Not Us 3: Odette & Ford

Chapter 10

Ford's POV

Briggs and Jac let me stay in one of their guest rooms at their home for the time being, so I wasn't wasting all my money staying in a hotel. It was a huge property, and I was right next door to Odette and the kids. I was able to see them every day. So far, the last two weeks, it's been interview after interview. They just kept calling and I would go to see if I could find the right fit. Interviews for jobs, for renting an apartment, one side of a duplex, one of the houses two streets over. But nothing felt right. Either the job didn't feel like it was the right fit, or the house didn't seem like home. I don't know how to explain it, it just felt like a place I'd be staying until I could go back over to Odette's. Or it was just a job until I could find something that clicked with me. I didn't want to do the standard, 'man gets out of the military, becomes a cop' kind of thing.

There were two jobs out of the twenty I interviewed with that I liked the sound of. One was for a construction company that would be five days a week, maybe more if we were on a tight deadline or something of the sort. The other was for a maintenance man at one of the local motels. I'd rather do construction, but the maintenance man was just on an as-needed basis and could be worth looking into for extra cash. That way I could save up more money quicker either for bills or paying stuff off, or just to add to the kids' college funds or my savings.

I called both jobs and accepted them both. I knew I'd be very busy for a little bit, but I also knew this would benefit us all. Because I wasn't stopping until I had Odette back. I also purchased a larger SUV that would be able to fit all three car seats comfortably and have two people in the front seat. I wanted to make sure I could also fit all the shit I needed for three kids. I made sure I could fit a double stroller, a wagon, luggage, and some sports shit back there. I made sure that it was big enough for all of us. The meeting I had with the financial advisor went great. I set up two IRAs and a CD for myself, I made sure I had an automatic monthly payment of a hundred dollars each going into the kids' education funds. I also gave the guy ten grand to do something with. I wanted him to be able to invest that ten grand and be able to have all of that money I made going back into the investments until I hit another ten grand. After that, I wanted the money I made from the investments to go into the second IRA I had set up for myself. It would be a safe place to keep the money while it grew.

I then went to a lawyer and made sure that I could get a paternity test and get added to Sutton's birth certificate. I wanted to talk to Odette before I paid a year's worth of support to her for Sutton. I also wanted to talk to her about the rest of the will, mainly the part where it says we raise and assume custody of them, together. I don't want to make any moves without talking to her about it first. I want her to know everything I do before I do it.

I'd learned from that mistake.

I was on my way to one more house to check out this morning. It was only ten, and I still had a full day ahead of me. It was a small, two-story, across the street from Jac and Odette that just came up. It would be something I'd have to buy though. And, if we're raising these kids like ours, they will need something more stable from me than a rental. But I'm hoping to win her back before buying.

Maybe I just say it's an investment if things work out with us? We can keep it as a rental or sell it. Or move in. I don't care. Just as long as we're a family. It's what I pictured in my future with her before I had to go and do that fucking mission.

No.

Good thoughts. Good thoughts. I get the chance to have that again. I have to keep working toward that goal. I needed to see my therapist too. I needed to move past some of these feelings and put them firmly behind me so I could have a brighter future. I called and spoke to the foreman of the construction company, saying I'd like to accept the job, and then I called the motel to accept after making sure it was just as needed and letting them know, I'd accepted a full-time construction job. I had to go in the next day to fill out the paperwork for both jobs.