Foster’s Porn Story: More Than My Friend – Chapter 18

Self-Doubt

The sleek black car gently eased into the garage of
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends. After the ignition was turned off, the
drivers door swung open to reveal an exhausted young woman, clad in a purple
skirt, pink shirt, knee-high leather boots, and fiery-red hair worn down around
her shoulders. Dressed in such flashy party attire, one wouldve thought that
the girl would match the mood of her clothes, that is, light-hearted, upbeat,
and a bit giggly after a night out with her friends.

However, Frances Frankie Foster was feeling
anything but gleeful as she clambered out of her grandmothers car. As soon as
she slammed the door shut, the somber caretaker of Fosters leaned herself
against the vehicle with a weary groan. Muttering ruefully under he breath, she
closed her eyes briefly as the memories of her night out quickly flashed
through her mind.

Hey!
Bartender! Two more, right down here!

Two more?
Blech, Frankie, I couldnt even handle one shot of that stuff.

Just sit back
and watch a pro do it

Yeah babe!
Shake it!

Woohoo! Go for
it, sweet-cakes!

You boys want
some of this? Huh? Do ya

Baby-Doll,
whats wrong? Cmon, why dont

No, no I
cant! I just cant! I gotta go!

Honey, whats
the deal? Why-

I just CANT!

Huh? What the
fu-

Get away from
me! I gotta go

Frankie winced painfully as the events of the night
played over in her head. Quickly she tried to tune it from her mind, but to
little avail; her brain insisted on replaying the awful memories again and
again like repeats of some God-awful movie. Sighing heavily, the girl woefully
dragged her feet into the old Victorian mansion she called her home, shoulders
sagged and head bowed as if she was a mourner taking part in a funeral
procession.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. She growled angrily at
herself as she lurched through the front door and into the foyer. How could she
have acted so carelessly? Even her own friends, who loved nothing better than a
fun night out, even they had been disgusted by her outrageous behavior. The
drinks she had chugged down like a wild sorority girlthe flamboyant manner in
which she had acted on the dance floornot forget of course that nasty
incident in the parking lot.

Frankie moaned. How long did she talk to Mr. Herriman
in a complete role-reversal before she had left? How many times did she go over
where she had left all the phone numbers that she could be reached at? How many
times did she insist over and over that he swear to her that everything would
be all right, and nothing bad would happen to a certain eight-year-old child
while she was out? After what she put him through, she knew very well the Bunny
would have a field day if he learned how she had really conducted herself that
night, after endlessly going over the motions to show how responsible she
really was-

The somber girl interrupted her train of thought as
an odd noise reached her ears. Did someone leave the TV on again? Groaning in
annoyance at the carelessness of some of the resident imaginary friends, the
caretaker wearily plodded off to the nearby TV room to take care of it.

As soon as she reached her destination however, an
all-too-familiar sight immediately befell her. In the darkened room, she saw
the dull glare of the TV, on which rolled the credits of some movie that had
just ended. From the spooky lettering and cheesy music playing in the
background, Frankie guessed the last person to use the TV set had been watching
some old, B-rated horror flick.

Someone however, who had obviously missed the ending
in his attempt to get in some late-night movie time to himself. Even in the dim
lighting, Frankie instantly recognized the dozing culprit splayed out along one
end of the couch. The unusually gangly imaginary friend cut a ridiculous sight
in the manner in which he had fallen asleep. His head was cocked to one side in
an odd fashion, his long legs and single arm were lying askew in a bizarre
tangle, and a small puddle of drool had begun to pool up in his half-open
mouth. Trying to stifle a weak smile, Frankie quietly tiptoed her way over to
the side of the napping creature.

Wilt? she asked softly, giving the lanky imaginary
friend a gentle prod. Wilt? You awake?

After another poke, Wilt suddenly stirred, opening
his eyes with a tired groan. Mumbling something incomprehensible under his
breath, he turned around to give her a blank, half-awake stare. Glaring at her
through bleary eyes, it took him a few seconds to fully comprehend exactly what
was going on.

Huh? Wha-GAH!
He yelped in surprise, jerking violently in his seat.

EEK! The
startled Frankie squealed in surprise.

Frankie! Oh jeez, Im sorry! Im sorry! I really
didnt mean to, I mean, it was just one
little movie! Im sorry! Wilt began to apologize profusely almost immediately.

