Welcome back!
Firstable, a very small warning, just in case: The first short paragraph here is about breastfeeding again. Yes, just wanting to make sure to not step on anyone's toes.
Now thank you so so much to the guest (don't make me weak... though if there is interest, maybe I will also do a sequel sort of story to Their son where we will meet their second child etc ;P), alicheriee, LindavO, sayyouwontletgo and jadewestt (have you arrived at this chapter yet? Hope you still like it. :)) for the lovely reviews!
Please, also enjoy this chapter!
In the middle of August, Beck and Jade's Junior year starts and of course, Benji comes right back to school with them.
Jade gives up on breastfeeding before going back to school. She has enjoyed the time, but her nipples feel sort of sore all the time by now though Benji doesn't even have teeth yet, and she just... isn't all that into it anymore. She talks to Beck about it, concerned that maybe he thinks she should breastfeed longer as it's probably also the most healthy diet for a baby, but he says that she should watch being happy, content and comfortable herself, because otherwise, Benji will suffer too. She's glad, he's such a kind and wonderful guy.
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Benji does start teething when they are back in school, at the end of August.
He starts to get fuzzy. Beck and Jade are worried that he's getting sick or that school is too much for him now, even though it was fine for those two months before summer break.
"He has been weird the last two days," Jade just now explains to her mother. They are eating lunch together, this Saturday, her mother, her brother, Beck and her. And Benji in her lap, supported by her arm, while she eats.
He has a hand in his mouth and just now, there are almost fountains of spit running out of his mouth. Jade quickly runs his spit rag over his mouth and chin, before it can somehow run down into his lap and then into hers, while she adds: "And he's drooling like crazy."
"It's yucky," Jasper says, pulling a somewhat disgusted face.
Well, they are eating at the moment and even with a baby it's not all that great to see someone drooling while you try to eat, so Jade answers: "I know, right?"
"Oh," her mother suddenly makes. "Maybe, he's finally teething."
Jade furrows her brows. "And then he's drooling?" Yeah, okay, the fuzziness could be explained by teething. Jasper also was quite fuzzy back then, Jade remembers.
"Well, you did," her mother easily answers. Jade immediately glares at her, feeling Beck promptly looking at her in a gleeful way, because he found out even more about her as a young child. Giving out that information certainly was unnessecary.
Her mother calmly continues: "Jasper not so much, otherwise you would probably know that it can be a sign."
Jasper also looks at Jade amused and as if he has just won over her. Smartass.
Meanwhile, Beck seems almost excited, as he realizes something else: "Benji is also sucking on everything even more than before. Could that be a sign for teething?"
"Absolutely," Jade's mother confirms. "You should be on the look-out for his first little tooth."
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After lunch, they soon leave for Beck's home, where they want to spend the rest of the weekend, because the RV is just so much better than Jade's room.
They spend a nice afternoon there, then they go into the Beck's parents' home a while before dinner, to help out with it.
Beck's parents are of course always happy to see their grandson, even though they also see him all the time.
Since the beginning of the school year, Beck and Jade sleep apart during the week, when they have to go to school the next day, so at least one of them can sleep the night through (as they noticed during their seperation before summer break that that can help a lot with the stress for school). They have started out having Benji stay with each of them one night, before changing. Slowly, they expand the times though, as they also imagine it as nice to have a few nights to sleep through. They also do see Benji the rest of the day, so it's not like the one of them, who doesn't stay with him for those nights, has to miss him too much.
Either way: While neither of their families may see Benji all that much during the week over the day as Beck and Jade take him to school and then out with their friends or just with them, or they stay in Jade's room or Beck's RV alone afterwards, they of course see him in the morning for breakfast if Benji stayed the night. Which means, everyone sees him quite often.
As Benji has stayed at Jade's the last three nights though (just with Jade the first two, during the week; with both Jade and Beck the last night) and they haven't seen him in between, Beck's parents now haven't seen their grandson for half a week and are even more happy to see him again.
