The raindrops hitting the window sounded like someone tapping their fingertips on the glass. The howling wind reached through the gaps, making the boy shiver, the dim, grey light turning his skin even paler. He wound the skinny arms around his shoulders as if he had no one but himself to hug, feeling like the weather reflected his sadness. The trembling died down a bit when he heard the soft, faint voice.
“Nick, Do you want to draw together?”
Nick moved his eyes off of the window and the gloomy sky, landing them on his friend – Jimmy – sitting next to him. A year younger than Nick, Jimmy watched him with wide eyes, lips pouting as if trying to read his thoughts. He was only ten years old, but sometimes Nick felt like an old man lived inside his friend’s childish body. His eyes – always melancholic – were so deep as if hiding great sadness.
A smile ran across Nick’s face, warmth oozing into him.
“Yes, let’s draw,” he answered and took the white paper that Jimmy had handed him.
The sound of pencils being dragged across the paper mingled with the pouring rain. Colorful lines filled the emptiness, altering into odd shapes. Nick glanced at Jimmy and his eyes concentrating on the drawing, his long lashes almost touching the round cheeks.
Jimmy, his only friend, could always make him smile. Since coming to the orphanage, Nick – an introverted, shy child – couldn’t get close to anyone. But Jimmy noticed him as if seeing the light shining within Nick that led to him. With sadness and grief in common, the boys soon realized they were the closest people to each other.
Jimmy was the highlight of Nick’s identical, gloomy days. His bright, innocent face felt like a part of a world Nick wanted to belong to – a world of joy and happiness.
“I heard a new family is coming in today,” Jimmy mumbled while scribbling. Sorrow flashed by on his face, but he immediately masked it with a smile, “Do you think they will adopt one of us?”
“I don’t think they will adopt me,” Nick answered without lifting his head, “I’ve been here for years, and no one has adopted me. Why will they?” He asked more to himself than to Jimmy.
“I’ve been here longer than you,” the boy murmured.
Nick breathed out deeply and looked at his friend, his eyelids lowered, trying to hold in tears.
“At least we have each other,” Nick let out and gently tapped on Jimmy’s back.
The boy fluttered his black lashes, nodding.
“That’s true,” he replied as his cheeks dimpled.
They got back to silently drawing, each sinking in their thoughts. Suddenly a husky voice reached them.
“Nick! Why don’t you greet your new family?”
Nick quickly recognized the caregiver’s voice and looked up, seeing her standing beside strangers: A woman, a man, and two little girls, all smiling gently, fixing their eyes on Nick.
Confused and surprised, Nick stood up and slowly drew closer. The red-haired woman kneeled before him and spread her hand.
“Hello, Nick,” a smile curved her lips, joy and kindness sparkled in her eyes, “I’m Ann, he’s my husband, Thom, they are our daughters – Kate and Mia,” the woman pointed at her family.
Nick modestly shook her hand, and then everyone else’s. Mia pulled him and hugged the boy, squealing.
“Hello, big brother!” she exclaimed.
The joy that the family radiated spread on Nick too. Happiness flickered in his heart: finally, he would have a family again, a big, kind family. Suddenly he remembered Jimmy and looked back at him. The boy sat quietly, watching him with a genuine smile.
Nick had packed his bags and said goodbye to everyone. Standing outside, Ann opened the car door for him.
“Let’s go,” she smiled.
Nick walked to the car but felt someone’s eyes glued on his back. Turning, he saw Jimmy standing at the doorway, gazing at him with brimmed eyes and a slight smile formed on his lips.
Running up to him, Nick hugged Jimmy tightly, digging his nose in his neck.
“I swear I will write to you,” he whispered in Jimmy’s ear, “I’m sure you’ll be adopted soon too.”
He pulled back, seeing his friend smiling with his usual, sweet expression.
“Thank you,” he said, his tone sated with sorrow. “I wish you all the happiness.”
As Ann pulled out into the street, Nick looked out of the car window, seeing Jimmy standing unmoving, waving at him. They drove away, but Nick’s eyes were stuck on Jimmy as his silhouette got smaller and smaller, finally disappearing.
Nick moved in with the new family, and soon he became part of it. These people – once strangers – grew into his closest people. Ann and Thom gave him the same amount of love and care as their daughters. The dull days of the orphanage turned into beautiful ones, full of enjoyable, new activities. The fascinating world spread before Nick that he had never seen before. But as time passed, he felt like something was missing – or someone. The empty hole grew bigger in his heart, and he knew the only person who could fill it – Jimmy. Nick couldn’t forget that his friend was still in the orphanage, lonely, waiting for someone to love him, to take care of him like their own child.
One evening, sitting at his desk, Nick started writing to Jimmy:
“Jimmy, how are you?” he read out loud. “I really miss you. Sometimes I can see your face in my dreams, and I can feel your pain. I miss the time we used to spend together. Jimmy, my lonely friend. It feels like you are very far away, on the other side of the world, somewhere in the nowhere-land. I promise I will always send my love and write to you. You made my days shine, and now I want to do the same for you. “
Nick kept writing the letters every week and received answers from Jimmy. But his heart couldn’t settle as he could read Jimmy’s sadness through his notes.
One day, when he was watching TV with his sisters, Ann and Thom came into the room, asking to turn it off for a bit.
“Nick,” Thom smiled and looked at him, “how’s your friend, Jimmy? Are you still writing to him?”
“Yes,” Nick nodded, “every week.”
“Do you miss him?” now Ann asked and caressed his hair.
“Yes, I do,” Nick said and felt tears filling his eyes.
“Well,” Ann said and looked at Thom, “we’ve been thinking for a while now, and we realized that we want to have another son,” she said, smiling.
Nick’s eyes enlarged from elation.
“Are you going to adopt Jimmy?”
“Yes!” answered the whole family together.
Nick jumped up, hugging them, elation overflowing from him. He couldn’t contain his emotions anymore as he let the tears flow – the tears of joy.
A car stopped before their house. Nick had been waiting with Ann and his sisters on the porch. His eyes pinned on the car, his feet fidgeting from impatience, his heart thumping so fast as if aiming to jump out of his chest.
The car door opened, and Thom got out. He was holding a small hand, and Nick gasped from delight as his eyes landed on Jimmy. The boys ran up to each other. Hugging and holding their hands, it felt like they planned to never let go.
“You have a family now! We are your family!” Nick let out with a cheerful voice.
Jimmy nodded, a smile lighting up his face, and for the first time, Nick didn’t notice any trace of sadness in his eyes. Jimmy was smiling with pure happiness.