Being better

Chloe was for the most part a quiet girl. She ate with her hands and didn't complain at how difficult it was to eat macaroni and cheese. He actually had to go out of his way to teach her how to use a spoon and fork.

"It's like this, see? The edge of your middle finger and your thumb."

"Isn't it better to hold it like a shovel?" Chloe asked. She demonstrated her point and Aaron laughed.

"Er, I guess it's fine if you're a kid?"

Her cheeks puffed up at his remark. "I'm not a kid," she said pompously, imitating him perfectly. "See?"

She was also very gullible. It was probably why she followed him in the first place. Chloe, although cast out, must not have encountered many criminals. No, perhaps she did, and simply continued to hope.

CRACK! RUMBLE! BOOM!

The kitchen suddenly flashed blue. Lightning crackled and struck, tainting the misty sky, and for an instant there was panic. Chloe froze like a deer seeing headlights.

Time passed. The kitchen returned to its dull colour, to the yellow light of the wall scones.

Aaron clicked his tongue and asked, "Are you alright?"

"M-mhm." She gulped. "Y-yeah." She hiccuped and released her fork. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes. Across from him was a child needing comfort and he…didn't know what to do. He sat in his chair like an idiot, waiting for someone or something to happen.

"Um, er." Aaron got from his chair and came around to her. He patted her on the shoulder and said, "There, there, Chloe. It's just lightning."

"I-I know." Chloe bit the bottom of her lip and held back her tears. "S-sorry, sir."

Aaron was immediately alarmed. "Hey, it's okay to cry. There, there…"

That was all he could say because that was all he knew how to say. His gaze switched from Chloe, to the ceiling, and then the table.

"H-hey, want to watch TV?" Aaron suggested in a hurry. "Uh, have you watched League of Super Pets? It's about Krypto the Superdog rescuing the Justice League with his friends."

She sniffled. "Will Hawkgirl be in it?"

"I think so." He literally didn't know but the response came before he could think about it. Chloe wiped her tears and gave him a small smile.

"Okay! Let's watch!"

Off they went to the sofa. Chloe swung her legs eagerly, finding the motions and the half-soft, half-hard furniture amusing to smack. Aaron cleaned the dishes and returned with the television remote.

"Woah. Your TV has a lot of apps," Chloe commented. "The ones on the store windows only play the same movie over and over again."

"It's a smart TV," Aaron replied. "It has a dozen services on it. Netflix, Disney Plus, everything."

"Disney? Like Mickey Mouse!?" Chloe exclaimed.

"Yes, like Mickey Mouse."

"Wowow." Chloe turned to the TV with a fresh set of eyes. She wasn't just excited, she was invigorated. "How much are we allowed to watch?"

"We can watch until we go to sleep."

That was exactly what they did. As the lightning and storm brewed outside, Aaron and Chloe watched children's movie after children's movie. It was almost three o'clock by the time they were finished with their marathon, leaving Aaron with baggy eyes and Chloe as a zombie.

Aaron had a spare bedroom she let her sleep there. Pulling the blanket over her tiny body, the small bundle of joy napped.

"Good night," he said, closing the door. He sighed in relief and slowed his elevating heart. "I drank way too much Pepsi there," he muttered. He checked the time on his phone and grimaced. Considering work started in almost six hours, he thought about calling in.

'Screw it.'

He had already told the supervisor about his fake circumstances regarding his sister. He sincerely doubted he would kill him for skipping one more day.

So that was what he did. He left his supervisor a voicemail and took a long, cozy nap.