Page 6 of Care: Part 1

Miss Paola frowned in response.

"I didn't even know that about myself. Therefore, I need you here. I don't want another caregiver. I want Avelina, and I'll give that goddamn agency a piece of my mind!”

Avelina chuckled as she watched her. "It's okay. You have my number, and you can feel free to call me whenever. Even if you just want to talk for a little, I am always a call away.”

Miss Paola sighed and let her shoulders sag in defeat. After a long pause, the woman nodded her head in understanding. "Whoever gets to have you as a caregiver, they're really lucky.”

Avelina could not believe that she received a genuine compliment from no one other than Miss Paola herself.

"Aw, you like me.”

Miss Paola waved her hand dismissively before finally returning the hug the girl had given her. Avelina smiled even harder at the feeling of the woman's arms wrapping around her. She felt content.

"I'll miss you," Miss Paola said.

Avelina pulled away from the hug as she gave a small squeal. She could not believe that the woman who acted as though she hated everyone was being kind to her for once.

Miss Paola was quick to cover her ears with a look of disgust on her face at the sound of the girl's squealing.

"I'll miss you, too," Avelina told her. "I have to go, but make sure that you call me if you ever need anything."

"How old are you, Avelina?”

Avelina narrowed her eyes suspiciously, seeing as it was a random question. The woman had never bothered to want to know her age before. "Twenty-three. May I ask why?”

"When I was twenty-three, I was spreading my legs wide open and—"

"Goodbye, Miss Paola," Avelina laughed as she quickly walked down the stairs of the penthouse.

Miss Paola was laughing while the girl headed towards the front door. Yoga was still playing on the television, and all Avelina could think about was how much she would miss seeing Miss Paola every day.

"Bye!" Avelina shouted.

She waited until she heard a response before opening the door and walking out. Her heart was heavy with each step that she took towards the elevator.

-

Avelina woke up to her alarm blaring. Thankfully, she set it two hours before the scheduled time that Johnathan said he would pick her up.

She got up from her bed and then reached over to kiss the framed picture of her grandmother. Avelina then headed into the restroom, where she took care of morning hygiene essentials.

With that finished, she let her hair fall down her back in its regular waves. Her body then moved her over to the closet, where she grabbed a pair of jeans and a white blouse. She then made her way into her room, where she made her bed and cleaned the small smudge she left on her grandmother's photo.

"I'm going to take care of someone with Autism Spectrum Disorder, which I have never done before. Sadly, that meant letting go of Miss Paola. You would have loved her because she has your spunk. That's what I liked most about her,” Avelina whispered sadly, “I must go for a while, but I'll be back to tell you all about it. Love you, granny. Take care.”

It was her routine to tell her grandmother about her caregiving adventures. To her, it was like talking to a gravestone except for the fact that she held the picture in her hand so she would never forget the beautiful smile of her granny.

Gleefully, she started to pack her bag just as the doorbell rang. Avelina quickly walked through the kitchen and towards the front door, where she pulled it open.

Johnathan greeted her with a smile as a stray cat seemed to march into her home. She let out a sigh as she watched it, but just let it go as it pleased.

"Good morning, I was just packing," she told Johnathan, who looked around her neat home.

Her house smelled just like she did—cinnamon. It was a pleasant scent that matched her perfectly.

"You like vintage things?" He noticed.

She nodded her head, allowing her smile to grow as she looked around her own house to eye the decorations.