unbroken (unexpected series)

Chapter 36

Looking away from Ben, she shook her head and whispered, "I can't read." The pain I see on Rainy's face eats away at me, hey don't do that... don't you are acting like you've got some reason to be ashamed... I wasn't very good at reading when I was Kayla's age. The man that had me never sent me to school Rainy, people thought I was a lost cause... Kayla she can't read now, but that doesn't mean she will never learn. It's going to take time; no one expects that she be where all other kids her age are. She isn't even where other kids are, she's out there growing flowers in her palm, show me another kid her age that can do that! Rainy released a half sob – half snort.

"But ... Chelsea said you're almost... did you never learn? Do you know the alphabet?" Ben asked in a shocked tone.

"Yes," Kayla murmured.

"If you want to help or even just watch, you don't need to know how to read to help us..." despite how odd for her that a boat didn't sink, Kayla didn't respond, and honestly I'm thankful when Ben just lets it go.  Door opening behind me pulls our attention and I see Chris, though he only had eyes for Rainy, "it's nap time for Quinn and Fiona," he says to Rainy, but more so I notice he's examining her every feature. Her eyes, her skin, her lips, trying to gage how she may feel, happy he hopes, and a small smile from her, calms his thoughts. Bounding down he stumbles when he sees Ben, albeit not close to Kayla but watching his girls intently.

With two fidgety little girls in either arm, Chris heads back inside, "If you need anything just call me okay Love?" he waits for her to reply, then quickly disappears.

Without the buffer of Quinn and Fiona, Kayla begins to fidget, then it's worse when Ava wanders over to me, finally spying the pool, "Momma Ava swim?" she asks but is already on the ground removing her sandals and cotton dress, swimsuit underneath. Running up the two steps pointing to her hair, "Braid please," I just roll my eyes, doing as she says.

"She can swim?"

"Like a fish," I answer sitting so that Ava is in my line of sight at all times now that she's in the pool. The water splash catches Ben's attention, standing he takes three steps from Kayla, "You wanna swim?" she shakes her head no – less clothes means hurt. Even though the idea of cooling off in the water is higher than any other activity Ben drops it. "Okay... you wanna play soccer?" he holds out his ball.

Is – does she – is Kayla afraid of him? Rainy asks me stumbling over her question, again in that place of utter limbo. She doesn't know what soccer is... I answer truthfully. This time her face gives away her thoughts to Ben, "you kick it, but you can't use your hands... I used to play on a team back home... well I guess you can use your hands so that you can stop the ball so the other person doesn't score a goal," her blue eyes confused more than when he just asked to play. "I'll just show you," he leaves her in the meadow running towards me, drops the ball, "can I use these?" he points to the five other chairs, smiling at Rainy, a twinkle in his blue eyes. Kayla follows coming near Rainy and I, sitting on the steps.

His exuberance taking her off guard she just nods and we sit watching him set up goals, in the backyard, before picking up the ball and coming over to Kayla. "Okay so you block that end," he points to his left, "and I'll block this side, we stand between the space and we try to see if we can score goals..." again something so simple to Ben didn't make much sense to Kayla, but since they were at opposites sides she was willing to try. Especially with how happy and smiling Ben was, "Here you ladies go," Chris said from behind us startling me. Something that never happens, as he lowers a tray with five glasses of lemonade, "Mom made it," he said and I wondered for a moment if someone else made it, why didn't they bring it out for us, until I saw the care in his eyes for Rainy.