AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s already started,” I said with a laugh. “Mom was talking about grandchildren before the first date. But… that’s not all. The situation gets weirder.”
“Weirder than taking care of an off-the-books child for a bunch of firemen?”
There was no easy way to segue into it, so I just blurted it out. “They want to share me. The three of them.”
I expected Jason to laugh in my face, or accuse me of making it all up. But the reaction I did get was much weirder.
“No kidding?”he said. “Small world.”
“Small world? What do you mean by that?”
“Well… You know my old Navy buddies? The ones down in Los Angeles?”
“Yeah, I met them at your wedding.”
“Did you see who they brought to the wedding? They brought the same date. A woman that they were sharing, too. She started out as their nanny, then started dating them… Now they’re serious. Like, really serious. It’s been going on for a few years now, and they’re happier than ever.”
“Wait,” I said. “Is that the same woman Maurice gave a toast to at the rehearsal dinner? The one who is responsible for you two meeting in the first place?”
“Yep. She was pregnant with their child at the wedding. Her water actually broke in the bathroom, before Maurice tossed the bouquet. Anyway, yeah. She has that situation going on with her three men.”
My mind raced. “So this is something people actually do? It’s not crazy?”
“Maybe it’s a little crazy,” he replied. “But some of the best things in life are crazy. It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. I would never want to share Maurice with anyone. We’re monogamous to our core. But other people… Who am I to judge? Love is rare in this world, Clara. No matter how you find it, it’s precious.”
“I’m not sure we’re talking about love, here,” I said with a chuckle. “I got the impression they were talking about a physical relationship. Plus, I’ve gone on one date with Jordan. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Even if it’s just physical, that’s great too,” he insisted. “You could use the attention, especially after the dry spell you’ve had.”
“Jason!” I hissed.
“Tell me I’m wrong. How many dates have you been on since moving back to Riverville?”
“It’s a small town,” I said defensively.
“Next to Fresno, a bigger town. There’s no reason a smart, attractive woman like you shouldn’t have a date every weekend.”
“I work weekends at the restaurant. At least, I did before this new thing came up.”
“Weekends, weekdays. It doesn’t matter. My point stands. Maybe you should enjoy this opportunity.”
“Maybe.” Baby Anthony was squirming in his basket, so I said, “Back to the reason I called. I have an infant here, and I need some pointers. Can you help me out?”
“You’re in luck. I made a spreadsheet of all the things we learned taking care of LeBron, so we would remember when we eventually adopt a second child. I’ll send it to you.”
I snorted. “A spreadsheet? You’re such a nerd. I can’t believe they let you into the Navy.”
“Love you too, little sis. And try to have fun in the situation, all right?”
“We’ll see,” I said, still unsure about what was going to happen next.
13
Clara
Jason’s spreadsheet was a lifesaver.
It wasn’t just a jotted-down list of things they learned. It was practically an encyclopedia of baby knowledge. There were five tabs, each one with its own heading and subject. Feeding, sleeping, changing, play time, miscellaneous. There were also sources cited and links to YouTube videos and baby books.
