Kitchen Boss

I pull a deep breath into my lungs.

And maybe take a long, cold shower.

~

I’ve just come out of the shower when I hear Maisie crying.

I grip the damp towel around my neck and run to her bedroom next door in my boxers. With each leap of my heart against my ribcage, worry swirls through my veins.

Did she have another nightmare? Did she fall off the bed and hurt herself?

When I get there, I find Cathy already there. Of course. She must have heard Maisie, too.

She’s sitting on the bed, Maisie on her lap with her head snuggled against Cathy’s chest. Cathy rocks her back and forth as she strokes her hair and hums a lullaby.

Maisie’s sobs are already beginning to fade. Her shoulders stop trembling. Moments later, she grows still and silent. Her small fingers let go of Cathy’s sleeve. Her arm drops to her side.

Cathy continues to rock her back and forth. As she lifts her head, our eyes meet. She holds a finger to her lips. I nod and let out a deep breath.

It seems like there was no need for me to worry about Maisie after all. She probably just had a nightmare. Now, she’s back asleep in Cathy’s arms.

Suddenly, she makes a sound, something between a whimper and a groan. Afterwards, her lips start smacking together like a fish’s. Then they stop moving. Their corners twitch up into a smile.

I smile in turn. It seems like she’s going to be alright now.

“Thank you,” I whisper to Cathy.

She just nods.

I walk back to my room, relieved and glad. I guess it was a good decision to let Cathy stay here, after all.

Chapter 5

Cathy

I close my eyes as I breathe in the fresh morning air, painted with the scent of grass still heavy with beads of dew and the needles of the pine tree standing at the edge of the lawn. Soft sunlight warms my cheeks. I stretch my arms as I let out a yawn.

Finally, it’s my day off. Today, I was able to sleep in, even if it was for just half an hour. Today, I can finally rest my weary muscles and battered mind. Today, I can finally take a stroll through this garden that I’ve been admiring from my bedroom window.

I start to follow the paved path. After a few steps, I glance at the house.

I still find it hard to believe that I live here now. Such a big house. My room alone is more than half the size of the apartment I used to live in.

I was reluctant to move in at first. Anyone would be if asked so suddenly, especially if it’s moving in with your boss and his daughter. Even if I’ve met Jackson before and he considers me family, he’s still practically a stranger. Plus, he’s a man. Thoroughly so. And he’s single. I couldn’t just agree to live with him. I mean, what would people think?

Besides, there’s still the matter of Trisha – the matter which made me think twice about taking the internship at the restaurant in the first place. Each time I look at Jackson, I can’t help but think of her. They have the same mahogany eyes, after all. Do I really want to live with a man who reminds me of the best friend and the memories I’ve lost? And what about Trisha’s warning for me to stay away from Jackson?

In the end, though, I had to agree with Ken and Jackson that it was the best thing to do. I needed to be closer to the restaurant and I was going to lose my apartment anyway. And Ken’s right. Now that I’m not paying for a place to stay, I can use my money for other things, even start saving.

Yes, things were awkward in the beginning. I can still remember the way Jackson pressed my body against his when I nearly fell. I can still remember how he looked when he walked into Maisie’s bedroom wearing just his boxers, his skin still glistening from the shower. After that, things settled down, though. Like he said, unless I go to the kitchen, I don’t bump into him. Sometimes we go to work together. In the evenings, when Maisie comes to my room, he sometimes drops by to check on her or to bring her to bed. Other than that, we don’t really see each other much, so I don’t have a chance to feel uncomfortable.

So far, moving in here has been a good decision.

“Cathy!”

I turn around at the sound of Maisie’s voice and footsteps. She’s running towards me in her pink pajamas. I bend down and spread my arms so I can catch her.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” I give her a squeeze.

As I bury my face in her hair, I breathe in the scent of her strawberry-scented shampoo.