My Christmas Wish
Chapter 2
Duane Lee's POV
I glanced out of my bedroom door to check on Presley, seeing her coloring, I slid a shirt over my head and tucked it into my pants. I had a date tonight with my girlfriend of a few months, Stacey. Minutes later, I heard a knock at the door and opened it to find her standing there. "You're early." I say closing the door behind her.
She nods and says "Who's the kid?" pointing to Presley.
"Oh, that’s Presley, my neighbor Amira's daughter." I say as Presley looks up and says "Hi."
Stacey gives a short nod and looks around the apartment. "Well...we better get going; we're going to be late to the movie."
I looked at her in disbelief. "I can’t leave until Amira gets home."
She crosses her arms and huffs "Why not. I thought we had a date. I didn't know you were her built in babysitter."
I couldn't believe she was saying these things. I had told her plenty of times that I watched Presley after school and sometimes at night when her mother was running late. "I cant just leave her here alone Stacey." I say harshly, pulling her into the kitchen so that Presley wouldn't hear us. "I'm sorry. We're just going to have to wait." I say giving her a small smile.
She rolls her eyes and sits down at the kitchen counter. "This better not happen every time we go out." she says to herself.
Twenty minutes later Amira's standing in my doorway. "I know, I know.. I'm late. I tried to leave early" she says before she realizes we're not alone. "Oh hi." she says holding her hand out to Stacey "I'm Amira, Duane's neighbor...and Presley's mom." She says with a sweet, genuine smile.
I see Stacey give her the once over and say "I'm Stacey. The girlfriend."
Amira nods and gives me a look. "Well...thank you again Duane. I didn't know you had a date I would have driven faster." She says with a laugh while gathering up her daughters things. I walk the girls to the door. "Bye kiddo." I say ruffling Presley's hair and shut the door behind them.
"Well you three look awfully cozy." Stacey says picking her purse up.
I turn quickly, "Look, She's a single mother working full time and going to school. If watching her daughter in the afternoon helps her out, then I don't mind doing it." I say crossing my arms. "Now, are we going out or what?" I ask Stacey. She nods and walks out the door.
Amira's POV
I propped my feet up on the table after getting Presley to bed. I was tired, I don't know why I was pushing my self so hard to finish school this semester, I took on two extra classes in order to do so. I just wanted out of the job I was in, but I couldn't afford to quit and go to school, so I just suffered through it. I wanted a better life for my daughter, I wanted to put her into a private school. I had enough money in savings to pay for her first semester at the school I wanted her to attend next year. I wanted her to have the things that I didn't have growing up. My parents worked hard, but always struggled. I didn't want that to be me. I was sick of struggling.
A tap on my door drew me away from my thoughts. I opened it up to see Duane Lee standing there in a t-shirt and jeans. "What happened to your date?" I say sitting back down on my couch.
He lets out a long sigh. "We barely made it through dinner before she asked me to take her back to her car" he say closing his eyes and laying his head back against the couch cushion. "We actually talked about you and Presley the whole time." he says looking over at me.
I look at him surprised. "Really... why?" I asked him. "Oh, I guess it pissed her off that I'm helping you out...found out she doesn't want kids tonight though..." he says quietly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were dating someone. I don't want to ruin that for you, I'll just look into finding a babysitter...I’ve got a little bit in savings that I could pay someone." I say sadly.
"No no no...I like spending time with Presley, it eases the pain of not seeing my own child. I don't want you to find someone else, and I don't want you to use your savings either." He says sincerely. "I don't care what Stacey thinks about the situation. Besides, I think that ship has sailed..."
"Thank you, I don't think you know how much it means to me." I tell him. "I just don't want your love life to suffer because my child is in the way. It wouldn't due for a bachelor like your self to have a six year old hanging around all week long." I say laughing.
He smiles and closes his eyes again. I knew he was tired between his job and my child; he was worn out. I could see it on his face. A few minutes later he was asleep. I reached over and pulled a blanket over him and headed off to my bedroom.
The next morning when I got up he was gone, the blanket folded neatly on the couch, a note sat on the counter: Duty Calls ~ DL
I laughed and stuck the note in the kitchen drawer and went about my day. Finally able to enjoy a weekend off.
