Elvis

The corner was marked. This time I had stowed the note away until I got home, worked up the courage to pull it out of my notebook when I got myself comfy in bed. Especially because Jacie was in the class I found it in: I did not want her seeing me blush down to my neck again. 

I saw you walking by some Christmas lights the other day. Your brown eyes shone like golden toffee and your hair lit up like a roaring fire, you were beautiful. I wish I could've taken a picture, but that'd be creepy. 

The note said, as if I didn't already find this creepy. 

I'd love to walk through one of those lit up neighbourhood shows with you. We'd be hand in hand, maybe sharing a hot chocolate in a Greggs festive to-go cup. And we'd take pictures, obviously, but I'd be in them with you, smiling with you, holding you in my arms. 

If only, right? :] 

It ended there, though for once I actually wished it kept going, like the endless thrumming of my heartbeat. It tied a knot in my stomach and I…I was smiling. 

But a heavy, sinking feeling soon settled in. Because I was down to 6 names, yet I still had no clue who it could be. Because I couldn't even write back. I couldn't learn more about this person, I couldn't thank them, couldn't even think about returning their feelings. I could do Jack shit. 

It made me feel useless like I didn't deserve a single one of these notes. I mean, I really didn't. 

I folded it back up but took it with me as I left my room. It was late, the light of the moon shone through the hallway window and spilled across the carpet in a painted line. I stepped through it and knocked on Aaron's door. 

"What?" He said when he opened it, voice low and tired, eyes heavy. He was looking after Ruby tonight and I could see her wide eyes as she sat up in her crib. Not an ounce of sleep was in her. 

I smiled at her, pushing my way inside. "Why isn't this one asleep?" I asked and Aaron mumbled a few insults at me. 

"Because she likes to be annoying." He grumbled, but one look at her face had him sighing, crumbling. "I…I think it's the moving between houses. I talked to mum about it, she said we should start a schedule, instead of sudden days anytime of the week." He explained. 

I nodded along to his words, poking Ruby in the cheek. She hated it when I did that, and she shot me a glare that could defeat whole armies. "Makes sense."

"And what are you doing awake?" He asked, closing his door. I always liked it when he was tired, he gave in easily. 

I held the note out and he quietly took it while I played with Ruby. I tried to ignore the nerves piling in my gut as I listened to the crinkles of the paper being unfolded, especially the silence of reading after. 

And damn did he take his time reading. 

"This one's sweet." He finally said, his voice much more relaxed than before. Dare I say he even sounded happy.

"Sweet, yes, but it makes me feel like an ass–… a-hole." I stepped away from my niece and joined Aaron on his bed. 

He pursed his lips as he read the note again, sat cross-legged and facing me. Apparently, the lip thing is a thing we share. 

"Why?"

"Because they're pouring their heart and soul out to me while I'm sat here completely oblivious to who it actually is. And – what if I don't like who it is? What if they're a girl? I wouldn't be able to love them like they seem to love me."

Aaron put the note down on his quilt. Then focused on me, watched me intently, made sure I heard every word he said. "They aren't asking you to return their feelings, Elvis. I'm sure they know the risk of what they're doing."

"That doesn't mean I don't wanna try." I countered, breaking eye contact. My fingers messed with the cords of my joggers, letting me get out the anxiety building up in my chest little by little. 

"Well," he started, leaving space for more thought, "you've got 6 candidates, right? Why don't you go through them all? Talk to them, watch them, maybe you'll see one of them leave a note behind." He suggests. 

It's an idea I've pondered before but was too scared to go through with. Am I really that desperate now?

"You want me to stalk my stalker?" I mused, adding a smile and a touch of lightheartedness to the talk. 

"Exactly!" He smiled back. 

I nodded, slowly and quietly, then met his soft eyes again. "You're annoying and you're a prick majority of the time, but you're also awesome." I ruffled his hair, ignoring his complaints. "Right, Ruby?"

"Yeah!" She mumble-shouted, throwing a fist into the air with way too much energy for 12am.

"Ruby, sweetie, go to bed. And Elvis, wipe that smile off your face, you look like an idiot." Aaron grumbled. 

"Love you too." I reached across and pulled his cheeks up, forcing him to smile along with me. 

He glared, just like his daughter. "Yeah, love annoying me." He mumbled.