Page 31 of Until Forever

I lean forward on my elbows. “This is for the best. I’m sorry. Goodbye.”

“Okay, okay. I know what the letter said,” he deadpans.

“Do you think I purposely chose to be a single mother?”

“Did you know that night?” He folds his arms over his chest.

The server returns with his order and a refill for me. The last thing I need is for my favorite barista to hear my conversation, so I wait until she leaves to continue.

“Yes.”

He slaps the table, then scrubs his face with that same hand. “Damn it, Latoya. That’s not fair. I should have been given the chance to know him.”

“I was going to tell you that night, hell, I searched for you for hours, even called your house. But you were long gone. Now, I get how much this must suck for you. How confused you probably are, but you were in the wind, and I made the best life I could with what I had. So, don’t come around trying to make me feel guilty.”

“I’m just saying that—”

“Because I don’t. Jasper, I don’t regret a thing. I would have loved more than anything for you to help me raise him. He deserved that, but they weren’t the cards we were dealt. And maybe I could have told him about you earlier, but he doesn’t know anything other than me and him. And until recently, he was never curious about having a dad.”

We’re silent for a moment, the only sound coming from the booming café. I can tell he’s thinking, letting my words settle in his mind, probably trying to figure out if he accepts my response.

“What’s he like? What’s his favorite food?” Jasper asks after a beat.

I meet his eye and take in a breath, then smile. “He’s a happy boy. He loves superheroes, and theideaof being a good baseball player, but he is not that great.”

Jasper laughs.

“He loves pizza, like any other kid. And surprisingly, he’s a big fan of Brussels sprouts.”

Jasper chuckles and brings his drink to his lip. For a moment I watch his face, waiting to see how he’ll react. Knowing whether or not he actually likes Peppermint Frappuccino doesn’t matter at all, but it’s something to break the tension. He swallows it and makes a face as if to say he’s surprised.

“He loves to pick out his own clothes but always forgets his belt. He’s becoming more independent every day, but I’ve been having a hard time letting that happen,” I continue.

“I get that.” He nods. “He’s your baby.”

“He is.” I take a sip of water. “He has a lot of friends and is already a lady’s man. All the little girls in his class love him.”

Jasper’s chest puffs up, a look of pride and satisfaction on his face.

“He loves reading and is well above his grade level. He’s reading middle-grade books now.” I smile. “I can’t get him to tie his shoes to save his life. He always stuffs his feet in and yanks them off to avoid untying them. Pancakes are his favorite breakfast food, no matter the flavor, give him loads of syrup and he’s happy.”

He tips his chin. “What’s the story there? He seemed pretty insistent on getting to IHOP the other night.”

“It’s our thing, kind of like a tradition for us. I work a lot of long hours. Most days my shifts are about twelve hours, with four days on and three days off. But twice a month, I’m scheduled for back-to-back doubles with an extended four-days-off schedule. When he was smaller, it was hard for him to be away from me. So, I made him a deal. If he stayed with my parents during the days I worked doubles and behaved, then his grandmother would drop him off at the hospital at the end of my shift and we’d have pancakes. He’ll sit behind the nurses’ station until I am done, and then we will head to IHOP.”

“And you’ve never missed a date?”

“Nope.” I smile and drink my coffee. “Because I covered a shift for Harmony, my mom kept him a day longer. And with her bringing him to the hospital—”

“He wanted pancakes. It’s routine, I get that.”

“Yup.”

“Maybe it was meant for me to meet him, then. Considering you weren’t supposed to be there.” He shrugs.

“Speaking of Harmony,” I change the subject, not wanting to open that can of worms. “I can’t believe she never told me she knew you.”

He smirks. “I was closer to her brother than I was to her. But it’s been years since I’ve seen the Maysons. I stopped hanging out with Bax when I was about fourteen.”

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