*cue "Cry" by Cigarettes After Sex* (on loop, for the best experience! :D)

Week 3

I hate to admit it, but the girls were right when they said Aiden and I were practically inseparable. I couldn't deny that being around him made my day. He was the embodiment of everything I lacked within myself.

He made me forget about everything that's been weighing me down all year. Barron, college, life in general. It was as if I had nothing to worry about when I was with him.

And the fact that I was owning up to that without a fight was the scariest thing in the world.

---

"Then you take this strand and tuck it under this one..." I demonstrate, weaving Pheobe's hair into a braid.

Aiden bites down on his bottom lip in deep concentration, attempting to mimic my motions with his camper, Iris' hair.

After breakfast, the little girl had gone up to him, begging him to braid her hair. I watched the whole thing unfold, including the panic that settled on his face.

"Haha...um, why not ask Maya? Or...Taylor? Or literally anyone else?" He says through a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head.

The small, curly-haired girl pouts, on the verge of tears, "B-But...I want you to braid my hair."

It turns out crying is one of Aiden's weaknesses. Who would've thought?

Now we were both sitting out in the grass, having a mini braiding lesson. Pheobe and Iris got along instantly, not having once stopped talking since we sat down.

I hear a frustrated grunt from Aiden as he fails his braid for what feels like the hundredth time. I tie the end of Pheobe's and watch as she happily runs off to where Gabby and Danny were blowing bubbles. I then scoot over to help Aiden out.

"Okay, relax. Your issue is that the braid's too loose. It makes it hard to keep the strands separated. Watch." I take Iris' hair in my hands delicately so I don't accidentally tug too hard. The tips of Aiden's fingers brush over my knuckles as he lets go, and the way his breath catches in his throat does not go unnoticed by me.

I ignore the way he awkwardly looks everywhere but at me or my hands. I don't even bother to ensure he was paying attention and just finish up Iris' braid.

She stands up once I finish and then brings her braid over her shoulder to admire it. The smile that lights up her beautiful green eyes melts my heart. It makes years of practicing on Dahlia's hair worth it.

She turns to face us with her big bug eyes, "Thank you!! I love it!"

"Yeah, no problem—Oh!"

She jumps into my arms, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck. I laugh at her affection and squeeze back once before allowing her to let go. She happily skips over to Aiden and does the same, causing him to freeze up.

He's always been strange about physical affection. It was a hit or miss with him. One time, Maya tried offering a celebratory hug after winning an intense dodgeball match, only ending up in her getting knocked into a bush. But any time one of his kids asked to hug him or hold his hand, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

I clear my throat, urging him to at least attempt to reciprocate the hug. He blinks and is quick to wrap an arm around her small body, patting the back of her head.

She takes a few steps back, fiddling with the ends of her braid. I watch as her smile constricts, almost as if she's remembering something she wished she hadn't.

"No one at home braids my hair...but I really like it." The corners of her mouth turn up, though the light that was once in her eyes was no longer there.

I feel my mouth dry up as I am at a loss for words.

From the corner of my eye, I see Aiden stand up from where he was resting against the tree. He kneels before Iris and places his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll learn," He says quietly, a hint of empathy laced in his tone, "I'll learn to braid for you, okay? That way you'll never feel like you have no one."

Aiden isn't smiling when he says it. He is dead serious, yet the soft look in his eyes keeps Iris calm. She gives him a silent nod before skipping off to find some activity to do.

A silence falls between us, and I can almost feel the weight resting on his shoulders. His eyes never leave the girl until she is no longer in sight. He feels oddly distant with his back to me.

"Aiden...?" I ask, placing a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.

He doesn't look over his shoulder when he speaks, any ounce of contentment long gone, "No one ever taught me how to tie a tie."

My hand slides off his shoulder but he is quick to keep it still with his own resting over mine. He's trembling.

"I know exactly what she was feeling. I didn't have anyone either. Most things I had to learn myself," He takes a deep breath in, still keeping his back to me, "Like how to tie my shoes, how to change a tire, how to..."

He trails off, his voice growing a bit hoarse. His hand loosens around mine, but I grab onto it and walk around to kneel down in front of him. I take his hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You can tell me." I give him the best smile I could muster.

I used to do this exact same thing every time Dahlia was going through something. The way I always got through to her was with eye contact. It's a powerful tool, perfect for breaking down walls.

He lifts his head and meets my eyes with his red ones, "Hearing Iris say that...it just—it was like a slap in the face. She's so little. I was so little. I've been doing so good with forgetting about my home life while I've been here. But she just reminded me of what's waiting for me when I get back..."

He sighs and runs his free hand through his brunette roots, which I am just now noticing, "Sure, I have a mom and I have a dad. But they aren't really my parents, Y/N. They never even tried to make me feel like that's who they were supposed to be to me. They just...so happened to be the couple whose lives I was born into."

"You didn't have anyone...?" I say it more to myself than to him, as if the reality of his lifestyle is finally coming to light.

How could a guy so optimistic and joyous have such a brooding life? Aiden deserved nothing but a loving family, and he couldn't even have that.

"Aiden, I'm so sorry—"

"Fuck." He wipes away a tear threatening to slip, "I don't even know why I told you that. I've never shared that with anyone."

He stands up, letting my hand go. But when he looks down at me sitting in the grass, a sort of realization dawns on him. He lets out a breathy exhale as he repeats, "I've never shared that...with anyone."

I get back on my feet, wiping off the blades of grass from my legs, "Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel like you had to share—"

My heart skips a beat when his arms loop around me, pulling me in for a hug. His actions are stiff, as if waiting for me to react indifferently. But instead, I wrap my arms over his shoulders and around his neck, offering him the comfort he deserves.

He shakes against me, and I do my best to soothe him by combing my fingers through his blonde strands.

"You don't deserve any of it..." I whisper against his ear, "I'm sorry I can't do anything about it."

"This is enough..." He mumbles against my shoulder.