His odd reaction took her completely off guard. Huh?
Wilt, its okay! I just-

Im sorry! he only continued as he begged for mercy
from the bewildered young woman. Everyone else had gone to bed, I really
didnt see what the big deal was, I mean its not like the movie wasnt that
scary or anything, I wouldve put him to bed if I hadnt fallen asleep before
him, honestly! Im sorry, Im sorry, Im Wilt babbled uncontrollably, like a
broken faucet.

Upset by his behavior, Frankie immediately tried to
calm him by flashing a weak, reassuring smile. Its okay! So you stayed up a
little late to watch a scary movie, you do that all the time! Whats thebig

She trailed off as an unusual lump near the end of
the couch spotted her eye. Despite the fact that the flickering TV light provided
only the lowest visibility, Frankie recognized the dim outline of the little
figure completely.

Clad in light blue pajamas, head resting against an
old sofa cushion, Macs chest rose and fell softly as he lay in a deep sleep.
Immediately Frankie walked over and gently sat herself down next to him upon
the large couch with the utmost of care, so as not to disturb the resting
child. At this point Wilt had raised himself from his own seat and faced
Frankie guiltily, and shamefully hung his head and scuffed the floor like a
naughty child.

Im sorry, Frankie…I-II know you probably wanted
him in bed earlier, but since its Friday night, I thought Id be okay if he
stayed up a little later. Okay, The Swamp
Beast of Skull Lagoon 2 probably wasnt a good movie to let him watch, but
honestly, Im really sorry! I wont let it happen again, I-

Wilt quickly put a halt to his frantic prattle as
soon as he realized he wasnt getting any response. Looking up, he saw that
Frankie hadnt so much as given him a second glance since she had spotted Mac.
Instead of giving him a lecture on the importance of bedtime, or even so much
as shoot him a disapproving glare, Frankie simply remained with her eyes
fixated on the sleeping eight-year-old, gently running her fingers through his
chestnut-brown hair. Wilt frowned confusedly.

Frankie? he asked cautiously. Frankie, you-

The girl suddenly shut her eyes and let out a long,
painful sigh, oblivious to everything around her but an overwhelming feeling of
guilt. After a few moments, she finally opened her eyelids again and glanced
back down at the child

Im sorry. She whispered somberly. Before her
imaginary friend had a chance to reply, the melancholy girl suddenly scooped
the still dozing Mac into her arms, and without another word got up and made
her way into the foyer and up the staircase.

Wilt could only remain completely rooted to where he
stood as he watched leave. Even after Frankie had exited upstairs, the baffled
imaginary friend continued to stand stock-still.

He wasnt quite sure what happened; but she had
sounded so much like him just now it
was almost frightening.

All the while, pangs of guilt gnawed at her mercilessly
from within. To think, that Wilt had been apologizing to her of all people, all but dropping to his knees and begging for
mercy. The very thought of the episode that had taken place only moments ago
made Frankie want to violently gag in complete disgust at herself. Her, being
free of vice and Wilt, being the one in need of forgiveness; she felt that
nothing could have been further from the truth.

Frankie felt that if she had a whip, she would flog
herself until her back was raw and bleeding. If she had a bucket of hot coals
on her right now, she would dig her hands into the scorching contents without a
second thought and keep them there for hours. If she possessed heavy manacles,
she would chain herself up without food or water for days until she was utterly
emaciated. These and a myriad of medieval punishments raced furiously through
her head, each one more gruesome and barbaric than the last.

However, Frankie eventually rejected them all. Not because
of the sheer harsh cruelty or it all or because she realized how unreasonably
harsh she was being with herself, but because she felt none of them were
sufficient enough to purge her of her atrocious transgression. How dare she
think herself fit to be called Macs older sister? Or guardian? Then again,
overall if anything she was more of a motherly figu-

Frankie groaned unhappily. The very fact that after these
past few months she still didnt even know what to designate herself in
relation to the child only seemed to prove her point further. Frankie gasped as
a horrific thought crossed her mind. Maybe thats because she really wasnt meant to be the one to look him
in the first place.

