ears and stickers. "Sorry about the stickers. That's from my college days."

I settled in behind Freen, wrapping my arms around her waist. She looked back at me, patting my hands on her waist before starting the big bike.

"Do you think you're too young to handle a big bike?" I asked, my hair flying in the wind. "I mean, you could just ride a scooter. This one seems too big for you."

"I hate scooters. I don't look cool on those," Freen replied with a chuckle.

"How old are you?" I inquired.

"25. And you?"

"21. Just four years younger than you," I told her. Four years didn't seem like a big age gap to be her girlfriend, right? Why was I even thinking about this?

Upon arrival, I was awestruck by the massive mansion before us. It was the first time I had seen such a grand and beautiful house.

"Let's go inside. Someone's waiting for us," Freen said, reaching for my hand and pulling me inside.

The interior was ethereal, and I couldn't help but marvel at the details of the floorings, ceiling, and chandelier. Everything screamed uniqueness and expense.

"Good morning, sir. I'm Freen, and this is my partner, Becca," Freen greeted the owner with a wide smile.

As far as I could remember, this man was a single dad. He became a father at 18 and was now seeking a tutor and nanny for his 8-year-old daughter, not looking for a mother figure.

"Is she British?" The man asked, looking at me. I nodded. "Damn those British. They only know how to mess around and leave."

Freen and I fell silent. Suddenly, a girl appeared, smiling at us. She looked Caucasian, and now I understood the man's disdain for my race. Perhaps his daughter's mother was British, and she left them after giving birth.

"Emily, come here!" The man called his daughter. "This will be your tutor and nanny while I'm away. You think you can behave? I'll be home every night, but I need you to call me and tell me what happened during the session, okay? It's my way of checking up on you." He smiled at his daughter.

Despite his dislike for the mother, his love for his child was endless. The man ruffled Emily's hair and checked his watch.

"I trust the organization at Town Hall. I hope you two can do your job well," the man said, turning to me. "Especially you," he added, smiling at his daughter again before leaving.

"Don't mind my dad. He's always like that. But he's attracted to the British, you know?" Emily grinned. "Do you want to be my mommy?"

I quickly waved my hands. I wasn't ready for children, and I knew I wasn't straight. I couldn't admit it, fearing discrimination. Some people assumed that if someone wasn't straight, they must be attracted to them. That's why I didn't want to come out.

"Emily, if your daddy isn't home, who takes care of you?" Freen asked in a soft voice.

"No one. I'm always in school. During summer, Dad takes me to my grandparents. However, they died in an accident six months ago," Emily said, pursing her lips. "I'm okay now."

Freen was taken aback. She forced a smile before asking Emily where her study room was. Emily guided us to a mini-library inside, a haven for nerds like me.

While Freen cleaned the study room, I searched for the books Emily needed. Being in primary school, her lessons weren't too difficult. After finishing, Freen went outside to prepare food for Emily, assuring us that would ask the kid if she didn't know something about the house.

"What's your name?" Emily asked me as she sat beside me. "You look so pretty. I want to grow up and look like you."

I chuckled. "You'll grow up even more beautiful than me," I said, ruffling her hair.

"I know Miss Freen. When my grandparents died, I saw her in the hospital. She was hiding and crying too. But I think she didn't remember me." Emily pouted. "She even gave me a candy to stop crying and told me that everything would be fine."

"Do you like Miss Freen?" I asked. "Is she that kind?"

Emily nodded and smiled at me. "If I could, I would ask my daddy to hire her as my nanny. But I found out she's not working as a nanny permanently. She only does it as a summer job."

"It's fine, Emily. Next summer, Freen will be your nanny again. Just ask your daddy, and she'll come," I winked at her.

Emily and I started our session. She was a smart kid, and I didn't need to explain much. After minutes, she wanted to nap, so I went outside.

In the living room, I found Freen looking at pictures. It was Emily's grandparents. When I approached her, she wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry," she said, chuckling as she sniffled. "I don't usually cry in front of many people. I think you're the first one who saw me crying." She let out a nervous chuckle.

"Second," I corrected her. "Emily told me she saw you crying that time. Are you related to her grandparents?"

Freen shook her head. "No. It's just that my father drove them home. He was a taxi driver, you know?" She smiled sadly. "And a truck hit them. All of them died. I lost my father."

"I'm sorry," I said, sighing.

I realized that what older people said was true. You never knew what life had in store for you. You never knew what would happen or when your time would come.

"Do you want to go to karaoke with me later?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Do you know how much that costs?" Freen chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm fine. You don't have to comfort me. Let's pretend you didn't see me crying today."

I raised a thumbs-up slowly, and we both chuckled, continuing our work.