Chapter 8 Close Encounter

• "When does the exhibition start?" Xavier inquired while speaking on the phone.
• "Why are you going to Seattle without notice? Is there a problem?"
• Raphael couldn't resist questioning Xavier about his unexpected trip to Seattle rather than New York, where he had a scheduled business meeting with a telecommunications company.
• "My sister won't stop bothering me about her ongoing exhibition," Xavier said, annoyance lacing his words.
• "I thought you never wanted to come, man," Raphael replied, surprised by Xavier's sudden change of plans.
• "What better day to finally visit Mr. Harrington? We need to close the deal with that old man. He's stubborn about selling his property to me, even after I raised the price."
• Raphael raised an eyebrow at Xavier, a smile tugging at his lips. "I didn't think your love for your sister could outweigh your business goals, Xavier. It looks like I was wrong," he teased.
• Just as Xavier was about to retort, a small figure darted across the road in front of them.
• "Oh, give it a rest, Raph," Xavier retorted, rolling his eyes.
• His hand froze mid-air, though, when he spotted the little girl running across the road.
• "Hey, Raph, watch out!" Xavier yelled, his voice laced with urgency. In a split second, Raphael slammed on the brakes, and Xavier leapt from the car, racing towards the little girl they had almost hit.
• "Are you alright, princess?" Xavier asked the little girl, who seemed more focused on her doll than the chaos she had just caused. Xavier noticed her school bag and pondered the idea of leaving a child so young to wander the streets alone.
• "What kind of careless parents would let their child wander around like this?" he thought to himself, concern etched on his face.
• "Where's your mom, little one?" Xavier asked, finally getting the girl's attention. But her gaze remained fixed on him, her doe-like eyes staring up at him in wonder.
• "Mummy said not to talk to strangers," she murmured, her lips starting to quiver as she processed the situation.
• "Oh, sweetheart, don't cry," Xavier cooed, his heart breaking at her innocence.
• The little girl's lower lip quivered, her eyes welling up with tears. "Mummy said not to follow strangers," she sobbed. "But I can't find mummy."
• "Shh... shh... I'm not a stranger," he tried to soothe the little girl, patting her back gently. But her sobs were relentless, and Xavier found himself at a loss for how to comfort her. He was far from an expert on childcare, and the thought of babysitting her until they found her mother was daunting. Yet he knew they couldn't leave her alone, either.
• The insistent honking from the cars behind them grew louder, and the little girl seemed even more frightened. Realizing they were still on the road, with one swift motion, he scooped her up and placed her on his shoulder, signaling for Raphael to park the car.
• He rummaged through the little girl's school bag in search of a phone number or any clue that might lead him to her parents, but he came up empty-handed.
• "Why don't we report this to the police? It would be easier for the girl's mother to locate her that way," Raphael suggested.
• "On second thought, let's wait," Xavier interjected, his gaze catching a nearby coffee bar. "I'm sure the girl's mother is somewhere in this area. Let's ask around at the coffee bar; someone might know her."
• "But, Xavier, that could take forever!" Raphael protested. "The police could handle this much faster."
• Ignoring Raphael's protests, Xavier made his way to the coffee shop. As luck would have it, there was a mini-mart right next to it.
• In an attempt to soothe the little girl, Xavier bought some candies and offered them to her.
• But, to his surprise, she refused, saying in her tiny voice, "Don't accept anything from anybody."
• In the blink of an eye, Xavier had become obsessed with earning the little girl's trust. The once-important exhibition no longer held his attention; his thoughts were now entirely consumed by this charming, elusive child.
• All that mattered now was this delicate and mysterious child, her quiet charm captivating his attention. She was all he could think about, and his thoughts were consumed with how to win her over.
• A potential solution suddenly occurred to Xavier. "I'll tell you my name, and then you can tell me yours. That way, we won't be strangers anymore."
• Despite his efforts, the girl remained guarded. Xavier realized he was facing a challenge, and his determination to make her smile only increased. This girl was a tough nut to crack, but he was determined to break through her shell and coax a smile from her.
• "My name is Xavier, and yours...?" he prompted, but the little girl remained silent.
• Stumped, Xavier's thoughts swirled like a tornado, desperate to unearth an idea that would break the ice with the little girl.
• He noticed the bluey-designed water bottle hanging from her bag. He realized that perhaps her attachment to this cartoon character could be the key to winning her over.
• With a new strategy in mind, he whipped out his phone and began searching for videos related to the cartoon. At last, he struck gold and found a suitable clip.
