Page 43 of Forget Me Not
Bastien
Asmilehadpermanentlyglued itself to his face. Bas could not remember the last time he smiled this much. After sneaking home to roll the Jeep out of the driveway so he could start it down the block and avoid having to talk to Cyrus, he drove across town to Thyme to Eat where he had been a little shocked to find three entire bags waiting with his name on them.
He slid out of the Jeep’s seat, arms laden with bags of food, and started up the walkway. He had taken advantage of the slowly warming weather and taken the doors off the vehicle, a decision which was now proving to be quite handy.
The door opened as he got closer. Syve was standing in the entry with a little girl on her hip and a genuine smile on her face. Her copper hair was in a messy ponytail—one that looked like it had started at the back of her head but was now well off to the side.
Bas deduced the reasoning for that when the child reached out and latched onto the dangling strands where they hung over Syve’s shoulder and began rubbing the hairs between her fingers absently as she stared at him.
He kept walking until he was directly in front of her.
“Hi.”
Why did he sound so out of breath?
“Hi.”
That smile.
“Hi! Are you mac and cheese man? Annie Sy, is he the mac and cheese man?” the toddler basically hollered, sending Syve into a giggling fit.
“My name is Bas, and I guess, yeah, I’m the mac and cheese man.”
He chuckled. Syve looked down at his arms, eyes widening and then jumped back a step to give him room to enter the home.
“Sorry! Come in! I didn’t realize I had ordered so much…” Her cheeks reddened and she spun around leading him to the kitchen. He smiled, shaking his head as he followed.
Bas was reclined into the couch cushions, waiting for Syve to come down once Kayla was asleep.
After demolishing some of the best pasta he had ever eaten, though he would never admit that to his mother, the toddler had proclaimed herself ‘Kayla the Unicorn Princess’ and demanded everyone play castle with her until bath time.
Which they did.
When Syve finally looked around, asking what time it was, it was almost eight.
“Baby girl!” she gasped. “We’re late for the underwater ball!”
Both girls ran dramatically to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later they emerged, Syve nearly soaked through with a sleepy toddler blinking slowly in her arms.
“Nigh-nigh mac and cheese man.”
She had mumbled as Bastien backed out of the little girl’s room and switched off the light, leaving only the lamp to illuminate the room.
“Goodnight, Unicorn princess,” he had whispered back.
Soft footsteps sounded and then Syve appeared in the den.
“Thanks for waiting. She didn’t even make it through one whole page of her book before she was out.”
She made her way over and sat on the couch, not exactly the opposite end, but not quite next him either.
“She’s adorable,” he mused and she nodded with a smile. “You’re really good with her.”
Her smile dulled a fraction, her eyes looking suddenly unfocused.
“I’ve known her since she was about four months old. As far as she knows, I’m her aunt for real.”
