Catching Whitney (8 page)

I feel a ripple of fear race through me. “Is he okay?”

“I’m not sure. He’s locked himself in his room and has refused to come out all day. I could strong-arm my way in, but I don’t think that’s the appropriate response. Rebecca is gone for the weekend, and I don’t know how to deal with this. I’m just...” His voice breaks a little, and it emphasizes just how worried he is. “I’m not good with this kind of thing. This is something his mother was suited for. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

It’s the first time I’ve heard Aidan mention Caleb’s mother. His voice is quiet and despondent.

I clear my throat. “Sure, I’m happy to help if I can. What do you need me to do?”

“Can you come over? Maybe coax him out of his room so we can talk to him?”

“I can try.” I jot down his address and promise to be right there.

I spare a quick thought over my appearance, then realize what I’m doing. I chide myself for caring what Aidan thinks. We will never be an item, and this visit is about helping Caleb, not impressing his father. My hair is almost dry from my recent shower, so I run a brush through it and leave it hanging down my back. I quickly slip on my boots and grab my jacket. Once inside Sir B, I start him up and drive the twenty minutes it takes to get to Aidan’s house.

I pull into the drive and turn off the ignition. As I get out of the car I whistle to myself; the house is impressive. The large ranch-style home is fairly new and one of the nicest in town. The walkway is flanked by neatly-trimmed rose bushes. I can only imagine the aroma and beauty they add to the landscape when in full bloom. I approach the large wooden door and ring the bell. Aidan opens the door almost immediately after and just the sight of him sends my blood racing. I try to paste on a convincing smile - something comforting and friendly - but I’m not sure how well I’m pulling that look off. I probably resemble something more akin to a chicken aware it’s walking into the fox’s den. That’s certainly how it feels.
Focus on Caleb, Whitney. He needs you.

Aidan gives me a weary smile in return and motions for me to enter. As I pass him, he reaches behind me to shut the door. For a brief moment, I can feel him behind me, and it’s unsettling. I have to fight every urge to turn and run.

I move farther into the foyer instead. “So, tell me what happened. How did this all start?”

He runs a hand through his hair, and I can’t help but notice that it’s longer than it used to be. When he removes his fingers from his brown locks, it leaves them sticking up in a haphazard fashion. Worry is etched on his face, and when I look into his eyes, I see the extent of his misery.

“Please, have a seat in the living room. I’ll fill you in, then we can see if he’ll talk to you.”

I follow him into a beautifully furnished living area. It has a rustic lodge feel that reminds me of an upscale ski resort I went to with my girlfriends one Christmas. I sit on a small leather sofa and Aidan sits next to me, making the two-seater feel more like an arm chair. I push my discomfort away to focus on the issue at hand.

“After our talk in your classroom, I started observing him closely, and I noticed that you are right. He’s not the same. We were enjoying breakfast this morning, and I mentioned school. I asked him how it was going, and he just shrugged, so I decided to try some of the things we discussed, hoping he’d open up. I asked about friends because I realized he’s never asked to invite anyone over. He became upset and told me to leave him alone. When I asked what was wrong, he ran into his room and slammed the door.” Aidan frowned. “I thought maybe he just needed a little time alone. But after an hour or so, he still refused to come out. He’s since missed lunch as well.”

I think back to our school week. Was there anything that happened to set this in motion? He still wasn’t overly interactive with others at recess. He mostly kept to himself. Maybe he was just lonely. It was time to find out.

“Can you take me to his room, please?”

Aidan nods and stands then leads me back through the foyer and down a hallway on the opposite side of the house. He stops at a door with a little sign that says “Do Not Enter” and has video game characters all over it.

Aidan knocks. “Caleb? It’s Dad. You have a visitor.”

All is quiet behind the door until we hear the shuffle of feet as Caleb comes closer. “Who is it?” he asks in a wary voice.

