Chapter 2 2 I Will Miss Them

"Who the hell are you?" The man shouted, holding Max in his arms and pulling Summer away from me. Staring at me in anger. "And how dare you brainwash my kids against me?" All my senses went numb at the sudden interruption of the man standing in front of me. His eyes burned with fury as he clutched Max tightly, and his voice was filled with a mix of desperation and rage. Who the hell is he, and why the hell is he shouting at me? I thought as I looked at both Max and Summer struggling to get out of his grasp. I could see the fear in Max and Summer's eyes, their innocence tainted by the tension in the air. "Leave me alone..." Summer cried, trying to get away from the man, her voice trembling with fear. The man's grip tightened, his anger escalating as he ignored her pleas. I could feel my heart racing and adrenaline coursing through my veins as I desperately searched for a way to intervene and protect them from this unknown threat. "Shut up, and why the hell are you here alone?" He shouted at Summer. And upon his reaction, a few people around the airport started staring at us. Damn, this man does not even care that he is talking to a child. I watched as Summer shouted and cried, trying to free herself from the man's grasp. Even Max started crying, copying his sister's distress. The situation was becoming increasingly chaotic, with the man's anger only intensifying. I knew I had to act quickly before things spiraled completely out of control. "Can't you see that the kids don't want to get close to you?" I said after a while, not being able to control my anger. "And who the hell are you to teach me? How should I treat my kids?" He said angrily. I took a deep breath, trying to remain calm despite his aggressive response. I sighed. "No one. I'm no one, but I know better than you that these kids don't want to be treated like this." I could see the man's face contorting with anger; his fists clenched tightly, and he smiled in anger. "Care to teach me how I should treat my kids." I nodded, holding a similar smile to his. "Talk to them sweetly; don't just shout. They want love; it's not long before they start to hate you." "Hate," he mumbled, freeing Summer from his grasp and taking a step back. And as soon as Summer gets free from his grasp, she runs, hiding behind me. "Summer," I said, shocked by her sudden act of fear. "I don't want to go home," she cried, wrapping her hands around my legs and burying her face in my thigh. I looked at the man; his anger was now replaced with confusion and guilt. The man who was just shouting seconds ago stood silently watching me talk to Summer as Max too, tried to bounce in my arms. And, to my surprise, his father let him bounce over me. I could sense a shift in the man's demeanor as he observed the interaction between Summer and me. His hardened expression softened, revealing a flicker of remorse in his eyes. It seemed as though he was starting to understand the impact of his actions on his child. The second Max came into my arms, he put his head on my shoulder and stopped crying. I was both shocked and surprised by it. Why are these kids so attached to me? I thought. For God's sake, I have known them for less than an hour, and they trust me more than their father. I couldn't help but wonder what had led to this level of trust between the children and me in such a short amount of time. "Summer, let's go home." Summer's dad called her far more softly than before, but Summer still shook her head. He sighed loudly. "What can I do for you to go home?" He asked, patiently waiting for her answer. Summer stood silently, with arms still wrapped around my legs, as she stared at me and then at her father. I sighed loudly, not understanding what was happening in my life. All I wanted was a new start. Not a man with his kids hogging me. But things turned bad when I heard the announcement at the airport. "Shit." I cursed under my breath. The announcement stated that the flight was about to depart soon and that all passengers should proceed to their designated gates immediately. I need to run fast, or I might miss my fight and the chance of my life. I sighed loudly, turning my head to Summer. But before I could say anything, Summer surprised me with her words. "I will go if she comes with us." She said this to her dad, pointing her finger at me. "NO..." I shouted out in desperation. Then I shook my head, trying to control my emotions. "Summer, I can't come with you," I said, handing Max to her before kneeling in front of her. "I'm sorry, but I have a fight to catch," I said as I planted a gentle kiss on her and Max's forehead. Summer looked at me with a mix of disappointment and understanding in her eyes. "But..." Summer tried to say something but then stopped. "I'm sorry," I said, hugging them one last time before turning my head to leave. But why the hell does it hurt that I'm leaving the kids? If I had only known them there for an hour or so, then why do I feel sad, as if I'm leaving something precious behind? I shook my head as I grabbed my bag. Perhaps I felt all this emotion because I always wanted a family of my own, and seeing these two kids unhappy made me think of my childhood, which was also filled with nothing but sorrow and loneliness. I sighed. 'These kids are not like me; they do have their dad with them. Perhaps he is good; he is just worried about finding his kids alone in an airport. That's all,' I thought before turning my head to take one last glance at the kids. They look sad. I hope I can do something for them; I can't. I am just a stranger passing by. With a heavy heart, I turned to leave but was stopped when a hand grabbed me, stopping me from leaving. "You can't leave," he said, pulling me along with him out of the airport. I looked at him, confused and startled. What the fuck is happening in my life? All I want is peace, but all I get is problems as a reward.