Monday morning was Colby�s first day of school. Jenna drove him and Emma to school so that she could meet with the administrators to finalize Colby�s paperwork. Once they got inside, Colby followed Emma as she led him to their classroom. Just before he walked in the room, he turned and gave a happy wave to his mother, who stood watching him. Jenna blew him a kiss, thoroughly embarrassing the little boy. He shook his head and walked into the classroom. After he disappeared, Jenna walked to the main office to finish his registration.
After Jenna was done at the school, she headed back to her new house to finish unpacking. She had done most of it that weekend, but there were still a few boxes left. Jenna knew that she would want to do some work around the house after moving, so she took the whole week off work. She had to paint Colby�s bedroom still, along with a few other rooms, to make the house more like their own. All of the walls were currently white, and Jenna needed to add color�White was just too boring for her.
By the time Colby had gotten home from school, his room was completely transformed. It now looked like a little baseball fan lived in there, and he loved it. The walls were still white, but they had navy blue pinstripes running from the ceiling to floor, with a big New York Yankees symbol painted above his bed. Jenna worked hard to get it finished so that she could surprise him after his first day at his new school. He wandered around, looking at all of the new decorations that his mother had put up for him, smiling broadly.
�This is so cool Mom! Can I show Emma?� He asked giddily.
�Yeah, why don�t you go get her. She can come over for cookies and milk too, sound good?� Jenna offered.
�Only if they�re chocolate chip! I�ll be back.� Colby ran out of his room and slammed the back door as he left.
A few minutes later, Jenna heard the door slam again. She went to the kitchen to get out some cookies and pour the milk, waiting for the kids to come down from Colby�s room. She heard a high pitched squeal as Emma admired Colby�s new room.
The kids ran into the kitchen after a little while, looking for the after school snack that was promised to them. They sat at the breakfast bar while Jenna handed out the cookies and glasses of milk.
�Mmm�chocolate chip! My favorite!� Emma said.
�Mine too.� Colby said with a mouthful.
�So, you never told me, how was your first day?� Jenna asked her son.
�It was good.� Colby said as he concentrated on his cookies.
�Did you like your teacher?�
�Yup.�
�Did you make any friends?�
�Yup�
�Are you going to wear a skirt tomorrow?�
�Yup�
Emma started laughing, and Colby broke out of his cookie spell. �What are you laughing at?� Colby demanded.
�You just told your mom you were going to wear a skirt tomorrow silly!� Emma kept laughing.
�Nuh-uh!� Colby chimed.
�When Colby has chocolate chip cookies in front of him, he becomes lost to the rest of the world Emma. Get used to it.� Jenna teased.
�My dad gets like that a lot, but not over cookies. He�s kind of weird like that.� Emma told Jenna as she shrugged.
�Well, when he gets like that, he must be thinking about how lucky he is to have you as his daughter.� Jenna said as she pinched Emma�s cheek.
Jenna started to clean up from the snack and noticed the time. �You two better get ready for t-ball, we have to leave in half an hour. Emma, tell your babysitter that I�ll drive you over there, if she has any questions, she can call your dad at work.�
Colby and Emma both raced to get ready. After they had changed and gotten their gear together, Jenna packed them into her Isuzu Axiom and headed to the ball field. She parked and headed over to the field where the team would be practicing. Emma pointed out the coach and Jenna went over to introduce herself and Colby. The coach gave Colby a jersey and sent him out into the field to warm up with the rest of the team. Luckily, this town started their t-ball season later than their last town, and Colby had only missed one week.
After talking to the coach for a few minutes, Jenna went and sat on the bleachers and watched the kids throwing the ball around. She tucked her shoulder length brown hair behind her ears to keep it from blowing in her face from the wind, and put her hand to her forehead to shield her hazel eyes from the bright sunlight.
�You know, they have this new invention, called sunglasses�they work a lot better than a hand over the forehead.� She heard someone with a deep voice say from the side of her. Jenna looked over and saw Nicholas walk up. �Ah, and I see you even have a pair clipped to the neck of your shirt. Last I knew, you don�t have eyes on your neck or chest.� Nicholas teased.
Jenna smiled and took her sunglasses from her shirt and put them on. �You�re right, they work a lot better when you use them like this.� She joked back.
�Thanks for bringing Emma to practice today.� He told her.
�Oh, it�s no problem. Actually, I was thinking about something. Do you think there�s any way we can maybe work out a trade or something�I have to go into work early in the mornings, and I won�t have time to drive Colby to school, but I�ll get home in just enough time to pick him up from school. Do you think that when you bring Emma to school in the mornings you could bring Colby too and I�ll pick them up in the afternoons?� Jenna wondered nervously.
