As Long As She's Happy (Short Story)

by C.M. Lanning

was only one sheet of paper inside, which wasn't what Barry was expecting. He looked at the paper. It appeared blank at first until he did a closer examination.

  Little dots. . . several of them covered the paper in some kind of pattern.

  “Well Barry?”

  “Claire. . . I can't read this,” Barry said.

  “You have to,” Claire said.

  “I'm sorry, but this is something you'll have to read for yourself,” Barry said.

  “Come again?”

  “It's written in braille,” Barry said, handing the paper to her. He put it in her hands, and her face looked a little flushed.

  Spencer looked shocked.

  “Well, that wasn't something I expected your father to do,” Spencer said.

  Claire's hand was steady as she read the first half, then it got shaky as her hand moved further down the paper.

  When she had finished reading it, a tear fell down her right cheek.

  A silence filled the office. Claire started to sniffle, and Spencer handed her a box of tissues. She gave the sheet of paper to Barry and blew her nose a couple times.

  “Barry, please take me to the restroom,” Claire said, quietly.

  “Of course,” Barry said.

  He took her hand and led her to the restroom. She closed the door behind her, and Barry sat outside the door waiting.

  “You can go back in the office,” came a muffled voice from behind the bathroom door.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes please,” she said.

  “Just call for me when you're ready to come back into the office,” Barry said.

  “I won't be long,” Claire said.

  Before Barry left, he heard tones coming from a dial pad on a cell phone.

  He thought to himself wondering, Who is she calling?

  Following her request, he left her alone and went back into the office.

  Spencer didn't say anything when Barry came in and sat down.

  “How is she?”

  “She'll be fine; she always is,” Barry said.

  “That's because of you. You realize that, right? Claire wouldn't be the woman she is today if it weren't for you,” Spencer said.

  “She's a big girl. She would have developed fine with or without me,” Barry said.

  Spencer frowned and looked at Barry with a serious expression.

  “I hope you don't really believe that. You'd be an idiot if that's what you honestly thought. You and your father. . . you're quite a pair. That deal that your father made with hers is so old fashioned. . . I don't know any other rich family that has a similar deal in place. I mean, for you two to trade service for only food and shelter is just almost unheard of these days. Hired help is one thing, but you two were so much more than that,” Spencer said.

  Barry said nothing. Doing what he did, it was all he knew how to do. She was his life, and she had been since he was a child.

  “Tell me about your hobbies,” Spencer said.

  “My. . . hobbies?”

  “You know, what you do with any free time you have,” Spencer said.

  He already knew what Barry's answer was going to be; he was just trying to get Barry to realize what he was to Claire without directly coming out and saying it.

  “I don't really have much free time. I guess my only hobby by your definition would be reading. Claire has a rather large library, and I usually have two or three books with me at all times if I'm in the house,” Barry said.

  “You see? A normal person would usually list four or five things for their hobby whether it be watching sports, pottery, painting, singing, video games, etc. The fact that you only have one shows your self sacrifice, and it's been that way your entire life. She would have been fine without you? I doubt that. You are her blade, with which, she cuts her path through life. She's not helpless by any means, but she does depend on you heavily,” Spencer said.

  “I don't disagree with what you say,” Barry said.

  “How long has it been since you two have been in separate rooms like this?”

  “Probably years,” Barry said.

  “How does it feel to be in a different room?”

  Barry thought about it for a second. His palms were a little sweaty, he felt like his collar was too tight, and he realized he kept listening for her call.

  “It's awkward,” Barry said.

  “You've essentially denied yourself a real life so she can have one. I know you care for her wellbeing deeply, or you wouldn't have lasted this long. Don't ever deny the importance of your sacrifice or think for a second that anyone else could do what you do. For all intents and purposes, you are her human seeing-eye dog,” Spencer said.

  “Good grief, allow me a tad bit of humility will you, Spencer?”

  “Just remember what I said. Out of curiosity though, what would you be doing right now without Claire's responsibility on your shoulders?”