True, her thought process was getting brazenly out of
hand, but she was so blinded by her shame she honestly didnt know what else to
think. At this point, mother, guardian, big sisterit seemed like none of those
titles were good enough to grace her, even the simple label of acquaintance
seemed all too merciful. If she was anything, then she more life a

Liar. Frankie whispered bitterly to herself. Yes, that
was it. Fraud, thats all she was at best. How dare she willingly adopt the boy
and arrogantly claim that she was more than qualified to care for him when she
couldnt even look after herself?

Frankie shuddered violently as the events of the past few
hours replayed themselves yet again in her mind. She felt as if what she did
wasnt a mistake or a night of clubbing gone bad, but rather undeniable proof
that she was completely unfit to raise a small child on her own.

Frankie looked down at Mac, as the boy continued to sleep
peacefully in her arms. However, she could only do this for the briefest of
moments before she had to withdraw her glance as what felt like a heavy lump
form in her throat. The young woman felt as if she didnt even deserve to hold
him in her arms right now; that was the privilege of a true parent or guardian,
and not a mere immature girl the likes of herself.

Finally, she arrived at her destination. Hurriedly, she
made her way into Macs room and deposited the child gently with the utmost
care upon his bed. As Frankie pulled the sheets over him, Mac suddenly stirred
briefly in his slumber with a light groan.

Shhhhhhh. Frankie shushed soothingly, patting his head
gently. When the eight-year-old quickly settled down once more however, she
continued to softly run her hand through his hair, almost entranced by the
sleeping child. Unfortunately, rather than have her heart warmed by such an
innocent scene, the sight only caused fresh pangs of guilt to tear ferociously
at her heart, ashamed that he was so blissfully ignorant that he was being
raised by the unqualified imposter she felt that she truly was. With a sigh,
Frankie lowered her head to plant a light kiss on his cheek, and hurriedly
rushed out of the room.

As soon as she shut his door, she quickly wiped the tears
that had begun to trickle from her eyes. With a whimper she lurched off into to
her own room just across the hallway, shoulders sagging and head bowed.

Youre an awful parent, youre an awful parent, youre an
awful parent she muttered cynically to herself over and over. All that work
to get custody and you just –

Umdont you think youre being a little hard on
yourself? Someone interjected softly from behind. Frankie however only shook
her head furiously in denial as she tugged off her knee-high leather boots.

Pfft! Yeah right! she scoffed incredulously as she
pulled furiously at a stubborn boot, throwing it aside without a care where it
landed. You shouldve been there tonight, I-EEEEEK!

The moment she realized she had some unexpected company,
Frankie squealed in shock and leapt nearly three feet in the air.

Im sorry! Im sorry! an all-too-familiar lanky figure
immediately apologized as he cautiously sauntered in from the doorway. Please,
I didnt mean to scare you like that, Frankie, honest! Im so sorry, I just
thought that if I could-

Quickly regaining her composure, Frankie narrowed her eyes
and snarled. You thought? Well maybe
you shouldve thought about sneaking behind my back like a goddamn stalker!
God, I think I almost had a heart attack! Dammit, Wilt! she snapped angrily.

Wilt winced painfully at her venomous reply. Frankie,
please, Im sorry that-

Youre sorry? Oh, Wilts apologizing, what a big
surprise! she sneered sarcastically. News-flash, sorry doesntit doesnt
change the fact thatIyouII

Once she realized it was her own imaginary friend she was
cursing mercilessly for no real reason, it all suddenly became too much for her
to handle. An extra sharp jolt of guilt and shame suddenly stabbed viciously at
her heart, finally pushing her over the edge completely. Immediately all the
anger and fury was wiped clean from her expression as she glanced pleadingly at
Wilt.

I-II didnt-

However, she didnt even get the chance to finish her
simple apology before she was interrupted in mid-sentence by a harsh sob. After
trying to unsuccessfully fight it for a few seconds, she finally gave up and
broke down completely, and buried her face in her hands as the tears began to
pour freely down her face like water from a bursting dam.

Wilt instinctively swung into action and in an instant was
by the side of his kid, dropping to his knees and gently taking her into a
warm embrace.

Shhhhhh. He hushed as if she was an upset infant. Its
okay, its okay Frankie. Shhhhh.

Oh GodWiltII didnt mean t-to Frankie fought to
speak between her sobs.

Shhhh, dont worry about it, Frankie. Its okay. Its
gonna be alright. Wilt continued to try and calm her.

