AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Harrison
When I wake up, it’s because Jaxon is playing loudly in his playroom down the hall. My head is gently pounding, and I don’t want to be awake.
Thoughts of the previous day flood into my brain, and there’s no blocking them now. I see the patient on the table, the inside of his skull on the miniature camera that had been inserted into his cranium.
I sat up from my bed, deciding that I need a shower. I grab my phone to pull up the camera to Jaxon’s playroom, to make sure everything is okay in there.
At that exact moment, my phone buzzes with an alert on the camera by the front door.
I realize that it’s already eight o’clock, and Breanna is walking across the yard to the front door. She uses the key I gave her to come inside, and the camera stops filming for lack of movement.
I find my heart racing as I listen for her progress in the house.
Less than a minute later, I hear her footsteps coming up the stairs, and Jaxon does too.
“Good morning!” he shouts excitedly.
I smile at his utter enthusiasm for almost everything in life.
“Good morning to you too, big boy! Are you ready for some breakfast?”
“Yup! I want scrambled eggs with cheese powder.”
“Oh, that sounds so delicious. I wish I knew how to make that, but remember, I don’t know where the cheese powder is.”
“You need to ask my daddy to buy some. He has to buy food all the time, and he can buy it.”
Their conversation moves further away, and I assume they are heading downstairs.
I head to the bathroom, my phone still in my hand.
I try to resist. What’s the point of hiring Breanna to come take care of Jaxon if I can’t peel myself away from observing them long enough to actually enjoy the time to myself?
After using the bathroom and drinking a glass of water, I can’t help it. I pull up the camera in the kitchen.
The soft sounds of sizzling bacon and the occasional clinking of utensils reach my ears, creating a stark contrast to the sterile environment I have created for myself. I watch intently as Breanna moves with purpose, moving to attend a skillet of eggs, then going back to the bacon.
Jaxon isn’t in the frame, so I assume he’s gone to wait at the kitchen table, or to completely destroy the toys that Breanna spent so much time cleaning up last night.
The revelation of Breanna's dedication to her work unfolds before my eyes, and I watch in wonder. Her movements were deliberate, her focus unwavering. It’s more than just preparing breakfast; it’s a display of commitment, a genuine effort to provide care for my son. I find myself captivated by the way she effortlessly navigates the kitchen, a silent symphony of domesticity.
Jaxon says something off camera about how long, and Breanna doesn’t waver from her cooking as she answers him. “Five minutes. Do you know how many seconds are in a minute?”
I smile at that question because it gives away how much Breanna wanted to be a teacher. I remember her education from her resume. She’s not just here to keep Jaxon alive but to help him thrive.
I climb back under my covers and reach for the remote.
I’m paying for some time off. I should enjoy it, but I can’t seem to take my eyes off of Breanna. She knows where the cameras are, but she doesn’t know I’m here, right now, watching her.
It gives me the chance to really study her without following all the social niceties, like no staring.
After another few moments, another layer of Breanna's character emerges.
When she’s done giving the lesson about seconds in a minute and minutes in an hour, Jaxon asks her for an update on when breakfast will be ready. I’ve been there myself, when Jaxon is constantly annoying me about the same thing.
And it’s hard to stay calm and patient.
Yet here Breanna is with a smile on her face, answering his question yet again. “It feels like it’s taking a long time, doesn’t it? I still need three more minutes. Can you put a plate for me and a plate for you on the table? If you’re busy, the time passes more quickly.”
