Page 195 of Finding Us

“I didn’t mean anything by it. Really. I was just surprised. But it doesn’t matter how old you are. You seem really happy so that’s all that counts, right?”

“Finally, someone who isn’t judging me for being married this young. People on campus act like we’re crazy.”

“I’m 21 and single with a baby and a crappy job so I can’t judge.” She gets up. “I gotta go but it was nice meeting you. Stop by again. Maybe we could talk some more. I miss having a real conversation with someone. Caleb’s not much of a talker.” She smiles as she walks away.

I think I just made a friend. I never thought it’d be a single mom I met at a coffee shop but hey, a friend’s a friend.

CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT

GARRET

I walk in the coffee shop and see Jade reading one of her textbooks.

“Ready to go?” I ask her. “I have the car outside but I’m in a no parking zone so we need to hurry.”

She jumps up from her chair, grabbing her backpack. “No parking zone?” She takes my hand as we walk out the door. “You’re breaking the law?”

“Today I am.”

She smiles. “I like this bad boy side of you.”

“I can be as bad as you want when we get home.” I kiss her as I open the car door.

As we’re driving away from campus, I look over at her and say, “Did you go through a lot of Kleenex today? Have any hair emergencies to use up those headbands? Or how about that protractor? Did you measure any angles?”

She hits my arm. “Someday you’ll need those things and you’ll be sorry you don’t have them.”

“Yeah, I’ll be sorry I don’t have a pink headband and cherry lip balm.”

“Maybe not those things but the other ones. Hey, I met this girl at the coffee shop. We talked a little and she seemed really nice. I think we might become friends.”

“You guys should go do something. Maybe you could have lunch with her this week.”

“She works during lunch. And she can’t do anything after work because she has a baby. The dad took off and she doesn’t have any family around.”

“That sucks. So the dad doesn’t see the kid?”

“He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want anything to do with Sara or the baby. He went to Camsburg and graduated last May and now he works in San Francisco. He’s rich. Well, his parents are rich. But he won’t help her with money. He won’t even pay child support.”

“What an ass. Who leaves their kid like that?”

“A lot of people do. My dad left me. Her kid is basically me. He has a rich dad who wants nothing to do with him. Anyway, I told her I’d babysit if she needed me to.”

“Babysit? How old is this kid?”

“Six months.”

Somehow I can’t see Jade watching a baby. Jade doesn’t like loud noises and babies are very loud. And I can’t imagine her changing a diaper. “Have you ever taken care of a baby?”

“No, but I’ll have you there to help me out.” She gives me the smile she uses when she wants me to go along with something. “You took care of Lilly when she was a baby.”

“That doesn’t mean I should be babysitting someone else’s kid.”

“Then I’ll just do it. I already told her I would. And she may not even need me to.”

“Hey, before I forget, Dr. Cunningham won’t be here until tomorrow afternoon so my appointment is at 4. We can go right after class. Your calculus class ends at 3:30, right?”

“Yes. Ugh, another semester of calculus. I am not looking forward to that.”

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