His Lingering Touch

Chapter 2: Ain't no sunshine when there's pain

©nesslafond

Chapter 2: Ain't no sunshine when there's pain

It was raining.

Pouring down and I was running late for Ariel. I dodged all the cars in my lane and glided through the roads praying I wouldn't get pulled over. My eyes switched to the clock on the dashboard for a quick second before moving back to the road. 2:59. Shit.

The thought of my little girl sitting outside waiting for me alone had my heart pounding faster. I stepped further on the gas and tried my hardest to make this beat up old Honda perform like a Ferrari.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I entered her classroom and saw her sitting at a desk drawing pictures next to her teacher Mrs. Holly.

When my presence was made known they both looked up and I watched Ariel's eyes light up as she saw me.

"Mummy!" forgetting about her drawing, she got up from her seat and ran up to me. I caught her small body as she leaped into my arms. I closed my eyes and smiled as her tiny arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed tightly.

"Hey baby girl, I'm so sorry that I'm late." I shifted her so that she was on my hip, she didn't seem fazed that I was late.

"It's okay mummy, does this mean I get to have ice-cream for dinner?" I rolled my eyes and she giggled.

"Very funny, but I don't think so." She pouted and I pecked her nose before turning to her teacher, completely forgetting that she was also here.

I smiled sheepishly at her, "Thanks for waiting with her and sorry for being late it won't happen again."

She stood up and waved me off, "Don't be silly it was no trouble Miss Raine, Ariel is great company. We just started some drawings."

At the mention of her work Ariel wiggled out of my arms and went over to the desk she was sitting at earlier. She picked up the work and then put it in her bag before walking back to me.

"Ready to go?" I reached for her bag to hold and she nodded. I grabbed her tiny hand and held it with one hand while my other held her pink school bag.

Ariel talked my head off about her day the whole way home as per usual. She loved going to school, it was just the waking up for school part, where we have a problem.

 The rain had thankfully calmed down by the time we had arrived home. The area we lived in wasn't the best place to stay but it was the only place I could afford at the moment. Being a single mother who worked two jobs in a city where I have no family or friends except Courtney proved to be slightly difficult at times but we made it work.

Ariel held my hand tightly as we shared the elevator with two young men. I could feel them staring at us but I learned a long time ago to not pay any attention to them. The area was known for trouble from time to time, but as long as you kept your head down here you were safe.

Once inside, I sent Ariel to prepare for bath time as I quickly made a start on dinner. Our apartment was painfully small but it was bearable for just the two of us. That's all it'll ever be, just the two of us. I don't see myself with another man in the future even though Courtney's tried countless times to set me up on dates which have all ended up failing miserably.

As sad as it was, I knew my heart still belonged to that asshole and I hated him for it. I hated that he's still got my heart. I wish I could move on and provide a father figure for Ariel as she grew up because every kid deserved a dad in their life but I just couldn't bring myself to find interest in anyone. Every guy I had dated for the short period time of a couple of hours, I compared almost every single one of them to my blue eyed professor.