Chapter 8

Trish and I had discussed how to let the school know of the temporary arrangements. Finally we decided the best way was for me to take Jordan to school together with a letter from Trish and her 'in loco-parentis' document. After breakfast Monday morning, Jordan got her school stuff together and off we went. While I was generally familiar with the location of the school, I had to have Jordan give me some directions. When we got to the school, Jordan and I went to the office and asked to speak to the principal. When she came out, I gave her Trish's letter and the 'in loco-parentis' document. She took a moment to read both the letter and the document then looked at Jordan and me. Jordan was smiling and holding my arm as if to say 'he's mine'.

"Well, I'm glad you're being looked after," the principal said. "This is a bit out of the ordinary, but everything seems to be on the up-and-up. I need to make copies of these for our records." She called her assistant and told her what needed to be done. I'd prepared a short list of personal references and after the assistant had left I gave the list to her and suggested that she might want to call some of the individuals on the list and check up on me. I saw her eyebrows raise as she read the list since a couple of the names on it were those of very prominent individuals in our community. She promised to do so and we shook hands and Jordan and I left her office.

"You're okay getting home?" I asked once we were out in the hall.

"Sure, other than an extra couple of hundred feet or so to walk, it's no different than going to my house. I smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Have a good day and I'll see you when you get home.

When I walked into the house I was struck by two things - one was how quiet the house was and two, Maxie was looking for Jordan. 'Oh what an impact, Jordan has made, ' I thought. I fell back into my normal routine and by the end of the morning I had the first draft of the revisions ready to back to the customer. 'Got to get back into the routine, ' I told myself and after a light lunch did my usual run. As I was making my way around the loop I was reminded of yesterday – 'here's where I showed Jordan the robin ... we looked at the lady slipper flower there ... that's the bench we rested on'. Had Jordan made that much of an impression on me? Yep, she sure had. Back home I cleaned up after my run, did some more editing and started getting supper ready.

"Hi Brian!" came a yell as a bundle of energy burst through the door. "My friends Rita and Sally saw me with you this morning and wanted to know who you were. I told them I was staying with you and I think they're kinda jealous 'cause they told me they think you're hot!" She smiled as she said that. "'Course I know you're hot!" She started to laugh and after dropping her books etc., ran and hugged me around the waist. "What's for supper? I'm starved!"

I had to laugh. "Jordan, when aren't you hungry? I might have to take out a mortgage on this house just to feed you." I told her, eliciting a giggle from her. "Do you have any homework?" I asked. A nod. "Can you do it here in the kitchen while I finish making supper?" Jordan ran and got her book bag. 'Goodness, doesn't she move at any speed but full throttle?' I asked myself.

Jordan and Maxie had become close friends during her time visiting with me and Maxie would often go and sit at the front door just before Jordan arrived. A thought came to me as Jordan was doing her homework. "Jordan, would you like to take on the task of feeding Maxie each night?" I asked and her grin said it all.

Over the next four days, the routine remained much the same: Jordan off to school in the morning and me to my work until early afternoon. An exercise run followed by more editing. Supper preparations interrupted by a teenage tornado. Homework, Maxie looked after, supper and cleanup. The one area where things were not always the same was after supper. Sometimes Jordan and I played games – card games, board games, you name it. Other times we watched TV (with Maxie curled up beside Jordan, of course) and one evening, we took turns reading chapters out of a book that Jordan had been given. Following our evening activities, bed and always a goodnight kiss for Jordan.

Saturday rolled around and I had promised – no, make that 'I had been brow beaten' – that we'd go to let her do some shopping.

"Brian I need some... <blush> some ... lady type stuff" she told me.

"You're not a lady are you? I thought you were a tomboy." Whack!! (My arm still aches just thinking of the pounding it got.) "Okay, okay, I give. Shopping it is. Where do you want to go?"

Jordan told me and that's where we headed. I waited outside the store while Jordan shopped and very diplomatically didn't ask what she'd bought. I'd never been in that mall before but I discovered the mall had a skating rink and while Jordan had never been on skates before, I managed to get her up on skates and she sort of managed to skate. In spite of falling down several times, she enjoyed it anyway.

Sunday was to be a special day for me and at first I was hesitant about what I should do with Jordan. Both my parents are dead and on the Sunday closest to the date of their death I try to go and pay my respects at their grave. This involved a trip of about 2 hours each way. Earlier in the week I'd told Jordan what I usually did and indicated that if she wasn't comfortable with going with me, I'd postpone the trip until after her mom got back. Jordan told me that I should go ahead and do what I'd always done and that she'd gladly accompany me.