Chapter 3 A child's love

Eva had to work overtime. She was worn out and feeling so tired, but she knew she had to keep going. It was past six already, and she knew that David's teacher would be unhappy with her, but she could not lose this job.

The restaurant had become more busy than usual, and she had to do two or three things simultaneously, which were not in her job description.

The restaurant was becoming more busy, she observed.

She had seen a couple of sophisticated ladies come to the restaurant the day before yesterday, giggling sheepishly as they gossiped in hushed tones.

Oliver had as well become a regular face in the restaurant, much to her displeasure.

She sighed and huffed subtly as she saw him wink at her from where he sat at a table.

She was mopping at a table where a little child had just spilt orange juice and was making a fuss.

"Stop it, Tristan," the lady who held him snapped.

The baby stopped for a second, and a look of relief flooded the young woman's face till the little boy burst into tears, bawling uncontrollably and causing more ruckus.

"Dammit!!" the woman hissed as the drink poured on her dress.

Eva was given more work to do, but she did not mind. She was a mother, so she knew how it was for kids to throw tantrums.

She smiled apologetically to the woman who shot her a frustrated look.

"So much for being a good friend", the woman muttered and brought out her phone to call someone.

"Lilian. Where the hell are you? Your son has been causing a nuisance here, and you said you would be back in a freaking moment", she snapped into the phone while the baby kept wailing.

"Can I hold him?" Eva asked, seeing the young woman's frustration.

"Gladly," she replied, gladly, practically shoving the child into her arms.

She put down her mop and cooed and swayed softly with him.

He stared at her face, still crying softly, but as she kept swaying with him, tickling his sides, kissing his cheeks and singing softly to him, he calmed.

Soon, the baby that was once crying calmed and began to giggle and smile.

The woman who was still yelling at her friend on the phone stopped for a second and turned to her with a mixed expression of both surprise and gratitude.

"How did you...", she trailed off, seeing the baby now smiling and holding her finger.

"Kids are innocent," Eva told her. "With a little patience, you'd love having them around."

The lady was embarrassed at first, but she smiled. "Thank you so much..."

"Eva"

"Alright. Thank you, Eva."

"Yeah," Eva said.

A woman rushed into the restaurant, almost knocking down Lala, who was waiting on a table. Oliver's, to be precise.

The woman rushed over to Eva, and upon seeing the child who was already drifting to sleep in her arms, she threw her arms around Eva in a hug.

"Thank you," she said and took the baby from her arms, kissing his head.

"You have a wonderful son," Eva said and got back to what she was doing.

The woman smiled, pride shining in her eyes, and she thanked Eva.

Eva nodded. The woman introduced herself as Coco while her friend, who was still pissed at her, was Mila.

They went away immediately, and Eva was left with some of the few customers left.

Eva walked to the service station and heard Lala complaining.

"That bitch. She ruined my chance with Oliver Brown. I wish I could just rip her heads off. I just lost all the composture I had been building to talk to him. "

Mika rolled her eyes. "You could have shoved her back," she replied in a duh tone.

"She's a customer. I couldn't have done that. "

"Well, a little foot trip incident wouldn't have done any harm", Mika said sassily, blowing on a gum while winking at a customer who was giving her a flirtatious smile and pulling her top lower to show more of her cleavage.

Eva shook her head and went to take off her apron, washing her hands.

She was closed for the day so she headed to David's school to pick him.

Her two year old son sat on a chair in the empty waiting room, kicking his feet and looking around whole asking his teacher, Mrs Erica baby questions.

"Mama," he squealed when he saw her. His eyes lit up with joy and he jumped down from his chair, running to his mother.

Eva picked him and kissed his cheeks.

Mrs Erica was red in the face as she began to question her for her lateness.

"I had to stay overtime because you came late today. This behaviour of your Mrs Eva Lane is becoming intolerable. This is past eight for crying out loud. You can not keep abandoning your son here-"

The word abandonment made her feel things that caused her to shake.

She interrupted her. "I am so sorry, Mrs Erica. Please bear with me. I have to work overtime now that the restaurant has gotten busier", she pleaded but the woman, who had missed her date because of the delay was not happy and went on to say her mind.

"I understand, Mrs Eva, but you need to plan your life. Who knows, maybe you should quit your job to face your son because he is indeed a full-time job! Do you not have a husband who can come pick him up, or are you a single mother? I bet you are one of those women trying to be independent, who would rather work to death than take care of their family! The next time this happens, you will pay a hefty fine, and this is not a bluff. "

Eva wondered when the teachers got to start yelling at parents. The woman's words hurt, but Eva was in no mood to go back and forth with the woman.

She nodded gently and left, suppressing the tears that threatened to spill from her cheeks.

"Mama, is Mrs Eva you teacher?", her curious son asked her as they began their walk home.

"No, baby. She is your teacher", she said with a slight smile.

She could not imagine how she would be treating the children under her if she could talk to parents the way had just spoken to her.

"Why she talk to you like that, mama?"

Eva had no answer to his question. She only shook her head.

"Look at that", she pointed to the squirrel that leaped past them an jumped on a tree.

"Sh-sh-shk-sku-wwil", he said excitedly as he tried to get the pronunciation right.

Eva laughed. "Yes, baby. Squirrel", she said and he nodded.

"Whatever you call it, mama."

"What?", she asked, unable to hold back her laughter.

"I want one, whatever you call it, mama"

"What is that?"

"Mama," he whined, and she laughed as she gave up on the subject.

"Fine, I'll try to get you a squirrel if I can catch it", she said.

"But mama, sh-sh-shkul is fast, but you slow," he said thoughtfully, and she laughed.

"I'm slow?"

"Yes. I always beat you in a race," he said, and she feigned displeasure.

"Really? How about we have a race now?"

"Yes, mama," he said in excitement, and she set him on his feet. "First to get to that bin,"

She nodded, laughing as she looked at him in admiration.

"One, two, three, go," he said in just baby voice, and they both took off, but Eva let him be ahead of her.

He got there first and stuck his tongue out at her, with his his thumbs on either sides of his temple.

Sge feigned anger and sat on a bench beside the road.

"I'm not your friend again"

"Why, mama? It's not my fault. It just happened", he said, coming to her side and snuggling into her motherly arm. "No worry, mama. I love you even if you're not fast. I love you more than squirrel, mama."

Her heart exploded with love and emotions. David was such an amazing child. She loved him so much. She kissed his eyes, his nose, his mouth, and tickled him.

As they continued their journey back home, a car zoomed past them, splashing some dirty water on them.

Eva boiled within her. David rubbed his face to get rid of the dirty water on his face and giggled at his mother's face.

There was dirty water on her face, and the deep frown on her face made her look more funny to him.

"Mama, you want to cwy? But that's how you force me to bathe and you pour water on my face", he laughed, and her anger disappeared.

"This child!!" She exclaimed, spanking his butt playfully, and he giggled.

Such a happy child! She swore to do anything to ensure nothing made him sad.