Chapter 10
Jun took the opportunity to escape from the base after her conversation with Joe and Ken's reaction to seeing them together haunted her.
She figured she only needed a few hours so she quickly found Jinpei, after explaining she had some errands to do on the surface his face lit up. "I'm coning with you sis." Sighing internally she couldn't think of a good enough reason for him not to come with her, and then Ryu decided to trail along too.
The warmth of the sun hit as she stepped out of the mini sub at the station set up for the base just outside of Utoland.
The three of them boarded a crowded bus with standing room only- heading into the city from the land base.
"Sis…Jinpei's eyes pleaded with her." Can I have some spending money? "
Jun crossed her arms her brows knitted together while she questioned him. "What happened to the money I gave you last week?"
"Awe…I owed some money to ah…big bro-"Jinpei shrugged sheepishly.
"What." She exclaimed." Since when did you ever owe Ken money?"
"Well…" He fidgeted looking down at his feet.
"Jun, he lent it to Joe so he could get back on his feet again…" Ryu elbowed the Swallow making him jump and he nodded his head agreeing with the owl.
"Hump…" She said still not convinced, but she reached into her pocket anyway.
"Don't spend it all at once, now I have to get more out when we get into town." Jun watched a smile spread across his face.
"Sis, if it wasn't so crowded I'd give you a big smoochy hug." He teased.
"Please don't." Jun stifled a giggle.
His face lit up even more. "I bet big..."
Another hard elbow from Ryu silenced him." You don't have to do that Ryu."
"I will until you learn to keep yah big mouth shut." Ryu scolded him.
Jinpei shot him a defiant look but he kept silent for the rest of the journey into the city.
Jun used this time to work out her plan to escape from them for a few hours. But it was Jinpei who gave her the open.
"Sis, we're gonna check out the games store at the city mall, do you wanna come." He said as the departed.
She waved her hand and smiled at the two of them. "You know I hate games stores…I'm going to look for some shoes…and make –up." She told them knowing that would instantly turn Jinpei and Ryu off going with her.
"Sis, you know if you want to look pretty- OUCH!" He cried out in an annoyed tone and then he glared at Ryu again.
"Come on Jin, leave Jun alone." Ryu gave her an apologetic look as he pulled Jinpei along with him.
A small piece of her heart gave a painful twang. Jinpei was growing up and he wanted to spend less time with her now…and more time with Ryu.
Jun looked to see that they had gone before she turned to walk in the opposite direction towards the business district of the city centre a few blocks away.
Crossing her fingers that Val would see her without and appointment she walked into the building and pressed the level number she needed to go to.
Walking out of the lift as a couple who looked to be in their mid thirties holding hands got in, she went directly to the reception desk.
A serious looking lady with steel grey hair looked up at her through thick glasses.
"Can I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm Jun and I'm here to see Val Wither." Jun said looking around hoping she would spot her.
"Val…" The receptionist mused picking up the phone and pressing an extension.
Shaking her head she put down the phone. "I looks like she's out for the afternoon, did you have an appointment."
"No…" Jun said disappointed. She missed the last one, biting her lip she began to walk towards the lift when she heard someone calling her name.
"Val," she turned around relief filling her.
"Come with me…" She indicated directing her to her office.
"How have you been Jun?" She asked taking a seat opposite her.
"Good, and very busy." Jun let herself relax sitting on the couch and crossing her legs.
"I figured you have been, since you didn't answer my calls." Val looked like she had something to show Jun.
"Come on Val, what you have for me." Jun leaned forward.
Val pulled out a file." I was reviewing some of the older files…" She began. "And I found this one- they are still in the pool…"
Jun saw the minor hesitation." But…what's the but written all over your face."
"You don't miss a thing do you…" She pulled out the profile. "They are a lovely couple, but I must warn you he was involved in an accident a few years ago. Touch and go for year, his wife quit her career to look after him. He's made a full recovery. When girls have heard this, they didn't want someone who has a limp to be a father to their child. The other thing is they are more flexible than other couples would be."
Jun took the file from her hands, she knew what Val meant by that. Respectfully Val left the room so she read it in private.
Jun read through their story a few times, each time she liked them more. She works in a Pre-school, he's an Aeronautical Engineer.
He likes planes she thought smiling, she wants to be a fulltime mother and she works with children… She looked at the pictures they had provided. And she read over the information again.
Matt and Natasha,
We would like to take the opportunity to tell you some of our story and give you an idea about our life together….We have been married for fifteen years, we met when Matt first started his training in the UN air force many years ago bringing us to now, in our mid thirties.
We will give you a brief outline of our life and we hope to give you enough background to help you with your decision. First of all, we feel it is a privilege to be considered for placement of s child for adoption and we would like to thank you for taking the time to read this… She keep reading about their life together something about them made her fell good about them raising Dyami the way she would want him to raised.
Val respectfully knocked on the door, Jun indicated for her to enter.
"This is the couple." She said looking closer at the pictures of the people about to become Dyami's mum and dad.
"I can't notify them for a few weeks yet Jun." Val told her. Jun knew, she still had the cooling off period to finish from the signing of the paperwork.
"When he has been placed with them, I would like a meeting." Jun requested.
"Of course, I'm sure they will want to meet you too, they live in a town outside of Utoland." Val said marking the file.
Walking out of the office Jun felt a weight lift off her shoulders, unlike her, Dyami would grow up with a mother and a father in a normal home. From her conversations with Ken in the early days of their relationship he told her how much he wanted normality in his life, neither of then knew what that really was, but Dyami would.
She contacted Jinpei, figuring it to be time for a late lunch with him and Ryu; she organised to meet them in the mall.