Frankie looked up briefly with puffy, tearstained eyes.
Wilt returned her glance by flashing her a comforting smile. With a whimper she
threw her arms around his neck and buried her face deep into his shoulder in an
attempt to muffle her weeping.

Frankie, cmon. Its gonna be okay. So what that you had
a bad night out, thats okay! That doesnt- Wilt whispered warmly in an
attempt to calm her down.

I-I dont deserve him. She suddenly moaned dejectedly.
Wilt shot her a quizzical look.

Huh? Dont deserve what-

M-Mac! Frankie continued, keeping her face buried in the
protection his shoulder could offer her. I-I dont deserve Mac!

Wilt was stunned by her harsh declaration, and for a few
seconds was struck utterly speechless. He had been expecting for her to lament
about some cute guy that had gotten away, or a nasty fight that she had with
one of her girlfriends; just certainly not this.

Frankie why-

I dont deserve Mac because he deserves better than me! she cried, perplexing him even
further.

I I dont understandwhy-

I made out with some guy at the club tonight, thats
why! Frankie suddenly sobbed. Wilts eyes bulged in shock at this extremely
blunt confession.

What? he cried, completely taken off guard. Frankie
withdrew her head from his shoulder to look at him face to face.

You heard me! What do you want me to do, paint a
picture? Frankie shrieked angrily, pushing him away and waving her arms wildly
for dramatic effect. I had some drinks, I danced about likelike a goddamn
stripper for all the drunken perverts to see, and ten minutes later I was out
in the parking lot exchanging saliva with some nobody! God, I dont even think
I knew his name!

Frankie he gasped, staring at her blankly in shock. She
glanced into his eyes before she elicited a harsh sob, after which she hastily
rushed by him and tossed herself on her bed, burying her face deep in her
pillows.

Wait! Wilt yelled, rushing over to her side. I still
dont get-

You dont get it? Fuck, I dont even get it! she cried.
Oh God, a few drinks and, and I was dancing about like, like some dirty Los
Vegas stripper! All the guys were making catcalls, hooting at me, anda-and
Ill be a liar if I said I didnt encourage them!

Frankie Wilt sighed painfully as he began to rub her
back comfortingly.

Next thing I know, I was out in the middle of the parking
lot, sucking on this guys face like the was no tomorrow! Frankie moaned.
God, I was such a whoresuch a slut she cried.

Cmon, youre not-

Dont say it! she snapped, roughly cutting him off.
Dont deny it, I was nothing but an out of control whore tonight!

Please, Wilt tried to plead with the hysterical redhead.
Will you-

Fuck! Frankie swore uncontrollably in panic. Who the
hell am I kidding?

Frankie, just-

Im such a messno way I can-

Please! Wont you-

Im a no good dirty

FRANKIE! Wilt
raised his voice in exasperation as the girl continued to mercilessly berate
herself. Please-

Wilt cant you see?
Frankie shrieked involuntarily. Look at me! Just look at me!

Now what are
you talking about? the painfully bewildered Wilt demanded wearily. Frankie
lifted her head from her pillow and glared daggers. Is it the guy, or-

Everything
tonight took just a few drinks! For Gods sake, I can I look after an
eight-year-old of all things when I cant even control myself after three shots
of liquor!

Uh Wilt grunted in surprise as he finally understood
the root of her despair.

Yeah, thats right! she snapped furiously. I cant! Thats how! I cant! I cant! I dare you to go find someone who says
drunken skanks can make a somewhat half-decent guardian for a little kid!

No Frankie, dont say that! her imaginary friend
protested. Cmon, dont-

Jesus Christ! Frankie swore. I dont even know how the
hell I snapped myself out of it. I mean, thank God it didnt get any further,
but fat load of good that did for
me! she scoffed bitterly.

Will you please just- Wilt tried in vain to offer a word
of solace.

Cripes, how on earth I got Mac involved in the mess of my
life Ill never know, but-

Fra- Wilt again tried to interject to no avail.

I cant do this, Wilt! I cant! I cant! I cant! I cant! she wailed as she beat her
mattress furiously with tightly clenched fists. I understand it now, I cant!
I cant look after a kid! I cant do this family thing! I-I just
cant! Who the fuck am I fooling?

Frankie- he tried one more time before she gazed up
through puffy red eyes and wailed heartbrokenly,

How the hell can I take care of Mac when I cant even
take care of myself?

