AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Derek’s eyes darkened. “No, I couldn’t. She was family.”
“But you were still a teenager.”
“I was old enough to die for my country, so technically I was an adult,” Derek said.
Chance marveled at the other guy’s kind heart. “What kept you going?”
“It wasn’t all bad. We had a roof over our heads and we had each other.” He chuckled weakly. “I learned more about teenaged girls than I ever wanted to know. She and her friends drove me crazy with their boy talk and choice of music. The years went by fast and the next thing I knew she’d turned eighteen and fallen in love with Neil Carson. They met in their senior year in high school. She told me she was pregnant and they wanted to get married. They were so happy.” His voice broke. “Excuse me.”
Chance let him recover. “Jaden is a very adorable child. Just from the little time I’ve known him I can tell that he’s well-taken care of and happy. Was it easy at first to take care of him?”
“No,” Derek replied with a smile. “I had to learn everything from changing diapers to preparing bottles. I can’t tell you how much sleep I lost. Newborn babies want to sleep all day and get very amusing in the wee hours of the morning.”
Chance chuckled at Derek’s joke. “How is he sleeping now?”
“Like an angel and thankfully through the night. He’s usually up around five, entertaining me while I get ready for work.”
“Jaden now has a nanny. How did you find her?”
“That’s an easy one,” Derek said. “My attorney helped me by advertising for a permanent babysitter. After going through hundreds of resumes, he found Harriet for us. She and I hit it off instantly from day one and Jaden just loves her. She’s originally from London, England and came with amazing credentials for someone so young.”
“And she’s pretty, too,” Chance said.
Derek playfully rolled his eyes at him. “Yes, she is. She reminds me of my sister Ashlynn. Harriet has a vibrant personality and she’s very good with kids.”
“You’re just twenty-five years old. What is your life like? Do you get to do the same things other guys your age does?”
“I supposed I do. I go to work and then I come home to this wonderful child who’s always glad to see me. I try to spend as much time with Jaden that I can. We usually eat dinner together and I play with him and read stories to him at bedtime,” Derek said.
“What about a personal life?” Chance asked. “Do you have time to hang out with your friends and go clubbing?”
Derek shook his head. “No, not really. I only have one or two very close friends and they already know about Jaden. I don’t hang out in clubs because I come straight home to relieve Harriet.”
“Why? Isn’t she a live-in nanny?”
“I would love to have her around twenty-four-seven because she’s such a nice person. But Harriet deserves a life and she helps take care of her mother.”
“What about Jaden’s father, Neil’s family? Do they help out?”
“Neil had no family. He was raised in foster care. So, it’s just me and Jaden now.”
“I know what most of the readers are thinking, so I’m going to ask you the next questions. Why aren’t you married? Do you dream about meeting someone to help raise Jaden?”
“That would be nice,” Derek answered. “I’m currently single and have a lot of responsibility at work as well as here at home. So, to answer your question, there’s very little time for dating. If any such person exists out there for me, they would have to be willing to give up some time to be with Jaden, too.”
“What are your dreams for the future, Derek?”
“My only dream is to see Jaden graduate from college. Until then, I plan to give him as close to a normal life as possible.”
“Jaden’s a very lucky little boy.” Chance turned off the app then got down on his knees and started putting his equipment back into the camera case.
“Is the interview over?” Derek asked.
Chance nodded. “Yes. You were great. Thanks for sharing your story with us. I’m sure our readers will love it.”
“I just hope it will help anyone facing a similar situation,” Derek said.
Chance found Derek standing right behind him when he stood up. He hadn’t heard him stand up or move from the chair.