�That sounds like a great idea. Doesn�t seem to be a problem to me.� Nick told her.
�And if you want, I can keep Emma at my house until you get home, there�s not really any need for you to have a babysitter there for her. Her and Colby will most likely go out and play after school anyways. No need to pay someone to be there when you don�t have to.�
�If you don�t mind�I don�t want to seem like I�m imposing on you.� He replied.
�Not at all. I need to be there for Colby anyways, Emma being there too won�t make any difference.� Jenna said.
�Well, I gotta tell you�I�m really glad you moved next door. Free babysitter!� Nicholas joked.
�Ah, funny guy, huh? You like to joke a lot, don�t you?� Jenna asked.
�Actually, the funny thing is that I haven�t really joked much since Leslie died. This is pretty rare for me lately, so take it while you can get it.� Nick said.
�Not that it�s any of my business or anything, but just because your wife died doesn�t mean that you have to. I know I�m out of line here, but you need to realize something. Leslie is gone, and she�s never coming back. But you�re still here and you have a long life ahead of you. Do you really want to be miserable for the rest of your life?� Jenna tried to reason with him.
�You know what, you�re right, you were out of line. You don�t know the first thing about losing the only person you were ever in love with. Besides, I�ve heard it all before, so don�t go trying to spread your dime-store wisdom on me.� Nicholas growled.
�You know, I may not know what it�s like to have the love of your life die, but I know what it�s like to lose. You think I never loved Kyle? You think it was easy for me to know that he cared so little for me that he cheated on me for years? I know all of that isn�t the same as someone you love dying, but maybe it�s worse. Think about this�Emma can�t see her mom because she died, and that�s a lot easier for her to understand than for Colby to know that his father is still alive but doesn�t want to see him.� Jenna stopped and took a deep breath. �I�m sorry for what I said, but you really can�t dwell on the past. Maybe you�re not ready to move on yet, but you need to realize that there will be a day when you are ready. I�m not trying to be mean, I�m just trying to be a friend.�
�I know you�re not trying to be mean, it�s just that I keep hearing people say the same things over and over. I used to think they were just telling me that stuff because I wasn�t the same person as before, but when you said it, it kind of hit home since you don�t really know me and you didn�t know how I was before Leslie�s accident.� Nicholas said as he put his head in his hands. �I know you�re going through a rough period too. I�m not totally insensitive, just a little wrapped up in my own self-pity sometimes.� He told her with a shy smile. �So, can we end this pity party now? The kids� practice is almost done.�
�You got it.� Jenna said and smiled. �I�m not usually one for pity parties anyways. There are so many ways to better spend you time.� She joked.
The kids ran over soon after and left with their respective parents. Colby chatted non-stop as he rode home with his mother. He told her all about his first day at school and how he really liked all the kids. He liked his new team too, so things seemed to be going really well for the young boy.
�So Cole, your big birthday party is coming up soon. Are you getting excited?� Jenna asked him.
�Yeah, I can�t wait. I get to invite a few of my old friends and all of my new friends, right?� He asked his mother.
�You can invite whoever you want. It�s your party.� Jenna told him.
�What about Dad?� Colby asked.
�If you want to, we can invite your dad. That�s up to you.�
�Nah, he won�t come anyways. Can we ask Emma�s dad to come?�
�Absolutely. I�m sure he�ll be there anyways, since we�re going to have it in our backyard.� She said. �You sure you don�t want to invite your dad?�
�I�m sure. Can I have a couple of friends spend the night that night too?�
�How can I say no to that face.� Jenna said as she grabbed his face and smushed his cheeks together. They both laughed and Jenna released his face. �What a kid.� She said, still laughing. She was going to make this birthday extra special for him since he had been handling the divorce so well.
Almost two weeks later, Jenna was in her backyard decorating for Colby�s eighth birthday party. The kids were going to be showing up soon, so she was trying to hurry. As she was standing on the ladder trying to tack up the Happy Birthday banner, she started to lose her balance. Just before she tumbled, she felt a pair of strong hands grip the sides of her waist to steady her.
Jenna looked down and saw that the hands belonged to Nicholas. �I was just coming over to ask if you needed any help, and it looks like I got her just in time!� Nick told her.
�Thanks. I didn�t really want to spend my son�s birthday in the emergency room!� Jenna said as she smiled at Nick. I just have to finish tacking this up and I�m done.� She started to reach up to tack the banner and Nicholas reached up to support Jenna and keep her steady. She got it tacked up and started to climb back down the ladder. �I appreciate the help. Thanks again.� Jenna said and blushed a little. She could still feel the way his large hands fit perfectly around her waist.