She then immediately let her head collapse back into her
pillow in a vain attempt to stifle her sobs.

For the next few minutes, all the badly stunned Wilt could
do was wait out the deafening silence that followed by continuing to gently rub
her back in a futile attempt to calm the hysterical girl somewhat. However, by
the sounds of her uncontrollable weeping, it was quite obvious that wasnt doing him very much too
good. Unfortunately, besides this, Wilt felt almost helpless. Usually, it just
took a few well-chosen words of comfort, a couple warm hugs, and a reassuring
smile and Frankie would be back to herself in no time, infected by his
ever-optimistic mood.

The problem was though, from the second Frankie had
returned home to the pitiful state she had reduced herself to now, he had
barely gotten so much as ten full words in before she had dragged herself
through nine levels of hell. It would be ridiculous to simply hope shed fall
asleep and everything would be better in the morning; she was seriously
questioning her abilities to run her tiny, unorthodox family she had worked so
hard for and loved so much.

But what was there to say? If felt like every time he had
tried to say something before, Frankie responded by bitterly denouncing herself
for a full minute straight, using only the very worst names and curses that
came to her, utterly convinced she was an evil hag who crawled straight from
the depths of hell. Now how was he, Mr. Nice Guy, supposed to compete with that? A criticism of her from Mr.
Herriman would seem like a compliment at this point compared to the verbal
lashing Frankie had just all-too-eagerly given herself.

For what felt like an eternity of painful silence, the
imaginary friend strove frantically to try and find an exit from her despair.

Frankie? He finally whispered hoarsely as an idea came
to mind.

Hmm? the somber girl replied with a muffled grunt.

Whowho was it Wilt stuttered as he searched his
memories frantically. Whowh-who was it that taught Mac how toplay
basketball? he asked a bit apprehensively.

At this Frankie lifted her head up and craned her neck to
give him a profoundly befuddled look.

W-what? she sniffled while wiping a few tears from her
eyes.

Wilt grinned weakly, feeling a bit more confident. That
time a couple of months ago remember? Mac really wanted to learn how to play
basketball so he could play with the other kids at school at recess.Now, who
was it who gave up every bit of free time she had for two weeks straight just
so she could spend a few hours teaching him how to shoot hoops out back?

Wellum Frankie stammered as she clambered into a
sitting position next to the lanky imaginary friend on the bed. uhthat
waswell

Go on he encouraged her warmly.

Me. She
finally answered. B-butthat was only because you were sick that time, and-

When Macs own Mom was too busy to make it and see him
perform in his school play, who was it who went out to see him, even though-
Wilt immediately demanded, much to her puzzlement.

Wellme. Frankie admitted softly before he could finish.
It was only because Bloo needed a ride there though, and-

You stayed there for the whole show, Frankie. He reminded her gently. You showed me the
pictures you took.

II just she attempted to argue, but it was of little
use.

When Mac fell down and got that nasty cut on his knee
last week, who was it outside with the first-aid kit literally a minute later?

Me. She answered. But I only saw it because I-I was
about to get the mail-

When Terrence gave Mac that black eye, who was it who
hung him up by his underwear on top
of that oak tree out back until he apologized and promised not to do it again?

Me. Frankie acknowledged, this time with a bit of a
slight grin.

Who literally stayed up with him all night when he had
that nasty fever last month?

Me. She affirmed yet again.

Who was there at his side within half an hour after she
leaned his mom and brother died in a car accident? Who was it that voluntarily
took it entirely upon herself to willingly adopt the little guy in the first
place? Who was it who was so happy when he moved in to Fosters, I dont think
she stopped smiling for the first two weeks? Who?

Gnawing on her lip anxiously, the thoroughly embarrassed
Frankie tried to avert her gaze.

II-I

Wilt gently put a hand to the side of her face and turned
her head so she faced him eye to eye. Are these really the kind of things a
bad big sister does? he asked her bluntly.

No, butI, uh she unsuccessfully tried to object.

Frankie, please. he beseeched. So tonight things didnt
go so wellso what?

But- she tried to protest, but to no avail.

Frankie, you just made a few mistakes. Thats all it was
tonight, one mistake. He reassured
her with a warm smile. No ones perfect. Remember that one time when you were
little and while we were playing tag I
somehow got you stuck in the laundry chute for half-an-hour? he reminded her
with a lighthearted chuckle.