I speak up. “It’s me. Miss Dawson. I wanted to come by and say hello. Is it okay if I come in? Or would you want to come out here?”

Again we are greeted with a moment of silence while he makes a decision and then we hear the lock click and the door opens just a crack. He presses his face against the opening, and we can only see one sad little blue eye. I smile at him, and he opens the door enough that I can now see his whole face. He looks tired, and his eyes are a little red like he may have been crying.

“You can come in, I guess.” He opens the door a little more.

Aidan looks at me and nods. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” He slowly backs away, giving his son a look of adoration and love that nearly breaks my heart from the sheer beauty and honesty that shines through. This is absolute, pure, unconditional love.

I give Aidan a sincere smile, then step over the threshold into Caleb's room. He sits on the bed, so I pull out a chair from his desk and get comfortable.

“So, Caleb, what did you do this weekend? Anything fun?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“Ah, me either. Sometimes I get really bored. How about you?”

He looks at me a moment, and I see resignation in those big blue eyes. “Yeah.”

“I thought that since I was bored I’d come see you. Is that okay?”

He nods. “Why would you come see me?”

I smile. “Why not? You’re fun to be around! And it looks like you play video games.” I point to a gaming system near a small flat-screen television.

He gives me a small smile. “Yeah. Do you play video games, Miss Dawson?”

“I try to, but I’m not very good at it. Maybe you could teach me some moves?”

His face lights up. “Sure! What kinda game do you like?” He becomes more animated as he crosses the room and brings me a container full of games.

I look through the box he’s just handed me. “Oh, I don’t know. Which one is your favorite?”

“I love this one!” He pulls out a game about knights and castles. “We get to stop the bad people and fly on dragons and stuff! It’s super cool!”

“That sounds like fun. Teach me how to play that one!”

His smile widens even more as he turns everything on and inserts the disc into the system. I move to sit on the floor in front of the television, and he hands me a controller. “Here, Miss Dawson. You can be player two.”

“Thanks, Caleb. And when we aren’t at school, you can call me Whitney, okay?”

He frowns a little. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to call you Miss Dawson because you’re an adult and my teacher.”

“True, but when I’m visiting you, I’m doing so as your friend as well. And friends use first names, right?”

He thinks for a minute before his smile returns. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Okay then, when we are not in school you can call me Whitney, or Miss Whitney if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Cool!” He pushes a couple of buttons, and the game comes to life. “I’ll teach you all the buttons and special power moves, Whitney. Then you’ll be able to defeat the evil wizard!”

“Let’s do this!” I hold my hand up for a high-five, and he slaps his palm against mine before we settle in for what will inarguably be the worst butt kicking of my video game existence.

Caleb and I have been playing for almost two hours. We’ve laughed and talked while he slayed trolls and I ran from them.

“Whitney! You gotta kill them, or they’ll come back and get you!”

I laugh. “I don’t think I’m gonna survive this round. Maybe you should save me!”

“I got this!” he yells enthusiastically. His small fingers move deftly over the controller and in moments he’s defeated my enemies.

“My hero!” I shout as the victory music begins to play, signaling that we’ve won that round.

Caleb stands up, takes a dramatic bow, then does this adorable dance that has me laughing so hard I fall on my side and roll on the floor. He is such a fun, wonderful kid, and I honestly can’t think of a better way to spend my evening. Well, I can think of one way, and it involves his gorgeous father, but I’m not going to allow my mind to wander there. My brain needs to tell ‘the little libido that could’ to take a chill pill. If only there really were such a pill.

Caleb and I are recovering from our laughter when I notice Aidan in the doorway. His smile is ear to ear, and I know it’s because his son is having a good time. He just wants his kid to be happy, and for now that goal is successful. I smile at them both as I get up and stretch. I’m not old by any means, but after two hours on the floor, I could use a break.

Aidan must have been thinking the same thing. “Hey, Caleb, should we order a pizza?”

