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Chapter 625 - Understand him

Joy dashed out of Natasha's office. Natasha laughed, her baby was cute and she always loved to see her excited to talk with Ethan. He was the only one of her friends that called and she could understand why he did, he was older after all.

Honestly, Natasha found Ethan's friendship with Joy cute. He was like an older brother to her and she appreciated that.

"Ethan, I got permission to go outside and see if it's really hot," Joy announced as she hastily put on her shoes. She could have gone out barefoot, but she did not want to risk getting a splinter or stepping on something that could injure her.

"Yeah, I heard," Ethan responded. "But you really have no idea how to be smooth about asking for permission," He said.

"What do you mean smooth about asking for permission?" Joy frowned. Most of the things Ethan said, she did not understand him. She was sure it was because he was older than her and he knew a lot more than she did.

"Your way of asking for permission is so childish," He said.

"Well... I am a child so... yes," Joy responded as she frowned. She just noticed that the pair of shoes she chose had laces and she could not tie her own laces. She did not want to have to walk up the stairs and ask her mom to tie her laces, that would be dangerous.

Instead she removed the shoes with laces and grabbed the ones with velcro.

Ethan scoffed, he could not believe that she had just said that.

"You are right dummy, you are a child. Anyway, you were supposed to be more smooth about it, you made it sound like it was all my idea for you to go outside," Ethan frowned.

"Well it was your idea, you said that it's hot outside and I want to go and check," Joy said struggling to push her heel into the shoe.

"It was not my idea, you thought about that all on your own.".

"Okay," She said.

"How long does it take you to put on your shoes?" Ethan asked irritated. He could hear her groaning and struggling to pull and it was annoying. It made him feel like putting on the shoes for her if he was there.

"I'm trying, they are very hard to get into," Joy complained as she pushed harder and her foot finally entered the shoe.

"Yayyyyyy, the shoes are on," Joy exclaimed, she rose to her feet and startled Ethan who had not expected such a reaction.

"Shoes are not supposed to be hard to put on dummy, you must be growing out of them," He said.

"Maybe, I will ask my mommy and daddy to buy me new shoes then," She replied. She picked up the phone from off the ground.

"Mhmm.".

"Okay, now I can go outside," Joy said. She ran to the kitchen and opened the door which led to the garden.

As soon as she stepped out of the house she felt a wave of heat blow over her. She had not even been outside for a second and she already felt hot.

"Okay, it's really hot outside," She said quickly.

"You have not been outside for five minutes. That's taking the easy way out, nope, I won't accept that. You have to stay outside for longer before you can conclude that," Ethan insisted. He shook his head.

"Alright fine, okay Ethan," Joy replied. "I'm going to go and feed Maggie," Joy said as she ran down the path.

"Okay," Ethan responded.

"Hello Maggie!" Joy exclaimed as she ran into Maggie's play area and ruffled her feathers.

Maggie clucked and clucked causing Joy to giggled.

"Ethan, can you hear her? She's saying hello," Joy said.

"I can hear her, but she's not saying hello, she's probably hungry or something," Ethan responded.

"True, okay, let me feed her very quickly," Joy said. "Maggie, do not peck the phone, Ethan is on the line," She warned Maggie and Maggie seemed to hear her and nodded slightly.

Joy placed the phone on the grass and rushed to where they kept Maggie's treats. She got some corn while Maggie circled the phone.

"Okay," Ethan said. Maggie clucked in fright, she flew up and circled the phone while clucking.

Ethan groaned, he hated the sound of Maggie's clucks. They were so annoyed. He never liked Maggie, he remembered when Joy first got her. A chicken was such an odd choice of pet.

"Okay, I'm back." Joy said as she threw pieces of dried corn on the grass and that managed to calm Maggie down. She pecked them.

"Finally.".

"Ethan, do you remember when we used to go to the park and you would walk Pluto while I walked Maggie?" Joy asked. She picked up the phone and put it to her ear.

"Mhmm, I remember," He said. It was not that long ago.

"I miss doing that, I miss you Ethan, when are you coming back?"

"Soon, soon.".

"When you say soon, when is soon?" she asked.

"Soon means not too far, but soon.".

Joy frowned, she was starting to sweat profusely, the sun was so hot and glaring. She could not take staying out here any longer.

"It is too hot, I am going inside," Joy stood up from the grass. She switched on the hose and sprinklers so Maggie would be able to cool off as well.

"I told you it was really hot outside," Ethan said.

"Mhmm, and you were right.". Ethan nodded his head, of course he was right.

"Bye Maggie, I will see you later when it's not so hot, I'm going inside," Joy waved at Maggie before running back inside.

"I'm always right.". Joy heard Ethan say and she laughed.

"Okay, okay, so you were right about it being really hot outside, so what else should we talk about?". Joy closed the kitchen door behind her. She removed her shoes and walked back into the living room.

"I don't know, what else is there?" Ethan asked.

"Where's Pluto?" Joy asked.

"Well, she's tired so she's sleeping right now.".

Ethan turned to see Pluto curled up into a ball and sleeping on his bed. She looked so cute and he smiled.

"Ooooh, okay, then what else can we talk about? I am all out of ideas?" Joy climbed on the couch and sighed. It felt so nice to be inside where it was cool.

"Hmmm, how about we talk about... how ready you are to go on your mini-vacation?" Ethan asked. He was completely out of ideas. He never knew how hard it was to keep a conversation going without it being stale and boring.

He wondered how his mother could talk to people on the phone for hours. Just what were they talking about all the time?

"Oooh yes, that is a good idea!" Joy exclaimed.

"So, I am very happy about going. I wanted to start packing my bags last night, but my mommy said that we can do it closer to the day," Joy said.

"I see, I see," Ethan said.

...

Benjamin sighed. It was day two of completely no way to contact or reach Lulu and although it had only been two days, it felt like two years.

He felt so restless, he did not know what to do or how to get through to her. Not knowing how she was, not being able to speak to her, not being able to see her. It made him so angry, not at her, but at himself.

There were just some things that were better not to say and he was certain that that night, he was not supposed to speak as far as he did.

He could never have thought that forgetting to mention her in his plans or answering wrongly when she asked him a specific question would lead to something so serious.

Benjamin sighed, he felt so restless. He picked up his phone and dialed Lulu's number for the fifth time today.

He waited in anticipation as he heard it ring, and ring and ring and ring. There was not an answer as the other times.

Benjamin felt his heart pounding. Maybe she had blocked him. All his calls were not going through, she was not replying to his messages.

He felt that she needed some space, but he did not know how long he could give her that space. He did not want to come off as too strong, or a stalker and that was why it was taking him all his heart and might not to go after her and beg her.

"Louise, Louise, Louise, Louise, would you please forgive me, please give me another chance," Benjamin sighed to himself.

He never thought that a day would come where he would be begging for Lulu to come and see him. Come and bother him, make him laugh with her silly jokes. He missed all that so much.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He hoped with all his might that she would give him another chance soon.

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