In Omnia Paratus Book 3

A Lot is Going On

I usually drove to modeling but recently Richard had dropped me off and so I found myself walking this road a lot. It was surrounded by trees and a few houses here and there. Then at the end of the road was the building where we did most shoots and office work.

But today was so different. I was walking to work at 3 pm down this same road and I watched this father and daughter walk in front of me. They were very far ahead actually.

The father had clearly picked this girl up from school and she was in her uniform and they were both wearing huge coats in what still felt like summer. I mean it was late September.

I kept walking and then suddenly these people disappeared down an alley I had never seen and I never took any notice of them.

The next day they did the same and I had time to spare before work so I followed them in the least creepy way possible.

And I thought it was odd because they wore the same clothes and the kid hadn't got new tights even after the rip that's in the back of the leg.

What I saw confused the hell out of me.

I watched this young father hold his daughter's hand as they walked into this old, empty house that they snuck in to through the window and then saw them huddle in the back alone.

That house was their shelter. They were homeless.

- - - - -

"Everything ok?" George asked me as I was shooting something that evening.

"Not really. It gets cold at night now huh?" I asked.

"Yeah colder and colder now. Why are you worried?" George said.

"I just got something on my mind." I nodded and then I finished up the shoot walked past that house and saw the little girl and her father homeless and sheltering with warmth this night in September.

I spent ages watching them the next few days so much so I actually threw up because I was getting my cold back again.

I was watching this Dad take his kid to school the day I had to go in early and I just smiled as I walked past them then I threw up in a bush out of pure horror for these guys and I had a nasty cold again.

- - - - -

"Where have you been?" Richard laughed. "Feels like I haven't seen you all week."

"Ha I just got my cold back so don't come too close." I laughed but he kissed me anyway and I kissed him back welcomingly.

"How much is rent these days for just a two bedroom apartment?" I asked mid-kiss.

"Uh, I don't know why? You want to move out?" He asked as we were now laying in my bed.

"No, I just want to know how affordable it is." I wondered.

"Not very. House pricing here is ridiculous." Richard explained and smiled up at him and kissed him again.

"Alright." I smiled again. Then we kissed some more and kissing lead to some more other stuff.

- - - - -

"You're still sick," Richard said as that night I was heaving over the toilet bowl and emptying my dinner into the toilet. He held my hair back for me as Lily stood and watched me judgementally.

I knew what she was thinking we'd both put two and two together.

"You weren't on the pill when we went on holiday, you started to take it again the day we got there and the next night you slept unprotected with Sebastian," Lily said to me as I sat alone on the edge of my bed.

"I'm pregnant aren't I?" I breathed. Richard was just downstairs getting me water so I had to hold it together.

"That's my bet." Lily nodded.

"You tell anyone and I'll kill you. Not Richard not matt. No one ok?" I snapped. "It still might not be true I gotta do another test first."

"I won't say a word." Lily smiled as Richard appeared with water and some crackers for me to eat.

- - - - -

"Hey, I haven't seen you around lately." Kyle our editor for the university paper said as I sat down with him at his desk.

"You've still been getting my stuff though right? I've just been pretty sick recently." I smiled as I crossed my legs and looked down awkwardly I hadn't taken that test yet still and it had been a week since I told Lily I would.

"Yeah we got all your stuff, Jen," Kyle said. "How do you feel about a bigger role here?"

"I'm still basically a fresher, I just started the second year... we don't get better roles here." I laughed at him.

"Yeah, we don't give any old fresher an important job. But you are in your second year now so we can and I've spoken to a few people on the board and they think we shouldn't exclude you." He said positively.

"Uh huh." I smiled. "So this would entail..."

"A new job, you'll be paid a little, and I mean a little... the university doesn't have much to offer on the money front. And then you have to do a few extra things to what you do already, write a few more articles... attend a few meetings and then just be there really when we need a good writer. You don't have a title yet but we will find you one." Kyle explained.

"Oh ok, well that's an amazing opportunity," I nodded.

"You say that though you don't sound convinced." He laughed he was just a year or two older than me but I felt like I was being grilled.

"I am, I just have a lot going on this year," I explained the best I could without telling him about the modeling and having to go see my recovering sister... then there's school and what else might be going in my life right now with the sickness.

"I'm graduating this year Jenna. We all have a lot going on. It's how you manage it that counts." He laughed at me.

"Ok, well I'll manage." I smiled. "I can do this." I said willing to prove myself to this guy.