by Lexi Wilson
As I got into my car I wondered why it felt so normal to do that with her. Then I realized how unusual it actually was. Why was I kissing her goodbye when I left? Why did we touch every now and again? Why did I hold her against me as we fell asleep each night? We weren’t a couple, so this behavior shouldn’t feel so normal. I couldn’t make sense of it, and I couldn’t quite get a handle on my emotions. Was I falling for her? I had no idea. I was so busy trying to protect her that I was too afraid to really analyze my feelings. One day I would have to sit her down and really have a real conversation with her, but not just yet.
Church was great, although my mind kept wandering to Kaylee. I couldn’t help but wish she was there with me. I was sure that Allie would enjoy it too. After the service my mother came up to me.
“No Kaylee again?”
I sighed. “No. I asked her to join me again, but she wasn’t interested. I’m not going to ask her again.”
“Good idea. This is not something you can force on someone. So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?”
“No plans. How about you?”
“Mindy and I were thinking of having a picnic at the creek. We’ve had it on our minds ever since you mentioned it last week. Do you want to join us?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll check with Kaylee when I get home, but it sounds like a plan.”
“Great. We’re thinking of going around lunchtime. Should we meet you there?”
“Perfect. What should I bring?” I asked.
“Leave it up to Mindy and me. We’ll sort it out.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” she said. She looked around the church and grinned. “Okay, the coast is clear. I’m going to make a run for it.”
I was worried that Kaylee was going to be in another introspective mood like she’d been the last time I’d invited her to church, but thankfully, she seemed okay. She was reading outside when I got home, and when I mentioned the creek idea she smiled.
“Yeah, I really enjoyed it there,” she said. “Allie, do you want to go to the creek?” she asked.
“Yes! Can Toby come?” she asked.
I laughed. “Of course Toby can come.”
We all headed out to the creek and found my mother and Mindy already there. They had set out a big picnic spot and had more food than was probably necessary. My mother had also brought her guitar with her, which I thought I was nice, and I spent a bit of time teaching Allie how to play. She wasn’t even 4 years old yet, but I could tell she had a talent that went beyond her years. Her little hands could only do so much, but I had a feeling that she would be a wonderful musician if she kept it up. My mother took the guitar and played an old Beatles song and Allie gasped.
“Mommy sings this song!” she said. “Sing it, Mommy!”
Kaylee blushed and shook her head. “No, no. I’m not going to sing.”
“I didn’t know you sang,” Mindy said to her. “It’s the one talent I unfortunately don’t have. I can play every instrument you give me, but I ruin it the moment I open my mouth to sing.”
“Oh, I love singing, but I’m not very good at it,” Kaylee said.
“Sing, Mommy!” Allie said.
My mother chuckled. “Come on, we can sing together.”
I sat back and watched as my mother and Kaylee sang the song together. Allie was delighted, and I was absolutely shocked to hear just how good Kaylee was. Her voice was soft yet strong, and so beautiful. I stared at her, amazed that she had so much talent that I hadn’t known about. The song was sad, and we all sat in silence as we listened to them sing. Even Allie didn’t say a word. After, we all burst into applause. My mother stood up to bow and we all giggled.
“Wow, you’re a wonderful singer,” my mother said to her.
“You are,” I agreed.
“Such a strong voice for such a tiny girl,” Mindy said.
“Oh, thank you,” Kaylee said shyly. “I love singing. I haven’t sang in a long time.”
“You should consider giving singing lessons, too. Hey, that’s something we can add to the school curriculum,” I said. “Would you be interested?”
She grinned. “I would, actually. I’m not quite sure how to teach singing, but I had no idea how to teach piano, and I’m loving it.”
“That’s a great idea,” my mother said. “You see, things happen for a reason. I’m glad you found us, Kaylee.”
“Trust me,” she said. “I’m glad I found you too.”
“Now, I have an idea,” Mindy said. “Allie, do you want to look for rocks in the water? Then later we can paint on them. We can make rock animals.”
I sat with Kaylee while my mother, Mindy, and Allie went to look for rocks in the water. Allie was having such a good time and had taken such a shine to my mother. I wasn’t surprised, though. My mother was very easy to get along with, and she’d always been good with kids. While watching her I couldn’t help but feel bad that I was never going to give her grandchildren. At least, not ones that came from me. Although finding a woman that was okay to adopt wasn’t going to be easy either. My mother had been incredibly supportive throughout the whole thing, but I was sure that she felt sad about it. I hated that I couldn’t give this to her. Before I found out that I couldn’t have kids, we had spoken about it so much and she’d been so excited to become a grandmother. After, she’d never mentioned it again. It was one of those topics that both of us just felt like we should stay clear of. It probably made both of us too sad.
“Your mom is great,” Kaylee said.
I smiled. “Yeah, she is. She’s like a child sometimes. She loves playing.”
“Allie loves her too,” she said. “And so do I. She’s been great to me. I thought she’d be upset when she found out that I was living with you.”