• The cartoon captivated the little girl, keeping her eyes glued to Xavier's phone screen.
• In her fascination, she let him draw closer.
• "Uncle Xavi, more," she exclaimed, her tiny voice finally reaching out to him.
• Xavier's heart melted as he heard her address him by his name, and a smile spread across his face as he basked in the sweet sound of her voice.
• Xavier watched in awe as the little girl recited the cartoon dialogue by heart, her eyes shining with unbridled excitement.
• Clearly, she had watched this episode countless times, and her dedication to the series was unparalleled.
• An unfamiliar voice abruptly interrupted their enjoyment, calling out, "Thank goodness I found you, my love."
• As if released from a spell, the little girl detached herself from Xavier and dashed towards the woman who had spoken.
• It was clear now that this was her mother.
• "I apologize for all the trouble," the mother said to Xavier, her voice sincere and apologetic.
• "She was with me when we realized her keychain doll was missing. I told her to forget about it and offered to buy her ice cream, but when I turned around, she was gone. I didn't know she had wandered off."
• "This city isn't exactly the safest place for a young child to wander around alone. I almost ran into her by accident. Thank goodness nothing happened to her."
• Xavier then turned his attention back to the little girl. Since your mom and I are friends, why not introduce yourself? I've already met your favorite cartoon character, Bluey.
• "Vera," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
• "Good manners," Xavier observed, impressed. "And she didn't even accept any of the things I offered her. Great parenting. You must be teaching her well."
• "Her mu...." she began, but Raphael's appearance drowned out the rest of her words.
• Kisha, about to correct Xavier's assumption that she was not Vera's mother, suddenly had her words cut off as Raphael entered the scene, interrupting her before she could finish her sentence.
• "We've got to go. The exhibition won't be open for much longer."
• He turned to Vera, a smile on his face, and said, "See you soon, Vera."
• Then, he pulled out his business card and handed it to her, aware that she might not understand its purpose.
• "If you can't find your mom again, call me." My number is right there," he explained, pointing to the digits on the card.
• *****
• "Who would've thought you had a hidden talent for being a dad? Guess you're a natural, even though you've been dodging Bella's advances like Neo in 'The Matrix.'
• And here I was wondering if you were allergic to commitment, given all the dodging and weaving you've been doing around Bella. I guess your 'little swimmers' are on permanent lockdown in a vault under Fort Knox, or something." Raphael, letting his humor run wild, laughed and remarked.
• But Xavier wasn't in the mood for Raphael's antics. His tone hardened. "Knock it off, Raphael. I'm not in the mood for jokes today.
• "Raphael, realizing he'd unintentionally trodden on a sensitive subject, immediately stepped back.
• "I didn't mean to hit a nerve. My bad," he apologized.
• In an attempt to lighten the atmosphere,
• "Hey, that little girl bears a striking resemblance to you. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear she was your child. "Dude, those eyes are yours."
• "Her name is Vera." Xavier corrected Raphael, his lips curving slightly.
• Xavier's usual stoicism had softened, replaced by a tender, almost paternal concern.
• As the auction progressed, he found himself in an uncommonly generous mood, bidding with abandon on a high-priced piece of art. In a typical state of mind, he'd have found the prospect ludicrous, but today, he was in an uncommonly munificent mood. If his sister had asked him for the head of an elephant, he mused, he might just have obliged.
• "Handle the work carefully; if it breaks, we don't have the luxury to pay for that, sweetheart." Xavier knew that voice intimately. He knew its melody, its cadence, and its distinctive use of the word "sweetheart." Only one person he knew would sound and talk like that.
• He knew it was hers; it had to be. Taking a detour from his original plan of heading towards his sister, he wanted to confirm with his very eyes whether it could be his hallucination again; that's what he called it.
• Xavier found that the person packaging the purchases in the art room was not the one he had been hoping to find.
• He cursed under his breath, "She continues to torture me, damn it, even when I am not with her."
• "Looking for something, sir?" The employee asked politely. For a brief moment, Xavier hesitated, his thoughts swirling. But then he found his voice.
• "No...yes, I mean. I thought I heard someone speaking just now.
• "Yes, sir," the worker confirmed. "That was my boss." Xavier's gaze was drawn to the path the worker had pointed out. As he watched, he spotted a familiar figure walking away in the distance—the sight of a retreating back.
• He was too far away to confirm whether it was her, yet his mind couldn't help but imagine that it might be, even as his rational self cautioned against such a desperate wish.