Beck, who has Benji in his arms as they walk into the house, hands the little boy to his mother, who greets all three of them with a bright smile.
She takes the boy and kisses him on his cheek. "Hello, Benji. How are you, hon?"
Beck answers for him: "He's okay, though a little off. Caitlyn is actually thinking he's teething."
Beck has eaten breakfast with his parents during those nights where Benji has been with Jade, but it's not like they then only talk about the baby. His parents always check in, but when Benji isn't there, they also use the time to ask about Beck himself and tell him about their own lives. So, Beck hasn't really mentioned yet that Benji has been slightly different lately.
"Aw, he is?" his mother makes happily and kisses Benji another time, then she turns to Beck and Jade again: "That's a hurtful process. Has she told you about massaging his gums?"
Beck's father now takes Benji out of his wife's hands to greet him as well, while Beck shares a glance with Jade, who also raises her eyebrows, apparently also hasn't heard about something like that, also not in regards of her younger brother, then he asks: "Massaging his gums?"
His mother nods: "Yeah, that can soothe a baby. Just make sure your fingers are clean and then... you know..." Yeah, they do get the picture. Well, if it will help Benji and if it will otherwise hurt... Changing his diapers is probably a much worse thing they have to do regularly.
His father now also gives a piece of advise: "And otherwise, give him lots to chew on. He's taking it on his own, obviously, but maybe try something cold. You did buy that teething ring already, right? Maybe put that in the fridge just for a few minutes so it's colder, and then let him chew on it."
Beck's mother turns to Benji in her husband's arms and says in a babyish voice that sometimes annoys Jade a little (though she may also use it – it only annoys her when other people do it): "Yeah, you like to chew on cold stuff, don't you?"
Beck smiles as he says: "We'll see about that. Thanks for the advise."
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Benji has had trouble falling back asleep during the last few nights as well, whenever he woke up. More than usual. He's still a baby, still so young. Naturally, he still wakes up sometimes over night. Before, it has been easy to get him back to sleep. Every other time, he is hungry and they need to give him the bottle, which naturally takes some time. Otherwise, he usually is back to sleep within minutes, with a little soothing by one of them. That has been more difficult the last few nights. Jade has told Beck about those nights with Benji alone, and Beck himself was also able to see the last night. Benji just needs them a little bit more at the moment.
They themselves have barely fallen asleep when Benji wakes them with some whining. He isn't hungry, but he does need one of them. Jade gets up, before Beck can say anything. Well, that means that he will have the next one most likely – which probably will require making Benji a bottle. Of course, Jade takes Benji now.
Beck smiles as he turns around and snuggles further down into the pillow. He hears Jade making hushing noises that almost soothe him back to sleep.
But then, Jade whispers: "Everything's okay, baby. It's fine. I hope you're not hurting. But if you are, I promise, it'll be better soon. It's just you getting your first tooth."
Beck smiles at the soft explanation that Benji won't even understand yet, but Jade wants their son to know anyway. He opens his eyes and sees due to the little light that falls through the windows, how Jade cradles Benji. The little boy closes his eyes at that point and Jade pulls him up and kisses his forehead, before she rocks him to make him fall back asleep.
Beck's heart aches a little, watching his wonderful girlfriend with their son. Especially as she whispers, almost just a breath, but her voice full of love: "I love you so much, baby." And she kisses him on his forehead again, before she carefully lies him back into his crib – quite successfully; Benji is back asleep and doesn't wake again.
Jade turns back around to the bed and must see Beck has his eyes open, but she doesn't say anything. She just lies back down, but at least turned to him and when he pulls her into a kiss, she returns it.
He presses himself closer to her, kissing her a few times, until she breaks away from him, only slightly pushing him away.
"Go to sleep, Beck," she says quietly. It's nothing mean, but naturally they both should sleep and not put in a make out session right now. If they hadn't had a child, it wouldn't matter, but like this, they should use any chance of sleeping.