“Are you kidding? She was glad when I told her. My mother is very good with figuring people out, and she knows you’re one of the good ones.”
Kaylee chuckled. “Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. Hey, so, what’s the deal with her and Mindy?”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I looked out and watched my mother and Mindy digging in the water. They already had a pile of stones retrieved. I had no idea how much they were planning on painting, but it looked like a lot.
“I just… well, oh, never mind,” Kaylee said.
I looked at her and frowned. “Never mind? What do you mean? You can tell me.”
“Well,” she blushed. “I just thought that maybe they were a couple.”
I chuckled. “My mother and Mindy?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t know why. I know I haven’t seen them together like that or anything, but there’s just something between them. I saw it straight away when I saw the two of them together. They seem to have a connection. Anyway, I just thought that maybe something was going on but I wasn’t sure. Sorry, I hope that doesn’t make you feel weird.”
I grinned. “Of course not. Actually, I’ve wondered the same thing myself.”
“You have?”
“Yeah. I’m not sure if there’s anything going on, but sometimes I think that there might be. You’re right. They have a connection. My father left us when I was very little, and ever since then my mother just dedicated her life to being a mother to me. She never dated; well, at least not that I could tell, and it was something that had always worried me. I used to think she was just sad about my father leaving, but when I got older I was sure that it was something else. Although it’s not always easy to meet people in this town, so I suppose she was just having a hard time meeting someone. Then she met Mindy, and all that changed.”
“In what way?”
“She just seemed happier. She was smiling all the time. Laughing. I hadn’t seen her like that in a long time. I didn’t realize how sad she was until Mindy came around and I saw another side of her. There’s a big chance that they might just be friends. I mean, friends can have that effect on your life, too. But sometimes I’m not sure.”
“Is there
a reason why she wouldn’t tell you, though?”
I shrugged. “I’ve often thought of that. Maybe she thinks I wouldn’t approve because Mindy is a woman or something. I don’t know.”
“And would you approve?”
“Of course. I just want her to be happy. Anyway, I figured that she’d tell me eventually. I didn’t want to make things weird for her. I’d rather just show her that I’m supportive.”
“You’re a great guy, Jaxon.”
I smiled. “She’s a great mother. Uh-oh, they’re coming back. Time to change the conversation.”
I was so surprised that Kaylee had mentioned the idea of my mother and Mindy being a couple. Sometimes I thought that I imagined it because I had never heard anyone say anything about it before. Kaylee seemed a lot like me sometimes, though. She liked to people-watch, and because of this she noticed the small things that other people didn’t pick up on. She noticed the things that didn’t get said rather than only the things that did. I liked that about her.
It ended up being a great day together, and much better than our last trip to the creek. We went back to the house afterwards to paint the rocks, and then ended the night watching cartoons and eating pizza. It felt almost like we were a family.
Chapter 18
Kaylee
There was great excitement in the air as we began preparing for the first concert of the year. It was just a small one, but the kids were both nervous and excited for it. We would plan for a big one later in the year, but this was just a little something to show their parents that they were working hard. We had a set schedule to work through, and our job now was to make sure that the kids could do their songs without mistakes. I was in charge of the first group, as my kids were not yet in the advanced section. The song was relatively easy, and I was impressed with how well they could do it.
“How have you guys managed to learn so much in such a short space of time?” I said to them. “You’re all incredible. I’m going to leave you for the next hour, but I want you to spend the time practicing. We’re going to run through it again when I’m back.”
I stepped out to see if I could help with the concert preparations and found Lisa running around like a crazy woman. I stopped her and asked her what I could do to help.
“I forgot about the flyers,” she said. “I was supposed to get them done days ago, but I forgot.”
“Don’t worry, I can do them if you like,” I offered. “The kids are all practicing for the next hour. Let me work on the flyers and then we can send them to the printers today. I’ll call the print shop to let them know that we need them done urgently.”
“Really? You can do that?”
“Of course. If you don’t mind me using the spare computer?”
“Oh, you’re a lifesaver. Please, go ahead. And thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
I was just grateful to have something to do to help. They had done so much for me, and I didn’t want them to think that I wasn’t interested. I hurried over to the computer and began working on the flyer. I enjoyed doing it, and when the hour was up I had put together something I was quite proud of. I printed it out and then made my way to Lisa’s room. She ushered me in even though she was in the middle of her class.
“Take a look at this,” I said. “Can you guys just proof it? I’ll carry on with my class. Just let me know when you’re all done looking at it. If there are changes, I can quickly go ahead with them. If it’s good to go, I’ll email it over to the printers.”
“This looks amazing,” she said. “Thank you for doing this.”
I went back to my classroom and took the kids through another round. They were even better than they had been that morning, so their endless practicing was coming in handy, and I was very proud of them. Suddenly Jaxon popped his head around the corner and called me over. He had a very serious look on his face, and for a moment, I worried that he was going to fire me. I had no reason to believe it, but that was just the first thought that came into my head.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
He showed me the flyer. “You made these?” he asked.
