Finding Her Happiness

Chapter 6:

"Eli?"

"I'm scared. Can you please just stand in front of me until I get a little more comfortable?"

He glances over at his father who gives him the go ahead to help me out. I breathe out a sigh of relief as Eli holds my hand, pulling me behind him gently. The two of us walk together, me practically clinging to the back of Eli's t-shirt. He holds me close to his body, now taking this protection thing seriously.

Two little girls rush out to greet Mr. Richard and Eli. Mr. Richard sweeps them up in his arms, giving them kisses on the cheek. I'm guessing those are Eli's sisters. An older woman, looking around the same age as Mr. Richard walks out of the house. She gently scolds the girls for being, and I quote, "ridiculously loud" before hugging Mr. Richard tight.

The two girls wrap their cute little arms around Eli's leg and peer at me curiously. Taking a role in being a young woman, a new independent one, I bend down. My faces match with theirs, and I hold out my hand in a small handshake. One of the girls instantly wraps her arms around my neck, a light pink blush on her face. The other scrunches her eyebrows together before gazing up at Eli.

"Hello girls. My name is Colby."

The one that doesn't seem to like the first impressions of me, swings her brown, curly locks into my face. Her dark brown eyes gaze into mine, and I'm officially being judged by what...a six year old.

"That's a boy's name."

"Well, I don't know about that. What's your name?"

"Natalie."

"It's very nice to meet you."

She scoffs, unlike her sister who smiles at me, proudly menchaning her name to be Kristin. I give them one last wave before the two of them dance behind Mr. Richard who is making his way into the house. Eli gives me a smirk, breaking slightly away from me to give the woman a hug.

"Mom, this is Colby."

I send her a shy smile, waving my hand in the air.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Clemens."

She chuckles and wraps her arms around me in a generous hug. At first I'm surprised, but I quickly got used to it. We break away to smile at one another.

"Please call me Bethanne. Ms. Clemens makes me feel twenty years older than I really am. I'm glad that you're going to be staying with us. My son Eli over here seems to feel the same way."

Bethanne not-so-subtly glances down at Eli and I's now intertwined hands. I blush, but Eli only throws an arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer to his body. Bethanne chuckles before heading into the house. A dog barking comes from inside, and I jump what seems like a foot in the air. Eli consoles me quietly before tugging my hand.

He opens the front door and a large black dog comes bounding forward. I squeal, jumping into Eli's arms, my legs wrapped around his waist like a toddler. He snorts at my reaction while patting the dog on the head. I eye how the dog reacts to me being a newcomer. It sniffs at my shoes before nodding my leg with its head.

"This is Lulu. I have no idea why, but my younger sisters named her."

"What kind of dog is she?"

"Newfoundland. She's only eighteen months, so she has a little bit more growing left to do."

I bury my head in Eli's neck, taking great comfort from him.

"It's not done growing? Even though it's that big?"

"It's a she, and it won't hurt you, baby. I'll make sure of it."

"You promise?"

"I promise. Now, let's get you something to eat."

Eli, thankfully, doesn't set me down on the ground, still holding me like a child. I eye the dog warily at the dinner table, but it only lays down in front of me. At one point, I drop my napkin on the ground and the dog puts it in her mouth. Lulu stands up on her four legs, and my hands start to shake slightly, and then I see what she's doing. She placed the napkin back on my lap. I smile, patting the dog on the head and scratching behind her ears.

"Good girl, Lulu. Good girl."

Eli squeezes my thigh with reassurance before pushing back his chair. He gets up to leave, and I intend to follow him, but Mr. Richard forces me to stay seated. I bite my lip, waiting and waiting for Eli to come back. I don't want to cry in front of the Clemens family, but Eli isn't coming back. At least it doesn't seem like it. I want him here...next to me, and he's just gone. Lulu places her head on my foot, but it doesn't help.