“Hi, Uncle Landon. What’s up?” Karla asked, holding the phone against her ear. She turned her back slightly toward me, but I didn’t miss the small smile that spread across her lips as she spoke to him. “Yeah, I know.” Her smile deepened. “Yeah, I know.” Then she laughed.
She laughed! The broken girl with such low self-esteem laughed at the words Landon was giving her through their call. That made my heart warm up. Even though I had my opinions on Landon, it made me happy that he was able to make Karla smile and laugh, because I knew she did both things so sparsely.
“OK, OK!” Karla laughed, shaking her head. “Fine. I’ll say it, but only because you’re being annoying about it. I love you, too. There. Happy?”
She kept smiling, and the grin must’ve been infectious, because a smile landed against my lips, too.
Karla cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, what?” She stood to her feet. “Really?!”
I stood, too, confused by her sudden movements.
“OK, yeah. OK, bye.” Karla hung up the phone, and that smile stayed planted against her lips. She looked my way and combed her hair over her face. “Um, sorry, Shay. Is it OK if we cut today’s lesson short? My Uncle Landon is in town for a lot longer than he thought, and he wanted to take me out on a date.”
The doorbell rang as her words settled into my mind. She began limping out of her room with her shoulders hunched and her eyes staring at the wooden floorboards. She always walked with her eyes glued to the floor as if she was too afraid to look up.
I followed behind her, trying to control my heart, which was currently losing its mind.
As Karla opened the front door, she crashed her body into Landon, who pulled her into the tightest embrace. He bent down to hold the young girl against him and whispered something into her ear that made her laugh again.
That laugh.
What a beautiful sound.
As she pulled away from him, he combed her hair behind her ears so he could see her face. The way he looked at her, as if he only saw perfection as opposed to her scars, made every piece of resentment I held for him momentarily melt away.
Then he spoke the words that sent my soul into a tailspin.
“How’s your heart, Karla?” he said, his voice low and controlled with such tenderness and care.
She shrugged her left shoulder before letting it drop heavily down. “Still beating.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as the familiar saying left his lips. I blinked away the emotion the best I could before swallowing hard and clearing my throat.
The two looked over to me, and the shock that rocketed through Landon’s eyes from seeing me made me feel as if I was invading a very private moment. Then his eyes softened as if he was pleased to see me there.
I stuffed my hands into my jeans pockets and awkwardly swayed back and forth.
“Oh, Uncle Landon, this is Shay! She’s Eleanor’s cousin and is teaching me how to be a writer.”
“You’re already a writer.” I smiled at the girl who hadn’t lost her grin since Landon arrived.
“But I want to be great like you,” she commented. She turned back to Landon. “She’s an amazing screenwriter, Uncle Landon. You should be in one of her movies. She’s the best.”
“I believe it,” he said, his stare still on me. He blinked a few times and parted his lips as if he had something more to say, but then he turned to Karla. “Maybe you should go get your coat and shoes so we can head out for the day.”
“OK,” Karla agreed, starting toward her bedroom. “Shay, maybe we can make up for the stuff we missed today and meet twice next week? If you can. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”
“My time is yours.” I smiled. “I love doing this together, Karla. You let me know when you’re free, and I’ll make it fit into my schedule.”
She thanked me again before heading off to get ready for her date with Landon.
I stood frozen in the foyer as Landon stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Hello,” I replied, trying to keep myself cool and calm. Cool as a cucumber.
Luckily, I wasn’t drunk off whiskey with this interaction; therefore, I’d be better at biting my tongue.