Who is Alex?

“We all have promised something to someone many times in our life, have you ever promised something to yourself in your life? I promised to respect.”

We need to live a life that is more than a "dance of behaviors" - you do this and so I do that. I can't spend my life exchanging good deeds for good deeds like a couple of traders with wares to sell. I can't respect that. But what about the promise of respect I have for myself, could I let the disrespect slide?

No.

Perhaps, the “dance of behaviors” is supposed to resume the necessity when people are as disrespectful as the lady I saw when I turned around.

She had wavy black hair with black piercing eyes. She was curvy like a model or something but looked beautiful. The girl was dressed in a tight black spaghetti dress. My smile faltered when I saw her looking at me up and down with shock and disgust.

Okay, what was her problem?

"What?" I asked, keeping my voice rather soft.

"You heard me, she's dead." The lady said, continuing to look at me with that same strange look.

A frown took over my features as I said, "You don't have to be so blunt about it."

I read somewhere that respect is more than passing pleasantries, more than nice words. It takes effort to look at the other and take in who they are and show them, you regard their point of view with compassion and seriousness, listening without judgment, getting to know them with as few assumptions as possible.

The lady stepped forward, saying, "Your tongue works fine for a dead guy."

Frowning a lot more, I looked at Aiden who wore the same look as I did, "Excuse me?" I replied, what did she mean by a DEAD guy?

Like c'mon, man, look at me. My tongue was fine and I’m perfectly alive.

"Wait- Who are you again?" The words left my mouth before I could filter them, but honestly, I think she was not capable enough of my humbleness.

"Savannah Summers." She said, venom was practically dripping from her tongue as Xavier clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything.

From the looks of everyone, I made out one thing that nobody liked her. Then why were they tolerating her?

Strange!

Stepping a little forward, "Well then, Savannah. Hold some respect for a dead person, they can't come to answer you from their grave." I answered with a smile. I heard low snickers from behind me as they covered it by clearing their throat.

A voice came from behind, asking, "What's going on?"

Turning around I saw Chris Walker with his sister Carolina Walker who smiled when she looked at me.

"Are we late?" She asked.

"No, you are right on time," I replied and responded to her hug.

While Chris extended his hand, "Welcome, Rose." He said with a charming smile on his face.

Before I could pull out my hand and shake his hand, something ran towards him with full force, pushing my shoulder hard and jumping on this poor gentleman, yelling, "Baby!"

To my surprise, Xavier steadied me as he was standing beside me. Our eyes met, and on his mere touch, blood rushed upwards, warming my cheeks as I saw a rush of emotions in Xavier's eyes. After a moment, all of his emotions subsided… except for one… happiness.

He looked happy, a different kind of happy, but happy.

"You, okay?" Asked Xavier.

Nodding at him, I stood on my own as I replied, "Yes. Thank you."

When I looked at the scene in front of me, I found Aiden saying something, "Look where you're going, Miss." He looked angry... Na-uh, he looked pissed.

Stepping forward, I placed my hand on his arm, "It's fine, Aiden." I assured him.

Even Chris spoke on his girlfriend's behalf, "I'm sorry, Rose. Are you okay?"

Looking up at him, I saw genuineness in his eyes, "Yeah… I'm fine. It wasn't like she killed me." I said, chuckling.

"I didn't!" She retorted immediately, her eyes held so much anger, disgust, and hatred that I could not even comprehend.

Frowning, "It was a joke, Savannah, relax." I spoke.

"That's enough. Mr. Wellesley and Rose, please come." Marc said as we followed him further inside the house.

Aiden came beside me as he held his hand against my lower back, I looked at him and said, "Smile, Addy. We aren't kidnapped."

Smiling a little, he shook his head, saying, "Your jokes are the worst."

"But I made you laugh."

"Yeah, yeah." He said, and finally, his face looked relaxed.

Suddenly I bumped into someone, looking down I found a boy, he might be nine or ten years old, had big honey brown eyes and dusty brown hair.

Such a beautiful child.

The shock was evident on his face as the tears gathered in his eyes. I crouched down on my knees in front of him immediately, thinking that I might hurt him.

"Hey Kiddo, did I hurt you anywhere?" I asked, softly.

He nodded his head slowly, mumbling, "Yes."

I held his small hands in mine, as I asked, "Where baby?"

Freeing one of his hands from my grasp, he pointed it towards his chest, saying, "Here." And tears rolled down from his eyes.

Looking at him like that, my heart broke. His nose was red from crying and tears automatically gathered in my eyes too. I couldn't help it; this child had an effect on me. I surely did not understand what he was trying to say, but one thing I did know was that he was hurt, not physically but mentally. Wiping his tears, I pulled his small frame towards me and hugged him. The boy immediately reciprocated my actions as he circled his small arms around my neck, while his face was into the nape of my neck.

The way he embraced me, I could not even explain how I felt it in words. It was so painful to hear him crying, I didn't know why or for what he was crying. But he was and I patted his back softly. Slowly, his rapid breathing calmed down as he pulled himself away from me. He was wiping his tears when I caught his small hands in between and wiped his tears for him.

"What's your name, Kiddo?" I asked, softly.

Looking up at me, he did not answer for some time but later her introduced himself, "Alexander."

Why did he look so familiar?

Why am I feeling so attached to him?

What's happening?