�Any time. Need any other help? The kids will be here soon, right?� Nicholas asked. As if on cue, a bunch of little kids came running and screaming into the back yard, led by Colby and Emma. �There�s my answer.� He laughed.
�It�s going to be a long day!� Jenna said as she watched the kids run around. More and more kids filtered into the yard where the party was being held until all of the invited guests had shown up. They played around for a while, and when Jenna�s best friend Vanessa showed up, Jenna told the kids to all sit in a big circle so that Colby could open his presents.
Colby loved the attention that he was getting. Everyone watched as he opened all of the wrapped boxes to find whatever special item was inside. He was very polite and thanked each person after he opened their gift. When the gifts were all gone, Colby started to stand up.
�Hold on Cole, you have one more present. You didn�t think your own mother would forget to buy you a birthday present, did you?� She asked. Jenna carefully took the large box that her friend had brought with her and carried it over to Colby. �Happy Birthday.� She said and moved away from him. She picked up the camera and took a picture as soon as he opened the box.
The look on Colby�s face was priceless. Inside the large box was a little boxer puppy. �Is he mine Mom?�
�He sure is. That means you get to feed him and walk him and take him out to potty. You get to name him too.� Jenna said.
�Can I name him later? I need some time to think about it.� Colby told her.
�Take your time. He�s going to have to live with that name for a long time!� Jenna replied.
Colby picked the dog up out of the box and cuddled with him. Then he did something to shock Jenna. He put the puppy down and ran over to his mother and gave her a big hug and kiss. �Thank you so much! You�re the best mom in the world!� He told her. Colby didn�t care if his friends teased him for the hug or kiss, he was just so happy.
Jenna smiled and returned the hug and kiss. �Hey, how about some birthday cake?� She asked, helping Colby get out of his embarrassing situations before his friends started teasing him right then and there.
All the kids shouted that they wanted cake, so Jenna lit the candles and they all sang to Colby. After that, she cut the cake and handed it out to all the kids. She took pieces for her, Vanessa, and Nicholas, then went to sit with them.
�That was such a cool thing you did for him. You�re a really good mother.� Nicholas told her.
�Then why do I feel like I�m trying to buy his happiness. Am I just trying to over-compensate for the divorce?� Jenna wondered.
�I don�t think so. Why did you buy him the dog?� Nick asked her.
�Well, he�s always wanted one, but Kyle hated animals. I could have gotten Colby a little dog, but since it�s just me and him living here, I wanted a bigger dog to feel a little more protected.� Jenna explained.
�See, no where in there did you say that you bought the dog to help him get over the divorce. You said he�s always wanted one, and you want to feel more protected. I would say that doesn�t qualify as buying his happiness.� Nicholas told her.
�I have to agree with Nicholas. Besides, what�s wrong with spoiling him a little bit right now. I�m sure if his dad wasn�t such a dead beat, you wouldn�t have to worry about spoiling him enough for to make up for his lack of attention.� Vanessa agreed.
�I guess you�re both right. I�m just worried about trying to be both Mommy and Daddy to him. I don�t want it to seem as though I�m trying too hard, you know?� Jenna sighed. �Well, I better get these plates cleaned up before the puppy decided to clean them himself.� She said, looking at all the empty plates on the ground. The kids were now running around and playing again.
�I�ll help.� Vanessa said as she got up from the picnic table.
�I�m going to go organize a little game or something. Maybe it will quiet them down a little.� Nicholas said, then headed over to the group of kids.
�So, he�s really hot. Is there something going on between the two of you?� Vanessa asked.
�Nessa, he�s just my friend. I think he�s still mourning the loss of his wife, and there is no way in hell I am near ready to get back into another relationship after the way Kyle constantly screwed me over!� Jenna told her.
�Just asking�relax! But seriously though, you can�t tell me you don�t think he�s hot.�
Jenna looked at Nicholas, standing in the middle of a group of kids. He was smiling as he talked to the kids, and every single one had their attention focused on him. �Yeah, I guess he�s ok looking.� Jenna said. In her mind she was thinking, �Ok looking? What a liar I am. He has to be one of the best looking men I have ever seen!�
Vanessa laughed. �Whatever.� She said with a look that said she didn�t believe Jenna.
They finished cleaning the plates and watched as Nicholas ran around with the kids. After a little while, Nicholas came walking back to Jenna and Vanessa. He dropped to his knees just before he reached the spot they were sitting in and moaned. �Please�need�adult�contact!� He said dramatically.
