The Resident

Chapter 13

IAN'S POV:

The next few months were wonderful. I kept things going very, very s l o w with Janel. I still swore by my theory of giving her a chance to have a real friend. A real boyfriend. (Yes, I had finally asked her to be my girlfriend just a few short weeks ago, and she said that's what she's been waiting for since we met. It was over a dinner one night, in a fancier place than our favorite burger/fries joint. She was all smiles because she said the whole night was just like on movies she's seen. Except instead of asking her to marry me, I asked her to be my girlfriend. When she's all smiles, I can't help but be all smiles.)
So I'm giving her the chance to "date" me and see what that's like, without complications of sex.
It's still really tough, though. For me, that is. I don't know what it's like for her...I haven't really talked about sex with her yet. I don't know how much she knows, or what she knows about. Hell, I don't even know if she knows where babies come from. Did anyone ever tell her this stuff? Did she have sex ed in school? Health class? Hopefully.
Anyway, I'm giving her the chance to mature and catch up to all she's missed being in that government run group home.
Speaking of that group home, Janel no longer lives there!! She FINALLY got let out! They found her a small apartment of her own and the government pays for it for now, until she's certified that she can basically take care of herself, and she has a job and can pay everything herself. And I wasn't involved in her leaving at all. (except for the bugging the important people to hurry her case up!)
She'll get to the job thing later. Even though she wants it NOW. She'd like to work in a bakery or restaurant of some sort, she said. Back in the home, when she started coming out of her shell more and more the past few months, she ended up spending lots of time in the group home cafeteria. Martin the cook sort of took her under his wing and taught her lots about cooking as he'd make the home's meals. She usually did that to make the time pass when I was away for work stuff. Which was getting to be more and more, since I had a nice break, and now I'll be working on my third album soon, so things are being arranged, and people being called, etc....and I still gotta keep myself in the public eye every once in a while, so I'm not forgotten by the time my new album's ready, so I do still have little mini tours that pop up in different countries.
Janel's given me LOTS to write songs about, though, so writing another album won't be a problem for me. I have probably 3 whole albums worth of material already. It'll be tough to sort it out and pick which song ideas to use. That's a good thing.
Anyway, Janel ended up being a really fast learner in the kitchen, and she particularly loves baking, so she spent lots of time with Martin and can probably cook and bake better than anyone I know, now.
That's always a nice thing to have in a girlfriend, I have to say!
When I was away for days, here and there the past few months, Janel kept busy by listening to my music, now that she knows it's me in her ears, and she still goes to see Martin and helps him out in the group home kitchen. Luckily her apartment is just a few blocks away. It's perfect. She enjoys it, Martin's a hilarious teacher, and it makes her happy, doing something constructive.

Oh, and Janel turned 23 just recently. She didn't want a huge deal made about it. She just wanted to be with me that day and night. So I spent the entire time with her. I took her shopping, sat next to her and got my hair cut with her, even got a pedicure alongside of her. That tickled our feet. But I got used to it. She took a longer time to stop giggling from it. It was hilarious.
Then we went for dinner at a semi-nice place. I HAD to do something fun, so I told the waitress it was her birthday and they came out singing with a slice of cake for her and a lit candle. She was pissed at me, but I could tell she liked it. She was all smiles through her pissed-off-ness. Heh. When we went back to her place, I wanted her birthday to continue till midnight, and there wasn't much time left, so I decided to slowdance with her. I made a playlist on her phone, with all the slow, romantic songs she had, and played them, and taught her to slow dance. She'd never done that before, so she was excited to learn. I taught her the formal way, and the "school dance" way, and then we did it our own way. Which was close, barely moving, and basically like a long, tight hug, while swaying a little bit to an entire song. With lots of loving glances, and smiles during it. She told me it was the best birthday she'd ever had. Which was nice. But then while talking about past birthdays, I found out it was the ONLY birthday she'd ever had. I almost shed a tear...but I kept it in. I controlled myself. I just wanted her day to be only about her. I'd cry later, if I thought about it. How terrible for her. I thought they'd do SOMETHING at the home for people's birthdays. I mean, they did, but basically they always have a cake around, because so many birthdays come up all the time, so they give you a slice, and have whatever employees they can scrape up at lunch, come and sing to you, with a single candle on the slice of cake.
Janel said Bonnie usually got her something small. So I guess that's something. As long as she's in my life in any way, shape or form, I will always celebrate her being born with her. No matter what. She deserves it.