Page 89 of Summer Breakdown
“Okay,” Jasmine replies. She notes down to dig out a receipt. “If it was last year I can claim for it.”
“No,” he says. She looks up. He sounds frustrated, but he’s just getting into the splits. She takes a photo for Cam, and a note to figure out if Frankie can do it too. They’re still kissing only. Jasmine won’t rush her; she loves kissing her. She likes it when Frankie grinds against her thigh. She likes the way Frankie pulls her hair into a slack ponytail as she tries not to cum too loudly. She likes the way it doesn’t count if underwear is on.
“I mean I’m perfectly safe with kids.”
Jasmine frowns. “Yeah, I know.”
He frowns back. “Man, why aren’t you asking me tobabysit?”
“What?”
Ezra huffs, spinning into a different split. Another photo for Cam. Ezra flips her off. “I can look after them at yours, or mine.”
“You want to?”
“Yes,” he replies. “And Frank wants to take you on a date.”
Jasmine smiles. “Oh.”
“But wanting to look after them is higher on my priority list.”
Jasmine taps her notebook with her pen. She wonders if Frankie wants to take her on a date because a date is nice, or if she wants to have dinner specifically without Marcel and Lani. Jasmine never thought of asking Ezra to look after them. There’s no one in the group she wouldn’t trust with them. They wouldn’t make her feel like it’s a burden; she’s just not used to having people to ask.
“Frank has a spreadsheet of places to take you,” he says, and Jasmine smiles. “They all have an accessibility column. Not taking the kids isn’t on her radar, but, if you want to go alone, I have a DBS, Lani thinks I’m cool as fuck, and Marcel likes me more than you.”
Jasmine rolls her eyes. “How do I know you won’t steal them and run off to your farmhouse?”
He shrugs. “You don’t.” Ezra leans his head on his shin. He’s stupidly flexible. Jasmine knows Cam is a freak in the sheets. Maybe Ezra is preparing himself.
“I want to adopt,” Ezra says casually. “That’s what the recommendation letter is for.”
Jasmine’s eyebrows rise. “Kids?” She’d write it even if it was for a field load of goats, but kids makes sense.
“Yeah,” he replies. This is the most unsure she’s ever seen him. It doesn’t suit his face. “Is that stupid?”
“Why would it be?” Ezra would be an unreasonably good father. She can see him with farmyard animals, kids strapped to him, and holding Cam’s hand. She can see it so clearly it’s like it’s alreadyhappened.
He sighs. “My folks say it’s stupid.”
“What does Cam say?” she asks.
He smiles, tucking it somewhere near his shin. “She thinks it’s dope.” Jasmine wonders if he’s always wanted to adopt, or if he only ever wanted kids with Cam. It’s possible both things happened at the same time.
“Mm-hmm,” Jasmine replies. Frankie comes out of the office a moment later with something in her hand, and she runs over.
“Is it cover day?” Jasmine asks, her eyebrows high as Frankie gets closer. Ezra gets off the ground so fast she has to push him out of the way to see Frankie again. Mali screams, and Zach runs over. God, Jasmine has been so excited. Frankie and Zach went for interviews with Gayle weeks ago, and the cover drops in the next few days. This is the first time they’ve seen it.
Jasmine only wants Frankie to not hate how she looks. She’ll look flawless because there is no other way for her to look, but her eyes are on Frankie the entire time she pulls the magazine out from the envelope. Her hand trembles as she flips it over, but Jasmine’s gaze is right back to her face, waiting for her reaction.
Frankie’s eyes widen a little, and her lips roll.
Oh.She’s happy. Jasmine is sure she’s happy. Frankie looks up at her.
“It’s nice, right?”
Jasmine beams. “It’s beautiful.”
Frankie frowns. “You didn’t look!”