Yeah but-

Cmon, youve known Mac for how long? A year? A little
more? In that time, youve probably cared for him more than anyone I know, and
hes not even related to you! Im going to be real honest Frankie, if none of
what youve done for Mac is out of pure love for the little guy, than I dont
know what is! For Petes sake, you actually adopted
him, how is that not a-

You think tonight was just a mistake? No, actually
thinking hed actually be better off being raised by the likes of me, thats
the big mistake! Frankie protested heartbrokenly.

Frankie, Wilt couldnt help but scold her lightly. You
know thats not what I meant-

Do I look like the
kind of person who can actually make a half-decent parent? I told you what I did tonight, didnt I? I
danced about like a professional stripper! I almost had a one-night stand with
some guy whose name I didnt even know! How can I possibly take care of Mac when I can barely control myself the
second Im out of the house? Look at me! Look at the crap I get myself into! I
cant possibly be trusted to look after an eight-year-old! I cant do this! I cant! I cant- she
cried, throwing up her arms in hysterics.

Despite her frenzied outbreak however, he doggedly refused
to be swayed by her fevered objections. Rather than relent to her vehement doubt,
Wilt merely flashed her a weak smile.

You still havent convinced me yet. He whispered
truthfully with a shake of his head.

Frankie immediately went silent and stared at him blankly
for a few moments. As much as she wanted to claim it was just a ruse to make
her feel better, the unmistakable look in his eye said absolutely otherwise,
much to her dumb shock.

Finally, a harsh
sob suddenly escaped her throat and immediately the miserable girl flung her
arms open and tossed them around her imaginary friend in a tight hug. Quickly
Wilt snaked his arm around her and held her close.

Its okay Frankie, its okay- he automatically began to
murmur in reassurance.

N-no. Frankie whimpered in reply. No, its notI-I
dont deserve you guysI dont deserve any
of you

Wilt could feel his heart plummet into his stomach in
despair. What? Frankie, I thought-

She just moaned and shook her head. Slutjust a whiny,
slutty drunk she grumbled darkly. Why you deal with me, II-I dont
knownone of you, I just dont deserve it

The desolate Wilt sighed painfully as she continued on.
Just when he thought he had made a breakthrough, she had only revealed that
they had progressed barely any further from where she started. With all the
solace he offered completely rejected, he felt completely helpless as the
miserable redhead clung to him like a sad infant hugging a favorite stuffed
animal.

What else was there for him to do? Wilt had basically used
up everything he had to mend her broken spirits. Unfortunately, as could be
seen, all his effort resulted inadvertently with simply more absolutely
unnecessary guilt to burden her soul with.

The frantic imaginary friend hastily tried to wrack his
brain for answers. Was there nothing that he could possibly say to alleviate
her sense of shame? How could he possibly-

Wilt put his train of thought to a screeching halt as soon
as he felt Frankie suddenly tense up, and actually forcefully halt her own
weeping, much to his surprise.

Frankie? he asked apprehensively. Whats wro-

Shh! she quickly turned her head with a finger to her
lips, hushing him into silence. Frankie suddenly went very quiet as she
listened intently, with eyes wide open and alert. Her head perked up.

There! she whispered in alarm. Did you hear that?

Wilt scratched his head in befuddlement. He was honestly
listening as hard as he could, but couldnt hear a single thing out of the
ordinary. I cant-

No Frankie whispered to herself. Is he actually?

Wilt was becoming extremely unnerved by her skyrocketing
alarm. Frankie, what is-

She suddenly elicited a flustered yelp. In one fluid
movement she slipped from his grip, leapt off the bed, and darted for the door
the second her bare feet came in contact with the floor.

Wait! Wait! The baffled creature cried. What-

Im coming, pal! Frankie yelped determinedly as she
hurled her door open and zipped across the hallway in a blur, with the
bewildered Wilt bounding close behind.

Frankie, where are you- As soon as he followed her into
the small bedroom across the hall, he silenced himself in mid-sentence as he
quickly understood the root of her panic.

Rolling about uneasily in his bed, Mac whimpered in fright
in his sleep, as he lay deep in the clutches of some horrific nightmare. To
Wilt, the whimpering was barely audible and he heard it only after he had
entered the room. But the way Frankie dashed headlong to his side and dropped
to her knees next to his bed, it was as if was the soft squeaks and whines were
the most deafening sounds in the world.