  Barry didn't have to think about this one. His answer was straight to the point, “I don't have to worry about that. Claire is my responsibility, and I wouldn't trust another soul in the world to care for her. Life without her? I can't even begin to grasp that concept, and frankly, I don't want to.”

  Spencer smiled as Claire called out, “Barry?”

  He jumped up and started for the door.

  “Barry?”

  “Yeah Spencer?”

  “You're one of a kind,” Spencer said.

  “If you say so,” Barry said.

  He went to the restroom where she stood. Her eyes were still a little puffy, but she looked like she was back to normal for all he could tell.

  “You okay?”

  “Better than I would have been if I'd have read this five years ago,” Claire said.

  “I hope this isn't too painful for you.”

  “I'm fine.”

  “Hey, no matter what happens, remember that I'm not going anywhere,” Barry said.

  Claire heard him, and she looked like she was going to cry again. Barry wrapped her in his arms and then led her back to Spencer's office. Now, he was starting to cross the line, but he didn’t care. She needed him to at this point.

  “I need a few seconds alone with Spencer please.”

  “I'll be right outside with Sarah,” Barry said.

  “Thanks Barry. I'll be out in a few minutes. . . then we're going to the bank,” Claire said.

  Barry nodded then closed the door to the office behind him.

  He went out to Sarah's desk and sat in one of the chairs.

  “Is she alright?”

  “Yeah, she'll be fine. I don't know what's in the will, though. I thought I would feel better not knowing what was in it since she intended to have me read it to her, but it turned out to be written in braille. Only she knows what’s on that paper, and now, I almost feel a little guilty for not knowing,” Barry said.

  “Braille huh, that's a curve ball I didn't expect from her father. Like I said earlier though, he was a spontaneous guy. I'm sure he had a good reason for making it in braille,” Sarah said.

  The two continued to talk about Claire and how she was doing until Spencer brought her to Barry and Sarah.

  Claire looked normal again. If Barry hadn't known better, he'd never have guessed she'd been crying. He was a little curious about what they said, but ultimately, he decided that she'd tell him if he needed to know.

  “I'm ready to go to the bank, Barry. Spencer has already called, confirmed the will, and made the proper paperwork. We're going to move all the money from daddy's account and close it once and for all,” Claire said.

  “I understand,” Barry said.

  Sarah gave Claire a hug, and Spencer didn't just kiss her hand, he pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead.

  Then, he whispered something to her. He looked sad, and Claire did too.

  She looks pretty sad for somebody who just inherited millions of dollars. . .. I guess memories of her father are just overloading her, Barry thought.

&n
bsp; Barry took her by the hand, and they went back to the car, saying their goodbyes to Sarah and Spencer.

  He opened the door for her, and she got in, not speaking a word. Barry started the car, and they drove further into town to the bank. It wasn't a normal bank; it was more like a bank for rich people to put their money in. The last time Barry had been here was after Claire's father had died.

  He had set up provisions for his daughter after his death until the will could be read.

  When they found a spot to park, Barry got out and came over, opening the door for Claire.

  She had started whimpering again. She'd been crying so quietly, Barry didn't notice when he drove.

  “Hey, what's the matter? Do you want me to take you home? We can do this some other time you know,” Barry said.

  “Barry. . . do you regret being my eyes for all these years?”

  “Of course not. If I wasn't your eyes, I don't know what I'd have done with myself. I would have been a poor boy growing up on the street with no future. Thanks to your father, I have a future, and if it's helping you through life. I'm more than glad to do that for you,” Barry said.

  “You've lost a lot of years though. Most kids have their own childhood. You had to share mine,” Claire said.

  “Hey, that's not true. I've had a great life, and we're both still young. We've got our whole lives ahead of us. Besides, we've had tons of fun memories together like. . .,” Barry’s voice faded as he struggled to pull up a memory on the spot.

  “Remember in Jr. High? When they had separate P.E. classes for the boys and the girls, and I had to be in the girl's class so I could be your eyes? I spent an entire semester in a girl's P.E. class! That was hilarious. Remember that one day you couldn't participate in basketball, so, we sat in the bleachers, and I fell asleep?”

  Claire's faded eyes lit up for a second, and she started to giggle, “And