Julie didn't go over there the next day because, she told me the night before, Mr. Albert was going away for a few days. He was leaving today so after I got home, had a snack and some cookies, warmed up and changed clothes, I went over to his house to say goodbye. Knocking on the door, I waited a few moments for him to come to the door, the cold wind biting at my face. I knocked again and the door opened. The nurse was standing there wearing a red sweater over her nurse dress.

"Hi," she said, "come in."

I did and my face immediately had warmth breathed back into it.

"Is Mr. Albert here?"

"Hunh? Oh, no. He left early this morning."

"Oh, I was hoping to say goodbye."

"Nah, that's alright, he'll be back in a few days. He just went up to his cabin. I'm looking after his cat."

"Oh."

"Come in," she said again and went into the kitchen. I took off my shoes and followed her. "You want some scotch?" she offered.

"Sure," I said and sat down.

"I never caught your name," the nurse said.

"Amaljia."

"Cool. My name's Sigourney." She took a sip from her glass. "You know, I really like this house. I like all the carpeting and the bookcases. It all has a warm feel to it. Nothing cold about it. I wouldn't leave this place for no cabin, nosiree." She took another sip. "I guess I'm just lucky I get to look after the place while he's gone."

"Do you think this house gets lonely, though, when there's nobody in it?"

"I don't know."

"Well, some houses are nice as long as there is somebody in it, but others...well, one person can stay there and still not be alone. It's like the house is alive."

"I bet this house stays alive even when nobody's in it. I mean, Mr. Albert has put a lot of himself into this. It's his way of expressing himself I guess. It's his way of feeling something."

"Still, even in a house like this you'd think you'd get lonely every once and a while."

"Especially him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, after that accident he left a lot behind. His family and stuff a long time ago."

"Were they killed?"

"No...I wouldn't be telling you this if I thought it was just a rumour. I think it's true. He left them after the accident. I don't know if I'd be able to stay around if all my feelings were torn out of me."

I thought about it for a moment and then agreed with her. How does one word describe all your feelings? I don't think I'd even feel like a person anymore. How can you love your family if the only way you can express it is by a cold word coming out of a box."

"I guess he thought he was hurting them, it was almost as if he had left them anyway...so he left, thinking they'd be better off without him."

"It's sad."

"Yeah. But maybe it turned out for the best. He seems very happy now that he's moved here, redecorating the interior and everything."

I don't listen. In my mind I get a quick picture. I can see him packing to go, his heart breaking in two, pain oozing out of him and wanting to explode in frustration but his face is perfectly still. And I can see him look down at this box on his chest and all it's doing is flashing Crying. It's like the box is telling him what to do. I wake from it. It is not pleasant.

There was a big pause.

"I don't know why my dad left," I said. "He was just an asshole. Didn't like responsibility. I don't know. I don't even remember him leaving or the weeks before he left, all I remember is the way mom changed when he did. I hated him for that...he killed her inside."

"Hmm," there was a pause, "So you're taking care of Julie all by yourself?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. That's kind of harsh. Hey, but if you ever need a babysitter. I could do it for you."

"Sure, that'd be great. I need all the help I can get," I finished my scotch. "Hey, can I see the bathroom?"

"The bathroom?"

"Sure. I'm really interested in bathtubs. I'd like to see what it looks like."

"Ok." We went upstairs and looked at the bathtub. It was white with pink tiles around it, tiles all the way up the wall. You could pull the shower curtain in to be completely secluded, like a little watery cave. It was large too. He had good taste in baths. "He likes to take baths."

"Me too." We looked at it for a while. "Well, I'd better get back home. Julie's havin' a friend over so I gotta make sure the house doesn't fall apart."

"Yeah, sure," we returned downstairs. "Pop by and see me whenever."

Saying goodbye I walked back across the street. Upon entering the door I found Julie and Ella playing video games on the Nintendo Ella had brought over, their eyes glued to the set.

Thank god for Nintendo. This was going to be an easy night.

I took a long bath that night. Mostly I like baths because it gives me time to think. I thought about my job and how I was going to pay for university. Then my mind drifted to Mr. Albert. He was very nice. I liked him. Though, I didn't know if it was anything more than that. Probably not. But I made myself think of him. And there was no reason why I shouldn't be attracted to him. So, maybe I do like him... If I try maybe I will.

Bang! Bang! Julie knocked on the door. "Can Ella and I have a popsicle?"

"Sure," I said, "But only one each."

"Ok."

I closed my eyes and sunk deeper into the warm bath