"We'll be back in a few hours." My mom holds my head between her hands and on her tippy toes, she kisses my forehead like I'm a child. "Don't do anything dumb."
Isabella is tugging my wrist trying to pull me away from my parents. "Yes, I know mom." I smile to reassure her.
"Bella come say bye to mama." My aunt, Jen, kneels down and holds her arms out. Isabella runs to fill her arms and hug her mother. Her father, like my mom did to me, kisses her forehead.
They finally leave out the front door leaving me with the six year old girl.
"Okay B, what do you want to do?"
"I want to play cars."
"We could check the basement for my old toys?"
"Okay!"
I lead her to the basement to the storage room full of bins. They're all mislabeled due to them being switched so much and it's useless.
"We could go see the horsies? Wanna do that?"
"Okay."
"Yeah and we can brush them." My phone vibrates and I take it out of my pocket to see Leo is calling. "Bella you go upstairs, I'll be there in a sec." She nods her head and hops up the stairs skipping two at a time.
"Hey," I say.
"Hey. Whatcha doing?"
"Babysitting a child."
"Hurry up slow poke," she giggles from the stairs.
"I'm coming up Bella just one sec," I say with the phone away from my ear.
"You get stuck teaching me to ride a horse and now babysitting a child. Wow being a good son sounds exhausting."
"Yeah she's my little cousin. I'm not entirely sure what to do with her though because her parents don't like her on devices."
"Braid her hair or something?"
"Do you think I know how to braid hair?"
"I don't know. Don't people braid their horses tail?"
I laugh. "Yes typical horse girls do for fun but do you really think I've devoted the time to learn and then braid my horses tail?"
"Okay good point."
"Besides her hair is natural African hair I-- I don't know how to work with it."
"Can't you just watch a movie with her?"
My phone starts to vibrate again. "Ah shit one sec I'll call you back. Kea's calling."
I hang up and answer Keanu's call.
"Yes?"
"A hello would've been nice."
"Hello Keanu," I groan walking upstairs when I hear Bella call again.
"How was your day Andrew?"
"Eh."
"Want to hangout?"
"If your good with kids. My little cousin is over."
"Oh Bella!"
"You remember her?"
"Of course I do. She's the cutest," Keanu squeals over the phone.
"I don't remember you liking kids?"
"I'll be over in a bit. I have tennis later tonight but I'll come now." Then she hangs up.
I call Leo back but he doesn't pick up. I find Bella waiting patiently on the couch.
"Ready to see the horses?"
She smiles and nods her head. "Piggyback?"
I sigh but smile. "Yes we can do piggyback."
I bend down and she hops on my back. I take her outside and walk across the field to the stables.
I set her down outside the pen.
"A few rules okay?" She nods her head. "You do as I tell you. They can be dangerous for someone as small as you. Don't stand behind them. Actually don't stand anywhere near them unless I'm holding you alright?" She nods her head. "Okay let's go."
Dad just put the horses in their stables but they'd been walking around the pen all day. Mila was also down and took Nano for a trail ride.
I grab treats for the horse and show Bella to hold our her hand flat. The first couple times she pulled her hand away before the horse got a bite so I held the treat with her.
Keanu calls me to tell me she's here and I say the barn.
Shortly after she enters the barn, Leo enters behind her.
I look to them and raise an eyebrow. "Did he come here voluntarily?" I laugh.
"Yes I was surprised too," Keanu says.
"Hey I renember you," Bella says pointing to Keanu.
"Yes. I'm Kea," Keanu says walking up to us and kneeling down next to her. "And this is my brother Leo."
"Like Leonardo?" That's her dogs name.
"No, like Kaleo."
"Oh. I have a friend name Calum."
"That's nice."
"You wanna ride Poppy?" I ask Leo, ignoring the conversation Bella and Keanu are having.
"No not really."
"Oh c'mon. It's been a while and Bella would like it."
"Yes because a child would enjoy watching me sit on a horse. Why don't you? You can actually do tricks and shi—z."
"Yeah Andrew. Why don't you?" Kea looks to me.
"Because I don't feel like it."
"Bella don't you want to watch Andrew do jumps with the horses?"
"Yeah!"
"Why don't you uh, braid their hair or something with Kea?"
"No! You ride horses."
I sigh. "If Leo can tack the horses while I go change then yeah fine."
Leo smiles smugly. "That, I can do."
"Keanu you watch Bella. Be super careful I don't want her near the horses."
"Yes, I know."
I turn around and head to the house shaking my head. One, I just Leo alone to tack the horse which itself is terrifying but I left the child with him and Keanu.
I'm not gone for long but when I'm back I've got all the riding gear on because why not. I actually like the pants being tight rather then baggy sweatpants.
Just being dressed reminds me of dad barking things at me because I have a competition in September. Not only is it the month school starts but I'm really dreading the competition.
We're outside till it's dark and all go inside to watch a movie at around 7:30. Keanu is going to play tennis with her friends at 8 which I find really late but oh well. Apparently they're going to the Keg after as well.
This leaves Leo with me.
"What movie are we going to watch?" I hear Bella ask Leo when I'm walking downstairs.
"I don't know," he says browsing Netflix's options. "How about Moana."
"Okay."
Once I walk into the living room I can't help but smile at the sight of Bella cozied up next to Leo under a blanket.
"I can make popcorn," I say.
"I don't like popcorn," Bella replies.
"I'm not all too hungry," Leo says so I just sit down on the other side of Bella. I eventually get up again to turn out the lights and sit down under the blanket cozied up to Bella on the other side.
We all fall asleep and wake up later to the parents arriving back home.
Bella doesn't really wake up she just makes soft groans before her father picks her up and carries her to the car.
"Thank you Andrew— oh and hi Leo?" My dad says walking into the living rooms. Without the child next to me the air feels cold.
"Hi Mr. Pollock," Leo yawns.
"How are you getting home?"
"Oh my sister was going to pick me up." He checks the time on his phone. "But if she was gonna do that she would've an hour ago." He sighs.
"Well you can always stay in the spare room."
My dad leaves the room and says goodbye to my aunt and uncle.
Leo yawns again before sitting up.
Ten minutes later my parents have gone to their room on the other side of the house before Leo and I go to the spare bedroom. I brush my teeth and go back to the spare room where we're both now wide awake after sleeping.
"We can watch a show?"
"Like?"
"Has to be something on Netflix or the cooking network because that's the only tv show I can stand."
"Chopped Canada," he says.
"Oh they had a kids one and it's really funny to watch the kids fail and cry." He stares blankly at me. "Okay that sounded horrible but it's funny."
"Let's watch it."
I let him struggle to find the show as I sit on the bed. "Go to on demand."
"To what?"
"Just pass the remote."
"Oh, wait, no. Is it this button?" He clicks a random button and the channel switches to some weird show in another language.
"No you twit just pass it to me," I lean over to grab it from his hand but he moves it and continues clicking random buttons. "Prick let me do it."
"Just tell me what to press," he laughs.
"There is literally a button called 'on demand' you blind idiot." I continue to reach for the remote but fail to grab it. "Oh my god." I finally rip the remote out of his hand and he laughs at my frustration.
"See this?" I point to the big obvious button. "Right here not hard to see at all."
He leans back and laughs as I put on a show.
I end up getting sleepy after a bit and move under the covers. He does as well.
I contemplate getting up to turn out the lights but ignore it and continue watching whatever show is on now.
When I look to see what Leo is doing he's passed out. His hood is on but some curly hair still peaks out.
I decide to get up and turn out the lights. For a quick moment while I'm up I wonder if I should go back to my room but I decide against it and lay back down next to Leo.