I grabbed one of those premade salad things out of the fridge for breakfast (Hey don't judge. I can eat salad for breakfast if I want.) and barely had time to wash my dish before running out the door. (Just because I'm a bachelor doesn't mean I'm a slob.)
A few weeks in and classes are doing fairly well. Most of the kids are great. You do get those who sleep in class, but a little paint spattered on them seems to wake them up real quick.
One day after school Sophie caught up with me to discuss a problem she was having with her project. We talked shop for a while before I excused myself.
After that, I kept seeing her everywhere.
She always seemed to be around when I went out. Now, it could that Enekjear is a fairly small community. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being followed.
Marie and I became fast friends.
We would often talked about her little girl, Janie, or Mark, her boyfriend. She really hoped that he'll propose and give Janie a real dad, but I was a little more skeptical. I'd heard the rumors of Mark's womanizing tendencies. It wasn't my place to judge though, and who was I to ruin Marie's happiness?
Some Nights we'd get together and talk about work. It was just a causal relationship, nothing more. I was in no way going to open up that can of worms.
The summer festival opened up and, of course, I had to go. It was a big event and even early in the season it was fairly busy. I introduced myself to the townsfolk I hadn't met yet and chatted with those I had. It looked like it was going to be a good day.
Marie waved at me from the roller rink. "Come on!" She Shouted. "Skate with me." I'd never skated in my life, but no way was I going to turn her down.
After only five seconds on the rink( I kid you not.) I fell flat on my face. Marie giggled and helped me up. "Ever skate before?"
"No" I replied causally, not wanting to sound as idiotic as I felt.
She smiled and held onto my hands. "Ok, then. I'll teach you." She shot me a playful grin. I couldn't help but smile back. Her soft round face lights up when she smiles. It did, in fact, turn out to be a great day. She taught me how to skate (Sort of) and I fell down a few more times (try more like ten) before I got the basics of it.
A few days after skating lessons with Marie, I bumped into Sophie yet again. (I discovered that her family's place was literally down the street from mine.) "I need to talk to someone about this." She said, standing a little stiffly. "I thought, since we're friends, I could talk to you."
I opened my mouth to respond, but she waved me silent, a pleading look in her eyes. "Mr. Riverwalker - Jaime, please."
I nodded. "Ok. What is it, Sophie?"
"I'm..." She looked down and scuffed her shoe along the pavement before looking back up. "I'm pregnant." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down. "I don't know what to do."
It took a moment for the shock to clear. I looked her up and down and could see the signs now I knew what to look for. "Sophie." I rested my hand on the barely noticeable bump. "Have you told the father yet?"
"No - and I don't plan to. the guy's an ass." She looked down at her belly, resting a hand on it lightly. "We were over before I even knew."
Now was the time to lighten the mood.
"What's that, little one?" I asked, talking to Sophie's tummy. "I should buy your mama some dinner and let her sit down for a while? I think you're right." Sophie smiled.
We headed off to the cafe for dinner and lighter conversation. Sophie was planning to go off to university and major in art. I gave her some advice on what to add to her portfolio. Over all it was a nice evening with no drama.
I walked her home and she hugged me tightly. "Thanks, Jaime. I really needed that."
"No problem. Take care of yourself. And tell your mom I said hi."
The road before Sophie wasn't going to be an easy one. She's a strong kid though. I was sure she'd make it through alright.