Finding you: A Christmas special

Eligible bachelor

Ryan POV:

I was off loading boxes from the back of my car. "What's in here again?" I asked, my mom who was busy carrying bags of tinsel, "just some Christmas decorations and some clothes," she smiled, I carried three boxes and walked up the stone steps of the orphanage.

"Do you need a help with that?" Came a woman's voice, I peered around the boxes to see where the smooth voice originated from. The first thing I saw was smooth silky legs that were wearing old converse sneakers, she was wearing old tattered denim shorts and a white shirt that had been stretched to show off her shoulder, her black spots bra visible through the shirt. She skipped down the steps, "I'm Annalize," she smiled, extending her hand to me. I peered at her sun kissed and freckled face, her dirty blonde hair was twisted into two space buns on either side of her head. I couldn't recognise or place her unfamiliar face. I looked down at her hand and then gave her a friendly smile, "I'm Ryan, and I would shake your hand but I have my hands full at the moment." She chuckled at my little joke, and stepped aside to let me pass, without missing a beat, she fell into stride beside me. "So where are you from?" She asked, "here," I replied as I gripped the boxes tighter, they were heavy and my hands were already sweaty, "where should I put these?" I asked, and she nodded her head to the side, "follow me." I didn't consider anything or even doubt the strange creature in front me, I just did what she said.

She led me to a big room, the floors were old and had that dirty kind of dusty look to it, like when someone doesn't sweep and only mops, but they don't use one of those smart mops but rather the old ones that require you to hand squeeze, except I doubt they hand squeeze anything from the looks of it. I plopped the boxes down with a heavy thud and grabbed at my lower back as I stretched, Annalize just watched me with her curious brown eyes, "so where are you from?" I asked, as I twisted my frame, trying to crack my back and ease the tension. "I'm from here too," she smiled, "huh?" I said, "who would of thought?" She smiled at me, "what do you mean?" She asked, "well, only that I've literally never seen you before," I said, Annalize stepped around me and opened a box, and started digging through the clothes. "I was homeschooled," she said casually, "what do you mean?" I asked, my eyebrows scrunching in confusion, she turned around, her hands on her hips, "my mom thought it would be best." I didn't know what to say that without coming across inquisitive.

"Annalize," called Lara casually, she perked up immediately, "Ryan, this is my mother." Lara's eyes flitted to mine, "Oh yes!" She exclaimed as she clasped her hands together in excitement, "the children are going to be so happy this year!" I was starting to see that being eccentric was a genetic trait between the mother and daughter. I smiled at her, "I'm glad, but I'm afraid that I can't take all the credit because it was my mum who did everything, I just carried the boxes." Lara took off her glasses and started to twirl it in her hand, she smiled at me flirtatiously, "and so humble," she said.

Annalize grabbed my arm, "sorry about my mother," she said playfully, "you know how menopausal women can be!" She burst out into a fit of giggles as her mother turned red with embarrassment, "Annalize!" She screamed, starting after her, Annalize dodged her mother's attack and continued to run away, her giggles bouncing off the walls and spreading warmth through the ugly hall. "Sorry about my daughter," apologized Lara, I shook my head, "no, no, it's refreshing!" Lara just smiled at me, "your mother tells me that you're an attorney," she said, I smiled politely, "actually a prosecutor," I corrected, "oooh," she said playfully, "my daughter is single, you know?" I chuckled, of course! My mother set this up!

I put my hands up in my defence, "I don't know what my mother has told you, but I'm not looking to date, my job can be very demanding, and I would hate to do that to anyone!" Lara smiled, "you are so sweet," it was almost as if my perfectly reasonable explanation fell on deaf ears. "AHH!" Exclaimed my mother as she walked in, we both turned to look at her, "I see that you have met our eligible bachelor number five!" My mother's voice was full of cheer and mischief, "eligible what now?"