“Yes. Oh no, do you all hate it? I’m sorry. I thought…”
“No, they’re great. Very professional and creative. We all love them. But your name isn’t on them. You’ve put all our names except your own. My mom says you can just add your name and then send it off to the printers. She’s very happy with them.”
“Oh. Uh. I didn’t really want my name on there, to be honest.”
“Why not?”
I glanced back at the room and told the kids to keep practicing, then I stepped out of the classroom so they couldn’t hear me.
“Uh, I would just prefer not to have my name on it. That’s not a big deal, is it?”
“But why? You’re as much a part of this as we are.”
“I’ve only just started working here. This is your school, not mine.”
“But you put Mindy’s name on the flyer. She’s just a teacher like you are,” he pointed out.
“Sure, but she’s worked here for a long time. I haven’t been here for very long.”
“You’re as much a part of this place as we are. It doesn’t matter who owns it or how long you’ve been here. You’re a part of it now. Seriously, Kaylee, don’t put yourself down like that. Put your name on it, then send it to the printers.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
I went back to the computer and stared at the flyer. I hadn’t been completely honest with Jaxon. Me not being here long had nothing to do with me not putting my name on the flyer. I had promised myself to keep a low profile while I was here. I was already taking a risk by living with Jaxon and mingling with the people of the town. I was an idiot not to change my name, but I hadn’t known how to explain it to Allie and I didn’t think it was fair to her. I had already taken so much away from her, and taking away her name wasn’t fair. If I got too careless, then Bill might find me. After all, if I had driven here, then so could he. The world wasn’t such a big place anymore and people were easy to find. I was still worried about the guy who tried to mug me, and a part of me still believed it was someone that Bill had sent my way. I had to be careful. I knew that Jaxon wouldn’t understand, so I simply sent the flyer to the printers as they were. Once they were printed there was nothing that he could do about it. They called to say that the flyers would be ready in a few hours, and Jaxon said that we could fetch them on our way home. Just like his mother, he was also running around like a headless chicken, so there was a big chance that he wouldn’t even notice that I hadn’t added my name. Just in case, I would be sure to go into the printers myself to collect them.
After work, we made our way to the print shop, and I was annoyed when Jaxon said he wanted to come in with me. Being a small town, he knew the guy who runs the shop and wanted to say hello. I tried not to show my annoyance though, and acted as if everything was fine. The man, Thomas, chatted to Jaxon while his assistant went to fetch my order. I breathed a sigh of relief when they handed the flyers to me in an envelope. Then, just as I thought we were in the clear, Thomas ruined it all.
“Take a quick look and make sure you’re happy with it,” he said to me.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s fine,” I said dismissively. “I’m not too fussy.”
“Check just in case. I’m sure it’s fine, but I’d rather you check while you are here with me. If there any mistakes we can quickly fix them now. I would hate for there to be a problem and for you to only realize it when you get home. The machines are all still on, so we can reprint them while you are here if we need to.”
“Oh, okay, sure,” I said. I took the flyer out, did a quick scan, and then put them back in the envelope. “All perfect,” I said with a smile. When I looked up, I noticed that Jaxon was looking at me strangely. He didn’t say anything though, and I was sure he hadn’t seen anything. I was sure that he would’ve said something if he had noticed that my name wasn’t on there. He was probably just look
ing at me strangely because I was acting with haste. We chatted a bit more and then finally left the shop.
“Great service,” I said to Jaxon in the car. “Thomas seems like a nice guy.”
“Yeah, he’s great. He’s the sort of guy who will work late to make sure all his customers are happy. That’s why he wanted you to check while you were there. If there was anything wrong he would’ve fixed it right then and there. He’s excellent at his job. Although I think that some people take advantage of him sometimes. He says he doesn’t mind though, he loves working there.”
“I’ve never seen so many people who enjoy what they do like the people from this town. It’s bizarre, actually.”
“Why work if you don’t love it?” Jaxon asked. “I mean, what’s the point? You spend most of your time in life working, so it just doesn’t make sense to do something you don’t like.”
I chuckled. “You’ve clearly never been in a situation when you just need money, have you? Not everyone has that luxury.”
“Of course. Sorry, you’re right. I forget how lucky I am sometimes,” he said. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but then changed his mind.
Jaxon acted strange for the rest of the evening. He barely said anything to me, and he wasn’t his usual touchy-feely self. At one stage I asked him if everything was okay, but he simply mumbled something I couldn’t understand. It was only when Allie was sleeping that I decided to finally just come out and ask him what was going on.
“What do you mean?” he said.
“You’re acting strange. You’ve been acting strange all evening. Something is up. Why won’t you tell me?”
He looked at me and laughed. “Seriously? You’re upset with me for not telling you what’s going on. That’s a little bit rich coming from you, don’t you think?”
His comment stung even though it was the truth. I sighed. “You’re right. Sorry.”
“Kaylee, I saw the flyer,” he said. “I saw that you didn’t put your name on it.”
I frowned. “Why didn’t you say anything?”