Caleb looks at me. “Do you like pizza, Whitney?”

“I love pizza. What toppings should we get?”

Caleb looks at his dad. “Can we get the one with all the meats and lots of cheese?”

Aidan nods. “Sure, if that’s something Miss Dawson likes too.”

“Dad, we don’t have to call her that. She’s our friend, so we call her Whitney when she’s not at school.” He gives Aidan a look that says “Duh!” and I have to struggle not to laugh out loud.

Aidan crosses his arms in front of him. This accentuates his biceps a bit, and I find myself thinking about cold showers.
Lots
of cold showers.

“You are absolutely right, son. How silly of me. Are those toppings acceptable, Whitney?” When he says my name, the undertone sends ripples of awareness through me. Damn. I can’t seem to escape this attraction, even with a child in the room.

“Yes, that sounds good to me,” I manage to squeak out, hoping it resembles any other sentence I’d utter on any other day. The momentary flare in Aidan’s eyes tells me that I’ve failed miserably. He knows what I’m thinking, and I hate it. I might as well have a digital message center strapped to my forehead.
Whitney is desperate and lonely. She’d like you to do unspeakable things to her on the kitchen counter
. I silently thank the heavens that no such thought reading device exists, and I offer Caleb a hand up.

He takes my hand, and once he’s standing, he continues to hold on. I give him a little squeeze and let him lead me to the kitchen with Aidan just behind us.

Caleb insists I take a seat while he sets the table. Aidan orders the pizza and then offers me a beer while getting tea for Caleb. Once the pizza arrives, we enjoy the food and conversation until I notice the time.

“Oh, dear. I should really go.” I stand, and they both follow my lead. “I’ve had a lot of fun, Caleb. Thanks for teaching me how to slay trolls! And thanks for the great pizza!”

Caleb beams with pride. “You were starting to get good at it, but it takes practice. You need to come back so we can play again.”

I should have seen that coming. I look at his angelic little face and realize two things: I can’t tell him no, and, to be honest, I don’t want to. I really did have a great time with them both tonight.

“Sounds like a plan, little man.” I ruffle his hair, and he gives me a big hug. I can’t help but hug him back.

“Okay, Caleb, you need to go brush your teeth and get ready for bed. You both have school tomorrow. I’ll walk Whitney out.”

Caleb says goodbye and bounds down the hallway. Aidan walks me to the door but stops short of opening it for me. “What did you learn today? Is he okay?”

“He will be. He seems to be lonely. For some reason he’s not making friends as I expected him to, so I’m going to see what I can do to foster that during the school day. He didn’t open up too much, but I think in time he will.”

Aidan surprises me by placing a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you, Whitney. I owe you. He really enjoyed himself today. I play video games with him often, but it was obvious he needed someone other than Dad today.”

“I’m glad you called me. I had fun, too. He’s a fantastic kid.”

Aidan opens the door and slowly walks me to my car. Once we reach the driveway, he puts a hand on my arm. “Can we talk a minute?”

I feel the panic start to rise in my chest. “We
are
talking.”

“You know what I mean.”

I lean against the driver’s side door. “What do you want me to say, Aidan?”

“Dammit!” He puts an arm on either side of me, trapping me against my car. “I just want to know why you’re ignoring me. What did I do? Was it the kiss in the fun house?”

I swallow. I can’t find any words that will accurately explain why I freaked out, or why I continue to be anxious about spending time with him.

“Fine. I’ll never touch you again. Does that make you happy?”

It doesn’t, but I don’t know how to explain that either.

He backs away from me. “Don’t shut me out, Whitney. I won’t touch you. I won’t kiss you. I’ll even try not to think about you, although, I doubt I’ll be successful. But it’s obvious Caleb needs you, and to be honest, I enjoy your company too.” He searches my face, his eyes pleading. “Can we give that whole friendship thing one more try? I promise to be on my best behavior from here on out.”