| Chapter 7 |
| "Let's walk around the park. Are you enjoying yourself?" Serena asked Gwendolyn. The baby simply giggled and squirmed obviously manifesting her enjoyment. "I thought so. Who wouldn't enjoy being wheeled aroung the cuty with a blanket?" Serena mumbled. She pushed Gwendolyn to the park and decided to sit down at the local junction, where everyone went to have picnics in the summer time. Serena took out one of the baby's bottles and gave it to her. She took out a book to read as the baby drank her formula. She glanced once around the park, and finally turned to her book and started to read once again. After the movie with Howie, AJ decided to take a walk while Howie went back to the hotel to get some sleep. His levity was too much for AJ to handle at the moment, and he needed all of the peace that he could get to think clearly. AJ needed time to lament his loneliness. He was starting to think that maybe it was his destiny to be alone in love. That there was a legacy of solitude passed down from generation to generation to at least one member of his family. "There has to be a latent reason for me to not have someone." He said out-loud to himself listlessly. "Ya know you shouldn't talk to yourself, it doesn't make you look good." AJ stopped to look at the person who was talking to him. "Hey uh..." "Serena." she chimed in. "Yeah, you work at the hotel i'm staying at right?" AJ inquired. Serena looked down. 'That's all he'll ever thinkk of me. I'm just some cleaning maid.' She thought to herself. "Yeah i am." she replied. "So what are you doing meandering around New York? You could be mobbed." "So you do know who i am." He stated. "Yes i do." Just then Gwendolyn started to cry loudly. Serena turned her attention to the weeping infant. She picked Gwendolyn up and rocked her until her cries calmed into a negligent slumber. AJ looked on with interedt. He noticed the calm and yet luminous karma that lucidly surrounded Serena. It was as if she had a presense surround her that was lax and peaceful. He longed for that type of feeling. "Is she yours?" He asked while sitting next to her on the bench. "Yeah she's my little querida." AJ almost got whiplash in his neck when he turned his head arouund so fast to face her. "What did you say?" "I said yeah, she's mine, why?" Serena questioned. "No, not that part. What did you call her?" AJ asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't hearing things. "I called her my little querida. Why?" she asked confused as to why he was questioning her. "Uh, no reason. What's her name?" he asked trying to change the subject. "Gwendolyn. I've always loved that name." Serena said smiling down at her sleeping daughter. "She's beautiful. She looks like you." AJ said looking straight into Serena's eyes. Serena blushed from the obvious compliment. "Thank you. I'm just glad that she looks like me, and not like her father." "Where is the father?" "I don't know, somewhere in the tri-state area I gather." she said uncaringly. He notices her change in demeanor and automatically apologized. "No it's all right." she said as she began to gather their belongings. " I think that it's time that we go home. It was nice seeing you again Mr. McLean." Serena said hurriedly. "Please call me AJ, and let me walk you home." "No that's all right, you don't have to." Serena replied. "I want to." AJ stated, looking firmly into her eyes. She knew he would not back down until he got his way. 'Damn those eyes of his! Why must he be so damn fine?' she thought to herself. "All right, let's go." she said as a small smile graced her lips. |