By Kismet

Ariel Fitzpatrick: Life had many ways of leading you to something. I always believed if you tried avoiding something you didn't like, life would steer your car towards it every single chance it got. And instead of the light speed bump you were fearing it would cause, it spirals you in a fast circle.



"Morning Georgia! I see you've gotten bett--" Rose said as she came downstairs the next morning but stopped short when she noticed an unfamiliar green-coated back. "Thames?" she questioned and was answered with a gigantic smile.

"Morning my lady." He greeted, turning back around and busying himself with the stove he was standing before.

"Uh, morning..." Rose said slowly, watching him as he shuffled things about, moving with a mission around the kitchen. "What are you--" The smell of something tantalizing had hit her senses and accordingly, Rose's stomach growled audibly.

"Breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you set up the table?" Thames suggested as he sprinkled a labelled can over the pan. Rose scrutinized it for a few moments before she realized it was salt.

Since when did we have salt in the house?

Disoriently setting up the table, Rose's eyes roamed over the house and they groved every surface. Her suspicions were confirmed; there were many new items that were non-existent the night before. The floor had been broomed recently and between the front door and the living room, a pretty knitted square carpet was flattened out as a form of welcoming mat. The walls looked cleaner, the windows were fixed and freshly screwed and when she looked down, she realized there was an extra set of chairs.

She felt a wave of emotion hit her, threatening to make her faint.

"Thames!" she said dazily, rushing back to the kitchen. She threw herself at the old man and Thames all but dropped the spoon and turned in time to catch her hug. "Oh, Thames. You didn't need to!" she cried like a little girl, strengthening her arms around his scrawny figure.

"It was the least I could do after your kind offer, ma'am." he replied flushedly.

Rose took a moment before releasing him, sheepishly darting her eyes around. "Thank you, Thames!"

She stood for a moment to stare at this kind, old man. He didn't have to do all that he did but in her heart, Rose was glad. It meant someone cared for her - for them - enough to go out of their way. She didn't know what kind of love was better than that and if there was, she was hellbent on finding out. She turned to leave but before she could go finish setting up the dinner table, Thames called out for her to wait.

"Yes?" she asked, hovering near the threshold.

"I was wondering if maybe..." he said unsurely, looking directly into the pair of orbs that were staring into his curiously. "If you had room for an old speck like myself." he finished, fiddling with the oven mittens in his hand. Rose eyed him for the longest of time before a smile overtook her contemplative face.

"For a nice gentleman like yourself? Sure, why not." He looked relieved, like her words had uplifted a tonne of bricks off of his back. She smiled, happy that something she said or did had such a wide effect on someone. Thames' blush grew at an alarming rate and in hopes to help the man from turning purple with embarrassment, Rose excused herself and went to complete her unfinished business.

~

It was nearing evening time and Rose was just about ready to clear up the table of their lunch plates that Thames had taken upon himself to cook. He also took the liberty, Rose noticed, to stock-pack the cupboards with all kinds of foods as though he were planning on going into hibernation. Georgia (as well as Rose) refused to accept them, claiming it wasn't fair of him to use his money on them like that. Thameson argued that he had no place to go and since they had kindly welcomed him into their home, he would in return make it more home-like to his liking, as he so cleverly put it.

By that he meant, obviously, buying unnecessary items like a new couch, curtains and even toys for little Alejandro. They begrudgingly agreed but only because it would kill them to destroy the high spirit Alejandro was in and more importantly, in their minds, they planned on paying him back. It was for him as well, he added with a smile which they could only nodded silently to.

"So, Rose. I hear you're out searching for a job this past week but were unsuccessful?" Rose tried not to grimace - her mood was currently sky high for she had never eaten spaghetti before and although it was enough on its own, the meatballs were an additional delight.

"Yeah. But I'm not giving up!" she demanded and stared hard at Thameson as if it would make him see her point better.

"Duly noted." he said with a laugh. "But that's not what I was implying."

Rose looked up from the pile of plates she stacked together, her eyes narrowed in on his aging visage. Thames gave off the appearance that beneath all those wrinkles, there was a once handsome, young man that swept many girls off of their high heeled feet. He had a charming smile and his eyes were a humble coal that were turning midly gray in some areas by nature's doing.

"I had a job offer in mind...if you're interested." He said, stopping her evaluation short. For three agonizing seconds, the image of a bar hit Rose's vision and she tried not to vomit out the meatballs. She knew if she stoop so low, she'd already have a job but it did nothing to ease the sickening feeling that resulted from just thinking about it.

"Yeah?" she tried to say excitedly but failed. Thames caught on to her stiff demeanor and chose his words carefully.

"It's a maid's job." he said slowly and she couldn't help but think there was some sort of catch.

Oh, and what kind?" she pressed, knowing very well that "maid" meant "mistress" in some people's dictionaries. Georgia made her promise to steer clear from that sort of business. She said she had personal experience with what was required of those that associated themselves to that sort of career and she'd be damned to let Rose fall into its trap. She knew she could make much more money and they might've been able to step up a class in the world's wealthy scale but if Georgia wished it away, then away is where it would stay.

"The 'cleaning, cooking and errand-running' kind." he replied easily, which only made Rose tense up more. There had to be something wrong with this great-sounding job if it was available. And she spoke these thought aloud.

"Oh, quit questioning!" Thames scolded her playfully. He didn't notice the invisible scotch tape that magically covered Rose's small lips. "It's an available job but only if you act fast. By the end of the week, it could be taken." he said teasingly and stood up. "I'll give you time to decide." he told her and then left to go check up on Georgia.

~

Rose had been contemplating for five hours now, in between all the house chores and the likes. Alejandro wouldn't quit playing with his toys - which he did with much gusto - and Thames took it upon himself (as per usual) to be Georgia's companion, who was bedridden and barely talked. It wasn't like her past circumstances. Not at all.

A fortnight ago, when Georgia seemed livelier than now and could work, Rose would think going away to be someone's maid wouldn't have been hard. At least for the ones left behind. She couldn't risk abandoning the only family she knew of but after Georgia's condition worsened and Rose ended up jobless, the chances were next to impossible.

"Rose?" Alejandro said sleepily from his bed when Rose finally convinced him that his toys weren't going to disappear in the morning.

"Hmm?" she replied, her mind working out all the possible outcomes of her leaving. Who would work and look after Georgia? And what about Alejandro? She couldn't leave her family, not now.

"I like Thames." he said with a small smile, his eyes fluttering to a close. "I hope he stays with us. Forever." Alejandro sighed and turned to his side. Rose tucked him in, making sure the poor shivering boy was covered well.

Yawning, he added, "He can be our uncle." laughing in a ghost-like whisper which induced a similar reaction from Rose.

"Uncle Thames." she said to herself, tasting the name. "Has a ring to it." she agreed and switched off the lamp Thames had bought unnecessarily yet again. As she walked out of the room, a revelation dawned on her. Now that Thames was in the picture, her options were now shone with a new light. It was that moment she decided to make her choice. It wasn't her choice to begin with; she had to do anything to keep her family strong, to support it.

Of course, she thought as she made her way to her own room. Why didn't I think of that before?

Rose made the best of the last night she was going to sleep in the comfort of her own bed, if pun may be excused. Somehow, she was going to miss her torn up mattress and freezing her butt off on it every night. It was home and nothing could be better than that. Leaving it behind for something she didn't know what to expect was risky but that was life: expecting the unexpected, apparently.

Thames, you Godsend. was the last thing she thought before sleep took over.



And I don't need to mention the inevitable crash, do I?