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Jubal slid back to his feet, and waited for Chloe to scramble out of the booth before they headed to the door together.
He pulled it open for her, amazed that the good old-fashioned manners his Nana had tried to instill in him were suddenly coming out.
She’ll be the biological mother of your child, even if she won’t be parenting him, a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him. You might as well show some damned respect.
He smiled as he watched Chloe walk out into the sunshine ahead of him and back onto the beach.
Only, they weren’t on a beach anymore. Somehow, they stood on what looked like a winding country road, with cornfields and trees lining the smooth curves of pavement.
The sky was still bright blue with fluffy clouds. But now there was a breeze, crisp and cool, with a hint of something deliciously spicy, as though autumn had snuck in while they were watching the video.
How long were we in there?
Jubal knew it was just a trick of the AI. But that didn’t stop him from being just a little bit amazed.
“You’ll be getting to your first activity using the skates in the boxes,” Oberon said, causing Jubal to glance at a patch of grass by the side of the road and noticed two shoe boxes that he was pretty sure hadn’t been there just a second ago. “They should be perfectly fitted, but if you have any discomfort, please let me know right away.”
“Skating?” Chloe echoed, looking a little horrified.
Jubal smirked. He had actually loved skating around the neighborhood as a little kid.
“Remember to work together to get where you’re going,” Oberon advised them. “Just follow the road.”
Jubal looked at the road in front of them. It would be a really satisfying place to skate once Chloe got comfortable.
She was staring down at the boxes, looking despondent.
“You’ve never skated before,” he guessed.
“Oh, no, I’ve skated before,” she told him.
“It’ll come back,” he assured her. “Like riding a bicycle, but easier.”
“It’s not that,” she told him. “It’s more like every time I skate, I crash and hurt myself, or damage other people’s property. Or both.”
He laughed in delight, letting his head fall back.
“I’m glad that amuses you,” she said, shaking her head.
Her lips were pressed together like she was trying not to smile. But a pair of adorable dimples had already appeared on her cheeks, giving her away.
“Come on, let’s at least put them on,” he told her.
She sighed and sat in the grass to remove her shoes.
Her socks were pale pink with tiny red pencils. Written on the soles was a message:
* * *
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
* * *
“You’re a teacher?” he asked, horrified.
“Yes,” she said proudly, looking up at him with a sunny smile. “Kindergarten.”
“Interesting,” he said, nodding once.
