Rock Bottom:Breaking Ground

Whole New World

I don't know why I said that after a kiss. He has started coming over on days we aren't training to hang out with the kids. Jaime is a little mother with her brothers. Dylan has taken up baseball, Jo likes pitching the ball with him. Carter likes playing with his brother so Jo joins in. Carter idolizes Dylan. When Carter isn't playing he's drawing. A little hint he picked up from Jaime. I think he wanted to draw like she is. She's pretty good. He gets disgruntled when it doesn't turn out like hers. Trying to explain to him she's older doesn't work. Telling him his work is good for him barely gets by. Jo likes looking over his stuff. The classes over the summer help. I know he's eager to join Jaime's what he calls the adult class.

The training sessions have changed much. Picking up after the diner parking lot. "Still think I'm trying to kill you?" I remember when I said it, I'm nodding. I'm just waiting for the signal now. He lives in an apartment twenty minutes away. Work is thirty minutes from there. "I won't ask you to talk about Jess." We haven't since the police station p, it's a really sore subject for him. "I'll answer questions if you have them." I can live with that. "What's was it like with Jordan?" The question has me stalling. He means in general. "I needed built back up after Simon. After a while he was trying too hard with compliments or words of encouragement. I didn't feel equal with him. If you can believe that started after the school bombing."

He is frowning only slight before it's dissolving. "I don't know if it was because of the fight with archery before it, while I was in the building I felt this edge. He didn't believe I would make it. I realized it didn't start then, it was farther back. I've always been guarded with him." Never felt I could fully let him in. "Ryan?" He's asking if it was the same there too. "I always told him too much." He's nodding. "Me?" Does he have a checklist he's going by? I can't help but smile. "Somewhere in the middle." I can open up to him in a way I couldn't with Jordan. I've spilled my guts a couple of time but haven't had the feeling of regret after.

"Sex?" The question has me almost choking on water. "What, it's an option?" He was almost laughing at my reaction, now he's laughing completely. "Don't tell me I have to have the birds and the talk with you? Please say Lee or his father told you something? Did you and Jess?" And we just made the promise we wouldn't talk about it. "Lee and Horis mentioned it very little." The fathers name, it's very old. Not getting into that right now. They were both too occupied by their own scheming. "I figured things out." He sounds confident about that. "Me and Jess didn't." I know my jaw is on the ground. He hasn't said anything about anyone before her.

"Why is that such a surprise?" He's laughing at the comedy in my reaction. It's starting to slip away with his own shock as he puts it together. "Jordan? And Ryan?" I'm nodding, now he's sees why. "Was Tyler?" Now I'm glaring. "I never asked, never cared." We didn't end up sleeping together anyway. There is one of his questions I haven't answered. "Before I found out I was pregnant with Carter." He asked and it a vulnerable state for me. He is asking my history. "Jordan believes it's for procreation." It's the only time. "Then Archer was one really good teacher." He's mocking and I can't help laughing. He is trying to hold in a laugh saying it and failing.

"Come to dinner." I don't know why the words are coming out of my mouth. I want him to know the kids in a different setting. He's as surprised as I am. "What am I bringing?" Is he up for it? Usually when a guest asks this the usual answer is wine or beer. "How do you feel about Mexican?" Showing up the next night with green peppers. The last time he was here was months ago. I've got tomato, onion, chili's, the meat is cooking. Now for the peppers. "Would you stir the pan?" He's already helping with some of the cutting. I don't want the meat over cooked. There's more than two pounds in there.

"Mom, do you have the stuff ready?" Carter asks coming up to the pan. "It's close. Why don't you put your bowl on the table." He doesn't have any homework tonight. "He calls taco night, stuff night. He couldn't say taco yet so he said the other word stuck." Jo is smiling. "I thought the two bowls were for back up in case you ran out." It's a good theory he has. Getting another one down for the meat. "No, the boys are picky eaters. They will eat taco's only they are raw. They don't like the taste of the cooked stuff." Rinsing the meat. Hot water and oil down the drain.