Chapter 7
Hunter
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel in time to my favourite song as it was playing on the radio. Phoebe had given me directions to her little sisters school, in-between explaining to me how she ended up being guardian of her little sister.
I felt my heart break for Phoebe feeling her pain when she was explaining her mothers death and how hard Millie took it. I just wanted to pull her in for a hug and take away all of her pain.
When she accepts me, I vow to look after both her and her sister. They will never be alone again. They will never have to face hard times. Both Phoebe and Millie will have a family forever, I thought to myself.
I turned down the music playing through the speakers as the front and back doors to my white BMW opened. In the back jumped an adorable little girl. She had a huge grin on her face as she wrestled with the seatbelt, trying to plug it in.
"You okay with that Millie?" I asked her, reaching over to help her secure the seatbelt into the plug.
"We did it!" She yelled happily. Suddenly, her smiling face turned serious. She extended a hand and in the cutest voice I had ever heard said "its a pleasure to meet you mister, my name is Millie."
I took her small hand in mine and shook is lightly. "The pleasure is all mine Millie. My name is Hunter." I turned to Phoebe and saw her trying to hold back a laugh at the exchange she just witnessed. "I think I just fell in love with your little sister Phoebe."
"She's a real charmer that's for sure." Phoebe smiled.
"So then girls," I said while sliding my car easily into gear. "Where are we going for food?"
"Maggies!" Millie screamed from the back seat and the erupted in giggles.
"Manners Millie!" Phoebe scolded. "Its rude to shout."
"I'm sorry Phoebe." I watched in the rear view mirror as Millie folded her hands into her lap and bowed her head. "I'm sorry Hunter."
"I accept your appology," Phoebe turned to me and rolled her eyes. "Maggies it is then."
The rest of the car journey was fairly quiet. Phoebe gave me directions to a small car park next to Maggies and Millie sang softly along to the songs she knew on the radio. I felt awful lying to Phoebe about not knowing my way around town and promised myself I wouldn't lie to her again.
Millie had jumped out and was running towards the entrance to Maggies before I had even turned the engine off. I smiled at how happy the girl looked, knowing that these last years must have been so hard for her. I couldn't imagine how tough it would be to loose both your parents.
Mum's going to absolutely love having Millie around, I thought to myself. Its going to be so much easier for Phoebe as well, having support and not having to do everything by herself.
"This is Millies favourite place to eat," Phoebe told me as we walked in and found Millie said at a table looking at a menu. "Mum used to bring us here all the time. There's lots of other nice places to eat, but the Café is the best."
"Phoebe?" Millie asked looking up from her menu.
"Yes Mills?" Phoebe moved to sit down on the chair next to her sister but Millie put her hand out to stop her.
"Can you sit next to Hunter?" Millie asked politely. "I'm a big girl now, I can sit by myself."
"Of course." Phoebe laughed moving to the other side of the table next to me.
Phoebe-May
After eating Millie said she was tired, so with the assistance of my directions Hunter drove us home. Our house wasn't big, it was a cute little cottage. But it was home and I loved it. I was more than a little nervous for Hunter seeing it, it was for sure going to be nothing compared to what he lived in. I could imagine him in a huge expensive modern house. Nothing like Millie and I's little three bedroom cottage.
By the time Hunter pulled up and turned the engine off, Millie was fast asleep. He quickly got out of the drivers seat and rounded the car opening the door to the back seats. He gently picked her up and carried her into the house, being careful not to disturb her.
"Where's her room?" I heard Hunter whisper, while I was grabbing Millie's stuff from his car.
"Up the stairs, second on the right." I whispered back with a small smile.
By the time I had closed the front door and put both Millie and my things down on the table downstairs, Hunter had found Millie's room. I watched as he lay her down on the bed, pulled off her shoes and covered her up. All the while I felt a little pang of emotion. He was so gentle with her it reminded me so much of dad.
Hunter backed out Millie's room quietly and lead the way back downstairs, taking in the view of the house as he went. I felt even more embarrassed knowing that there were millions of baby pictures of both Millie and I all over the house.
"Thank you for this evening," I said as I settled down on the warn sofa. I picked at a lose thread, knowing that it really was time to get a new one, but just not having the heart to throw mum and dad's stuff out. "That's the happiest I've seen Millie in a long time."
"It was my pleasure Phoebe, she's a good kid." Hunter sat down next to me on the sofa. "Thank you for showing me around and providing me with great company."
I smiled slightly but didn't say anything, instead I swung my legs over Hunters and settled deeper into the sofa and sighed, feeling the last couple weeks catching up with me.
"I know Millie is a good kid. I love her to bits, I'm not sure what I would do without her. She's all the family I have y'know?" I paused, realising what I was saying. "It's just been really hard since my parents died. Millie's too young to understand what happened, but she knows they're gone and it frustrates her. She wakes up every night screaming for mum and there's nothing I can do. How can I tell her that mum didn't love us enough to carry on living?"
Hunter didn't say anything in reply, which I was grateful for, he just pulled me into him so I could rest my head on his chest. I could feel the muscle beneath his top. I could heart his heart beat pick up as his skin touched mine. I felt the sparks fly between us. I barely knew him, but I felt safe with him. I felt like I could tell him anything and everything.
"I do love Millie. But sometimes, I just can't help feeling how unfair this is. I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask for my parents to die. I'm missing out on so much of my life. Sometimes I just feel like all this is too much and I'm messing things up with Millie." I felt the tears start to pour from my eyes and silently cursed myself. I didn't want Hunter thinking I was some sad helpless girl, but I just couldn't make the tears stop. All the frustration from the last three years that had been building up and finally come to ahead and I needed to let it out.
"No, you didn't ask for any of this. But you are doing the best you can with your situation. It's been hard and its still hard, but I promise you things are going to get better."
I felt Hunter gently cup my face and pulled it up so I could see his face. I felt my heart beat pick up, wondering if he was going to kiss me or not.
"And I can tell you now, you are not messing anything up with Millie. She is one beautiful, intelligent, polite girl and you should be very proud of both her and yourself. I can tell you're stronger than you give yourself credit for." Hunter wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.
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