Chapter 8

Suddenly, I realized that it had been a week since Jennifer left. My life was better than last week, although I still thought about her. I worked hard at my computer making lots of progress. As I did, the phone rang. Jennifer said, "Hello, Jordan. How are things going?"

"Hi, good to hear from you. As far as I know, things are going well."

"Brianna tells me that your girl friend is living with you."

"Not really living, but she is here most of the time. The girls get along well." I didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable or defensive.

"Brianna said Rachel helped her with homework. Hell, I could never do that. How soon do you need to get rid of her?"

Before I thought, I said, "Never." Then I did think, "As long as she and Rachel get along, I have no problems. We're having a nice time."

"Here's the situation. Her school is open here, but all the teachers aren't back. It would not be as good for her as what she has now. She tells me that she likes her school."

"I listen to her talk to Cathy and Rachel and I would agree with you. She seems to be in a good place."

She cleared her throat, "Jordan, you made me happy and helped me get my life organized again. I don't know what might have been if I hadn't been with Charles when I met you." She cleared her throat again. "Charles has a requirement to go to the Middle East for his company. He wants me to go to attend the diplomatic functions."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Since I have no job and the market is awful, I agreed to go for six weeks. With your permission, I will go and leave Brianna with you."

"As I said, I have no need for her to leave, ever. Six weeks is no problem for me. I hope Rachel doesn't find a real boyfriend during that time. She helps me with Brianna more than I know."

"I am eternally grateful. You brightened my life more than I can say. I will be able to stay in touch by email, but I don't know about phones." She hesitated, "Oh, by the way, I didn't buy that house. It would have been dumb. I just hated not having my own nest."

I knew. "Charles' company can get him a hookup so that you can talk to her. She needs to know you love her."

"Strange. A man is telling me that I need to tell my daughter that I love her by telephone. Will wonders never end?"

"I wish you well, Jennifer. Call when you can. We'll email daily. It would be nice to have the insurance card from Daniel's company. She's OK, but checkups with the dentist and physicals are important."

"I'm sorry I didn't think of that. I will mail them to you. He opted for minimum 'co-pay' so you shouldn't have a problem since she has his credit card. I'll even give you his phone number. He wouldn't want his lovely daughter to go without medical attention, I'm sure."

"Jennifer, I think I love you. I know that I love Brianna. Please be comfortable while you are traveling. We can communicate. Would you like to talk to Rachel?"

The line went dead for many seconds, and then she said, "I would like that. I'm going to offer her money for the extra work she does for Brianna. I know she needs the money for school and it is only fair."

Rachel came home from class at about three. Brianna was due at 3:30. I related the conversation to Rachel, who smiled brightly. "So, I'm living with you?"

"That's what Brianna told her."

Rachel went to the fridge and brought back her IOU total. "OK, old man, here's what I want. I want to live here. I want to move all my stuff out of my crummy apartment, quit paying rent, and move in with you. I can save up enough to go to the university next year. Meantime, I want to be your woman. That girl badly needs a mother and I can be that as long as she is here."

I was literally breathless. The implications ran through my head.

She said uncertainly, "I want you to know that the try-out period with me is over. I have done well with her. I know how to be what you need, when you don't even know. You don't even know! That's what women do."

I'd been in negotiations long enough that I knew she had just made her best and final offer. I might have quibbled for a minute, but something saved me from making that dumb mistake.

"Rachel, nothing would make me happier than to have you live with me. I hope that when you look back on this in the future, you won't regret your decision."

"I will. Oh, I will! However, right now, I'm so emotionally tied up in you and that girl that I can't do anything else. You'll help me move?"