Jenna laughed and pulled up a chair for him. �Ah, did the kids get to you?� She asked him.
�Nah, but it�s still nice to get away from them and talk to someone my own age.� He said.
�And how old would that be?� Vanessa asked, flirting with him.
�Well, I could lie and tell you 25, but in truth, I�m 33.� He told her.
�Someone your own age!? Bite your tongue! I�ll have you know I am only 29 and Jenna here is 30.� Vanessa said in mock anger.
�Close enough.� Nick said with a smile.
�Maybe for a man, but not for a woman. Each year is dreaded for us as we get older.� Vanessa pointed out.
�Speak for yourself.� Jenna said. �As long as I feel younger, I could care less how old I actually am. I�m actually happy to be getting older.�
Vanessa looked at her as if she had sprouted three heads. �You are a sick, sick woman!�
Jenna and Nicholas both laughed and Vanessa started to turn a little bit red, thinking that Nick and Jenna were laughing at her. She was getting a little annoyed at Jenna for making her look bad in front of Nicholas. If Jenna kept doing that, Vanessa would never have a shot with him.
�Well, I better run. It�s been fun, but I have a ton of things to do before my date tonight.� Vanessa told them, slipping it in about her date to try to make Nicholas jealous.
�Well, have fun. Thanks for coming, and thanks for storing the puppy at your house until the party. Hope you get lucky tonight.� Jenna said.
�Yeah, but have mercy on the poor guy.� Nick teased.
�Thanks, I think.� Vanessa said and walked back out front, got into her car and left.
Nicholas gave a questioning look to Jenna after Vanessa had left. �I think Nessa has a little crush on you!� Jenna teased in a sing-song voice.
�Too bad for her. I�m not looking for anyone to have a crush on me, or anything else for that matter. I�m perfectly content the way things are now.� Nick told her.
�I agree. Just because I don�t think I�m ever going to date again after what Kyle did to me, Vanessa makes it sound like I�m committing a serious crime. As much as I love the girl, you�d be wise to stay away from her. She�s a great friend, but bad news for any guy in her sights.� Jenna warned.
�Thanks for the warning.� Nicholas said. He looked at his watch, noticing that the sun was starting to set. �The kids� parents should be starting to pick their kids up soon.�
�Yeah, then a few of them will be spending the night, just the ones from his old school though. He wants to spend a little more time with them. Hopefully they�ll get tired at some point, and with any luck I�ll get at least a little sleep tonight.� Jenna remembered. �Oh, then there�s the matter of the puppy. His first night away from his mommy, I�m sure he�ll cry all night. Oh boy, I�m really in for it tonight, huh?�
�Lucky you! Sounds like loads of fun!� Nick joked.
�Hey, thanks for all your help with this party. I really appreciate it. You�ve been a great friend to me since we moved here.� Jenna told him.
�Well, you�ve helped me a lot too. Not only with Emma, but I�m not quite in that funk that I used to be in.� Nick smiled at her.
Parents finally started showing up, and Colby thanked each kid before they left. Four little boys, Emma and Colby were the only ones left at the party. The four boys were staying with Colby for the night, and their parents were going to pick them up in the morning.
As darkness fell, Nicholas and Emma headed home, and the five boys and Jenna headed into the house. The kids went to Colby�s room to play on his Gamecube, while Jenna got the dog situated in the living room, with its cage and a small bed. She sat down on the couch to watch TV for a while. At 11:00, when she could no longer keep her eyes open, Jenna went to Colby�s room and told the boys it was time for bed, then headed to her room. She fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Jenna was up early taking care of the puppy. She had even gotten up a few times in the middle of the night to take him out. After the dog was taken care of, she began making a big batch of chocolate chip pancakes for the boys. When they were all cooked, Jenna went and woke the boys up.
After breakfast, the boys were all picked up, leaving Jenna and Colby all alone. �So, did you have fun?� Jenna asked him.
�Yeah, it was so cool. Thank you for the party and for my puppy.� Colby said.
�So, do you have a name for him yet?�
�Well, I was thinking. Can I name him Jeter after my favorite Yankee?� Colby asked.
�If that�s what you want to name him, then that�s his name.� Jenna told Colby.
�Cool.� He said and went to find the puppy in the living room. �Come here Jeter! Let�s go outside.� Colby called out. The puppy sat on the floor looking up at him and cocked his head to the side. Colby ran outside and Jeter followed him.
Finally, Jenna had a little peace and quiet, at least for now.