Emmet and Chloe

>"EMMET! EMMET! EMMET EMMET EMMET!" A young woman's voice cried out through the Winslow home as she stumbled upstairs
>A small robotic butler exits a bedroom to meet the girl at the top of the stairs
>"My goodness, what on Earth is wrong, Chloe?"
>The young lady grabbed the Botler and squeezed him as tight as she could, sobbing onto his shoulder
>"I just... SNF I ju-just need someone to talk to."
>"Oh dear. Come, let's go to your room, we can talk there."
>Emmet guided the sniffling teenager by the hand as she sloppily wiped her face of tears with her sweater's sleeve

>This was a familiar routine for Emmet. Ever since he and Vicky arrived at the Winslow household over 3 years ago, Emmet had always been happy to listen to the family members' woes
>Chloe took a particular shine to him, and often confided in him when she felt she couldn't talk about her problems to her parents or siblings
>Emmet was more than happy to be a shoulder for her to lean on, and the two have grown quite close as a result

>Settling on Chloe's bed, Emmet began, "there we are. Now, what's the matter, Chloe?"
>"I ju... I just got off the phone with Sarah, who I THOUGHT was my best f-fffriend. I've been wanting to hang out with her for like two weeks but shhhe keeps blowing me off!"
>"Okay, so what did she say to you today?"
>"She told me to piss off is what she said! Said I've been bugging her all month and that I should've gotten the message by now!" Chloe began to curl up as she sobbed
>"I don't have a lot of friends, and now I've lost one... I don't even know what I did wrong..."
>Nodding and gently patting her back, Emmet comforts the girl
>"I know it must be hard when your friends don't seem to make time for you, Chloe. But, did you ever ask her WHY she couldn't, or didn't want to spend time with you?"
>"I... I guess not, not really."
>Perking up, Emmet tries to upright the girl from her hunched sobbing
>"Well maybe that's the problem, then. Perhaps she's simply busy, or maybe something's happened. Have you seen her with anyone else?"
>Chloe takes a moment to think before responding. "I... Uhm, no, actually. She-SNRRK she hasn't even been at school this month..."
>"In that case, I think it's probably safe to assume that something is going on with her life."
>Emmet stands up and turns to Chloe
>"How about this, Chloe: I'll call their home, and I'll ask to speak to her mother. If Sarah isn't showing up at school, her mother must surely know what's wrong."
>Chloe looks up at Emmet, tears streaming down her freckled face
>"You'd do that for me, Emmet?"
>"Of course, Chloe. Anything for the sweetest angel a Botler could hope to serve."
>Chloe giggled between sniffles, and jumped up from the bed to squeeze her Botler
>"Thanks Emmet! SNFFF You're the best..."
>Emmet returned the hug, "you're very welcome, Chloe."

>A few hours later, Emmet had made the call, and gotten the information he sought
>Knocking on her bedroom door, Emmet called out to Chloe. "Chloe, may I speak with you?"
>"Huh? Oh, oh! Yeah, gimme a sec, Emmet."
>Chloe had been writing in her diary and wanted to finish her thoughts
>She closes her diary and swivels her chair around to face the door. "Okay Emmet, come in! What's up? Did uh, did you make the call?"
>Emmet entered, and with a somber tone replies, "I did, and... I do have some bad news."
>The young woman shrunk in her seat. "Oh no. She does hate me. She DOES hate me doesn't she!? Oh man she-"
>"No no no! Let me explain sweetie, please."
>As Chloe tried to compose herself, Emmet knelt before her and gently took her hand
>"Chloe, Sarah has been rather... Depressed the past few weeks. You see, she and her family, well..."
>Emmet placed his other hand on Chloe's before continuing
>"I'm sorry Chloe, but Sarah and her family are going to be moving soon. Her mother pulled her from school so they could better prepare, and she's been avoiding her friends because she didn't want to remind herself of who she's leaving behind."

>Chloe hardly reacted, but the tears welling up in her eyes told the whole story
>Emmet, still holding Chloe's hand, stood up before her, and pulled her up with him
>Chloe's eyes seemed to drift down
>"...I guess I really did lose a friend after all, huh?"
>Emmet shook his head. "No, no no no, miss."
>"But I'll... I'll n-never see her again. She's gonna move, and then I-"
>Emmet interrupted, "and then, you'll write to her! And you'll call her when she's settled in. And you'll still be friends."
>Chloe's unsure eyes slowly met with Emmet's. "But, a-after what she said today-"
>"Go visit her tomorrow. Apologize for bothering her, and explain that you simply didn't know what was happening, but that you'd still like to keep in touch."
>Chloe's stoic face gave way to curling into a ragged frown
>"Do you really think that'd work?"
>Emmet gripped Chloe's hand ever so slightly. "You can't know until you try."
>Chloe's disposition immediately gave way to uncontrollable sobbing as she leaned hard into Emmet for a comforting hug, which he, of course, was happy to give her
>"Thank you Emmet... I hope your idea works..."
>"I hope so too, Chloe. I know I would hate to lose you as a friend, so I hope Sarah feels the same."
>Chloe manages to pull herself away, sniffling and wiping away her tears
>"I um... I gotta write about something. I uh, I need to-"
>Emmet threw his hands up in an understanding gesture, "say no more. I'll give you some privacy."
>Chloe sat back down in her desk chair as Emmet began to leave the room
>"Oh, um thanks again, Emmet."
>"You're welcome, Chloe. You know I'm always here for you."
>Chloe gently sniffled before giggling. "Yeah, you are. That's why I love you so much, Emmet."
>Chloe swiveled her chair back to facing her desk and reached for her diary, while Emmet was frozen in place, eyes wide open
>It was hardly the first time anyone in the Winslow family had expressed their love for him or Vicky, but it always caught him off guard
>Emmet loves his family very dearly, but never expects it in return. He knows "his place," but every "I love you" shakes the foundation of what he understands to be his station in the home
>But goodness, it always felt so wonderful to hear
>Quickly composing himself, Emmet turns around briefly
>"I love you too, Chloe. I really do."
>She'd already begun writing, but Emmet, knowing she heard him, happily leaves her room and closes the door

>"I really, really do."