Mac, Mac! She whispered as she shook the little boy
gently. You okay, pal?

Unfortunately, her efforts proved futile, and the child
now began to squirm about restlessly, his distressed whimpering becoming even
more high pitched and frantic. Frightened by this digression, Frankie
instinctively swept the boy up into her arms, stood back up and began to rock
him back and forth gently in her embrace as she continued to try and wake him
up.

Mac, please! she pleaded softly. Cmon pal, its okay!
You just gotta wake up! Its okay, Im right h-

Still asleep, Macs arms suddenly shot up and wrapped
around Frankies neck in a dazzling speed. Before the startled young woman
could respond, almost immediately his frightened whining and restless squirming
came to a dead halt as the boy suddenly became perfectly at peace once again.
With a blissful sigh, the sleeping child burrowed his head into the crook of
her neck and appeared so completely content it was as if nothing had happened.

Frankie was genuinely stunned, to say the very least. For
a few seconds, all she could do was dumbly stand there, arms clamped tightly
around the resting eight-year-old as her mouth hung slightly agape.

Finally though, slowly but surely, she turned her head in
the direction of the equally surprised Wilt. After a few moments of befuddled
silence though the imaginary friend suddenly clapped a hand over his mouth to
try and stifle a burst of relieved laughter, much to her confusion.

What? she demanded weakly.

All you have to do is show up andsuddenly everythings
better for him? he inquired with a triumphant sparkle in his eye.

I the still baffled young woman tried to protest,
unsure of what to think.

With those results, I think you have to be doing something right. Wilt concluded with a
smirk.

II justwell, he was…having a bad dream anda-and
she still found herself trying to sputter out an objection in a peculiar
last-ditch attempt to prove her guilt.

Is this good
enough for a second opinion? he joked lightly as he gave the dozing Mac a
gentle pat on the head.

For a moment, Frankie stared blankly at him, wordlessly
glanced down to the undeniably contented child in her arms, and passed into a
state of silent contemplation. Once she realized her earlier panic attack had
perhaps been all for naught, a weak grin snaked its way across her face,
despite her best efforts to fight it.

M-maybe she finally relented in a low murmur as a fresh
wave of tears welled up in her eyes. As tiny rivulets began to trickle down her
cheeks again, it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders,
and she couldnt help but laugh softly as she nuzzled the child in her embrace.

Before she knew it, Frankie suddenly found herself
instinctively humming a lullaby, a comforting gesture further supplemented by
gently rocking the boy back and forth in her warm embrace. For a few more
minutes, she continued as she was, cradling the boy affectionately in her arms
as her eyes lay fixated on the little figure in a tender and loving gaze.

Psst! Frankie! A short whisper suddenly interrupted the
moment. She looked up as Wilt deposited himself comfortingly on Macs bed and
rested his head on the headboard while his longs legs spill out over the end.
Shooting her a warm smile, the imaginary friend began to pat the mattress
gently in a welcoming gesture.

Cmon, I think youve had a long night.

Trying to unsuccessfully stifle a gaping yawn, Frankie
nodded wearily in agreement as she plodded over; she had to admit it was
extremely late, and exhaustion had begun to seep through every ounce of her
being. Without so much as a second thought, she plopped herself on her
imaginary friends lap and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. Chuckling
softly, Wilt wrapped his long, skinny arm about her and hugged her close,
Frankie responding by only trying to snuggle closer.

Th-thank you. She whispered drowsily while her eyelids
rapidly drooped shut. Thanks for everything t-tonights-sorry that I-

The imaginary
friend just grinned modestly and gently cut her off.

No need to think you dont deserve it; Mac cant ask for
anyone better. He happily reminded her. Dont worry about tonight; everyone
makes mistakes. Its all right, these things just happen-

The young woman interrupted with a sleepy grin. And when
they doy-youll be there to remind meright?

She never heard his answer, however. Just moments later
her eyes had closed permanently for the night, and in a minute she had fallen
fast asleep, mouth slightly curved into a relieved smile as she held Mac close.
Still beaming uncontrollably at the pair, Wilt nevertheless ruffled her hair
affectionately while he whispered softly into her ear,

Of course.

The End