A Place to Land

Karen

"But that was before I found you"

Aubree is six weeks old now. She is growing like a weed. Things between Jimi and I are perfect. We've been together for about a month. It is like we are meant to be together. We have been taking turns getting up with Aubree and he's amazing with her. This is everything I imagined being a parent would be and it's all with Jimi. Jimi isn't her dad, but he acts like he is. He does so much for her. Mark has seen Aubree one other time since she was born. He stopped by for about fifteen minutes and then left.

Jimi is slowly moving his stuff over here. His apartment is month by month, so he isn't on a lease. He just has to at least give a two weeks' notice before he moves out. He plans on being completely out of his apartment by the end of the month. It seems like we are moving really fast in our relationship, but we're not. Jimi has been here almost every day since I told him I was getting a divorce. He's stayed here multiple times and it was like we were dating before we actually made anything official. He was in the delivery room with me when I had Aubree. We were a couple before we were a couple.

It was 9:30 on a Saturday morning in late February. We had just finished breakfast and I was changing Aubree's diaper. Jimi was just finishing up in the shower. I heard a knock on the door. I finished snapping the buttons on Aubree's onesie and slid the purple leggings up. I picked her up and walked towards the door.

"I wonder who's here Aubree?" I said quietly as I approached the door. I looked in the peep hole and saw that it was Kimberly. I unlocked the door and opened it with my free hand.

"Hey guys" Kimberly said cheerfully.

"Hey Kim" I said with a smile. I was trying to hide how nervous I was. She doesn't know about Jimi and I yet. Today she is about to find out and it isn't the way that I wanted to tell her.

"You look surprisingly well rested" she said.

"Um, thanks, I think" I said with a giggle and led her to the living room.

"I haven't seen you guys in like a month. How are you doing?" she asked.

"Really good" I said with a smile.

"Hand her over" she said and I laughed. I passed Aubree to her.

"How often has Mark come by?" she asked.

"Once. For fifteen minutes before going back out on tour" I said.

"Seriously?" she asked annoyed.

"Yeah, but I'm over it. I knew he was going to do this and I'm not even mad anymore" I said.

"You and Aubree are fighters" she said and tickled Aubree's stomach.

"Babe, do you know where my red Alabama sweatshirt is?" Jimi asked as he walked down the hallway. Well, this is it. She's about to find out.

Kimberly looked at me with her eyebrows raised. "Is that Jimi?" she mouthed. I looked at her but said nothing and my eyes were wide. I didn't know what to do. Jimi made it to the end of the hall and was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and no shirt.

"Oh...Hey Kim. I didn't know you were here" Jimi said slowly. I turned around and looked at him.

"It's in the dryer. I washed it with some of Aubree's stuff" I said. Jimi went over to the dyer and found his sweatshirt and put it on and joined us in the living room. It was kind of an awkward silence.

"So, I'm just going to address the elephant in the room. When did you two get together?" Kim said and started rocking Aubree.

"About a month ago" I said and Kimberly nodded.