I glanced out of my bedroom door to check on Presley, seeing her coloring, I slid a shirt over my head and tucked it into my pants. I had a date tonight with my girlfriend of a few months, Stacey. Minutes later, I heard a knock at the door and opened it to find her standing there. "You're early." I say closing the door behind her.
She nods and says "Who's the kid?" pointing to Presley.
"Oh, that’s Presley, my neighbor Amira's daughter." I say as Presley looks up and says "Hi."
Stacey gives a short nod and looks around the apartment. "Well...we better get going; we're going to be late to the movie."
I looked at her in disbelief. "I can’t leave until Amira gets home."
She crosses her arms and huffs "Why not. I thought we had a date. I didn't know you were her built in babysitter."
I couldn't believe she was saying these things. I had told her plenty of times that I watched Presley after school and sometimes at night when her mother was running late. "I cant just leave her here alone Stacey." I say harshly, pulling her into the kitchen so that Presley wouldn't hear us. "I'm sorry. We're just going to have to wait." I say giving her a small smile.
She rolls her eyes and sits down at the kitchen counter. "This better not happen every time we go out." she says to herself.
Twenty minutes later Amira's standing in my doorway. "I know, I know.. I'm late. I tried to leave early" she says before she realizes we're not alone. "Oh hi." she says holding her hand out to Stacey "I'm Amira, Duane's neighbor...and Presley's mom." She says with a sweet, genuine smile.
I see Stacey give her the once over and say "I'm Stacey. The girlfriend."
Amira nods and gives me a look. "Well...thank you again Duane. I didn't know you had a date I would have driven faster." She says with a laugh while gathering up her daughters things. I walk the girls to the door. "Bye kiddo." I say ruffling Presley's hair and shut the door behind them.
"Well you three look awfully cozy." Stacey says picking her purse up.
I turn quickly, "Look, She's a single mother working full time and going to school. If watching her daughter in the afternoon helps her out, then I don't mind doing it." I say crossing my arms. "Now, are we going out or what?" I ask Stacey. She nods and walks out the door.
Amira's POV
I propped my feet up on the table after getting Presley to bed. I was tired, I don't know why I was pushing my self so hard to finish school this semester, I took on two extra classes in order to do so. I just wanted out of the job I was in, but I couldn't afford to quit and go to school, so I just suffered through it. I wanted a better life for my daughter, I wanted to put her into a private school. I had enough money in savings to pay for her first semester at the school I wanted her to attend next year. I wanted her to have the things that I didn't have growing up. My parents worked hard, but always struggled. I didn't want that to be me. I was sick of struggling.
A tap on my door drew me away from my thoughts. I opened it up to see Duane Lee standing there in a t-shirt and jeans. "What happened to your date?" I say sitting back down on my couch.
He lets out a long sigh. "We barely made it through dinner before she asked me to take her back to her car" he say closing his eyes and laying his head back against the couch cushion. "We actually talked about you and Presley the whole time." he says looking over at me.
I look at him surprised. "Really... why?" I asked him. "Oh, I guess it pissed her off that I'm helping you out...found out she doesn't want kids tonight though..." he says quietly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were dating someone. I don't want to ruin that for you, I'll just look into finding a babysitter...I’ve got a little bit in savings that I could pay someone." I say sadly.
"No no no...I like spending time with Presley, it eases the pain of not seeing my own child. I don't want you to find someone else, and I don't want you to use your savings either." He says sincerely. "I don't care what Stacey thinks about the situation. Besides, I think that ship has sailed..."
"Thank you, I don't think you know how much it means to me." I tell him. "I just don't want your love life to suffer because my child is in the way. It wouldn't due for a bachelor like your self to have a six year old hanging around all week long." I say laughing.
He smiles and closes his eyes again. I knew he was tired between his job and my child; he was worn out. I could see it on his face. A few minutes later he was asleep. I reached over and pulled a blanket over him and headed off to my bedroom.
The next morning when I got up he was gone, the blanket folded neatly on the couch, a note sat on the counter: Duty Calls ~ DL
I laughed and stuck the note in the kitchen drawer and went about my day. Finally able to enjoy a weekend off.