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The awkward silence stretched thin between us as we rode down to the lobby.
“Does the bell go the same time every day?” she asked.
I nodded. “Even Fridays…the younger ones leave sooner than the older kids, so they keep it simple.”
“What does he usually do when he gets home?”
She asked me about Ben’s usual routine, which were good questions. It set me at ease a little, especially considering that when I’d met her yesterday for the first time, she’d looked like she had no idea what was going on.
We went to the school in her car so that Ben would know what car to look out for in the future. While she drove, we talked about what Ben needed.
I explained to her what his schedule usually looked like, from homework to screen time, snacks, and extracurricular activities. She listened intently, taking notes.
We stopped in front of the school just as kids streamed through the doors.
“There he is,” I said, pointing out to the dark-haired boy who kept to himself.
I got out of the car and waved at him. He looked unsure when he saw me, glancing at the car I came in first. When Jade stepped out, his face lit up, and he ran to us.
“You came!” he cried out. “Hey, Dad.” He offered me a side hug on my leg before running to Jade. “Are you going to pick me up every day?”
She nodded and smiled. “I’m going to be here for you every day, kiddo. You and me, we’re going to kick it.”
“Kick what?” Ben asked.
“Being cool, of course!” Jade said. “Come on, hop in.” She opened the back door for him, and Ben climbed in. His reaction to her was unexpected every time. It made me comfortable leaving Ben with Jade every afternoon. Clearly, he was happy about the arrangement, and she looked like she was committed to it, too. I just had to be sure I was as committed to the whole thing as they were.
I’d wanted someone more put-together…someone who knew what she was doing and looked like she knew her business. I compared her to the girls in the office, who had all their ducks in a row––neat, efficient, eloquent. Not that Jade came across badly. Just…different.
We climbed back into the car, and while we drove home, I listened to Ben chatter away. He told Jade everything about his teachers, the kids in his class, and what they did during gym.
“I wasn’t any good in gym class,” Jade confessed. “I was also too shy and didn’t like sports much.”
“Do you like sports now?” Ben asked.
“Of course! You can’t tell any of my friends, but I love playing basketball with my cousins at family reunions. Sometimes, I wish I had a brother.”
“I don’t have brothers or sisters either,” Ben said solemnly. “Dad is really busy.”
“Parents are always really busy,” Jade said. “That’s how they make sure their children have all the good stuff and go to the good schools, you know? Your dad is taking such good care of you.”
Ben nodded. “He has a really cool job, too. People let him spend their money.”
I laughed. “That’s not exactly how it works, buddy.” He wasn’t completely wrong, though.
“That sounds like the best job ever,” Jade said. “I love spending money.”
“You’re a girl,” Ben said. “You’ll probably go shopping.” He rolled his eyes dramatically.
Jade laughed before she said, “Boys can like shopping too, you know. Maybe just not for the same stuff. You like buying toys, right?”
“And cool shoes,” Ben said.
“Right, that’s shopping, too.”
“I guess so,” Ben said, and looked out the window. “Do you like dinosaurs?”
Jade took the change of topic in stride, and I listened to their conversation. The more they talked, the more I decided that this looked like it would work after all. Ben needed someone to give him every minute of every day they were together. Jade seemed invested in all their conversations, talking to him on his level, and she didn’t seem to care that he asked her the same things twice. She was patient and positive, and I could work with that.
