The Wait

It was a pleasant evening in the quaint little town of Mauverton when almost-seventeen-year-old Schuyler Raverton was returning home after treating himself to some pastries from his favorite local bakery. He was also carrying a couple of parcels for his parents, especially his mother who had a bit of a sweet-tooth. The only Raverton child, a genius in all regards, was home for his spring break opting to spend time with his parents and researching rather than partying and frolicking with his low-IQ peers at the university. The wind was soothing and nature was showering its blessings as varied colored flowers were filling the air with their fragrance. Spring was Schuyler’s favorite season, especially if he got the time to spend it in the countryside.Today felt especially different, though. The moment Schuyler stepped outside his house he had something of an epiphany. He ignored the thrumming in his chest that was indicative of something special, although he believed that

Abigail Langdon was a strong woman. She owned properties in London and managed them all on her own. She was married young to a supposedly honest gentleman, only to find out later that he was a well-known name in the city’s underground business. About a decade into the marriage, her husband was killed in a police encounter and all his so-called legal properties were transferred to her. However, Abigail was closing in on 35 when she had to take the reins and ended up becoming the landlady of couple of apartment buildings in London. She had many proposals by men but she was no longer interested in dating or men in general. However, she wanted a child and so when she had somewhat settled, she adopted a one-year old chubby boy and gave him her name, Olliver Langdon. Abigail fell in love with the child the moment she saw him and immediately decided he was the one.And now here she was, hugging and trying to comfort her baby, who was crying non-stop. At first she thought that

Abigail Langdon was exhausted. It had been a long day yesterday, although the trouble started only in the evening following the incident at the park. After the young boy ran away, Olliver continued to cry and struggle in her arms. It had been extremely difficult to calm her baby boy. However, her troubles did not end there. Somewhere around two-thirty in the morning Olliver had started hiccupping and sighing in his sleep and that is when Abigail realized that the toddler was burning up. He had high fever. She immediately woke up Olliver, forced him to swallow some paracetamol and started placing cold towels on his forehead. It had been a long night. Olliver’s fever had gone down just a tad bit but it was clear that she would have to go to the doctors’ soon. She had checked his mark and was relieved to see that it was not swollen or infected. Usually, the marks took care of themselves and the need for medical attention would be rare. Abigail was concerned about the fever.

It had been two whole days and Schuyler had hardly left his room. He only came down for meals and hardly spoke to anyone. When Craig asked about his son’s sudden change in mood, Vienna told him to be patient. It was the third day and Vienna was having her tea in the front garden as was her routine, when Schuyler came out dressed in blue ripped jeans and black t-shirt. The jeans hugged his hips perfectly and his mother knew her son only wore them for night outs.“Schuyler. Come have some tea,” she called out. The teenager hesitated but took a seat near his mother.“Isn’t it a little too early to go out?”Schuyler looked up surprised. “What? I am not..”“You wear those jeans only when you go out, Sky. Please, I am your mother, I know everything.” Schuyler blushed, embarrassed. It was mystery to him how his mother always knew everything about him. He also knew he had to be honest with his mother or

That evening when Craig Raverton came home, he found Schuyler playing basket-ball in the front yard. It had been almost a week since he had even gotten a glimpse of his son. When he had raised his concerns, Vienna had assured him that everything would sort itself out. So, he knew there was a problem but he had no clue as to what. Craig Raverton had kept the environment in his house such that whatever the matter, his son and his wife could talk to him. He was not a traditional person and believed that Schuyler trusted him enough to approach him with anything. However, both of them had yet to talk to him about the recent problem and he could not take it anymore. He had decided that today he would talk to both of them, but watching Schuyler play ball, a happy glow on his face, he realized it might not all be bad. “Hello Son, it’s good to see you being yourself again,” he said as he approached Schuyler. Schuyler had not noticed his father as his mind was still filled with Ollive