But there is this slightly aching feeling inside of Beck and right now, he just wants her close, needs her close, needs her to kiss him and hold him and tell him she loves him.
He just makes a "mhm" and kisses her cheek, then her neck.
But Jade always knows and promptly pushes him away again, holding him by his shoulders: "What is it?"
He shrugs. "I just want you close right now," he says.
Jade narrows her eyes at him and repeats more intently: "What is it?"
He bites his inner cheek. He's sure he can't and shouldn't say this. Jade will think he is the biggest idiot. Maybe she will deem him an asshole.
But... He can tell her everything, can't he?
Carefully he starts: "Just seeing you with Benji..." But he can't say it as he himself possibly doesn't even have the words.
But Jade once again knows and suddenly raises her eyebrows: "Are you jealous, Beck?"
He feels mortified as he looks into Jade's eyes that even seem bright in the darkness of the RV. She judges him, doesn't she?
Jade continues, when he doesn't say anything: "Of your own son? Seriously?"
Now, he tries to hastily answer: "Well, no. Maybe. Not per se." Though... "Are you never jealous of him when you see me with him?"
Because this isn't an issue of their child's sex or whatever. It's just that Jade has such a deep bond with Benji. A bond that's so much deeper than anything else. Just like Beck has such a deep bond with Benji. And Jade gets jealous of any girl that Beck smiles at. Why shouldn't she be jealous of that untouchable love between father and son? Beck loves that Jade and Benji are that close. He loves to see them like that. But he also loves both of them so much and sometimes, yes, it aches a little when he thinks about the fact that there is someone else so close to Jade. Even though it is indeed his own son.
When she tells the little boy she loves him, all her heart in her voice...
Jade easily answers now: "In a totally other sense." So she is jealous, but differently? How? Jade already explains: "I'm jealous that he has such a great father while I have such a crappy one. But he deserves it and I'm happy for him."
He feels a warm fuzzy feeling inside of him. Jade considering him a great father... he always loves to hear that.
And of course, she might be jealous but thinks their son deserves better than her and is genuinely happy for him.
"You are such a great mother. And our child deserves that. And he deserves all the love you give him. But sometimes, an irrational part inside of me tells me he's taking your love away from me." As if his son is stealing something that's rightfully his.
"You are an idiot," Jade promptly responds, but not too harshly, actually more teasing. "I hope your rational side realizes that Benji is a part of you, so when I love him, I love you, too."
Wow, okay. He never has seen it that way, and sure enough it's not really like that. She still would love Benji more than anything if they would some day have a big fall-out and she would truly hate him, Beck. But... In another way... Yes, Benji is a part of him. He is a part of Benji. And her loving Benji is also her loving a part of him and his part in their son.
He can't help but smile as he leans forward and kisses her. How can she be so wonderful and perfect all the time?
And, now teasingly himself, he suggests: "Maybe, you can sometimes baby me a little, so I would feel better."
"Not happening, Beck," she answers with a small grin. "You know, if I start treating you like Benji, I will feel about you like about a son. And there are things I would never do with someone that would feel like a son."
Okay. "That's fair," he says with a smile.
She lets her hands wander from his shoulders, which she has still hold, to his cheeks, taking his face between her hands, looking him directly into his eyes, as she suddenly whispers: "I love you, Beck." And her voice is full of love.
He can't help but kiss her again.
He gets this kind of jealous feeling every now and then in the future too, but he can handle it and laugh about it himself, especially as Jade always seems to notice and teases him about it, not just accepting but even loving that feeling of his.
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They have a relatively calm night and the next morning, Beck doesn't get woken up by another cry by Benji, but instead by Jade's voice: "Beck."
"Mhm," he makes as he turns and feels that Jade isn't in bed anymore.
He opens his eyes sleepily and sees her with Benji in her arms and just now quickly going from the crib to their shared bed.
"Look," she says. "I think I'm really seeing his first tooth."
Beck immediately sits up and Jade turns Benji in his direction. She has a finger inside his mouth, at the side, so Beck can see the front of the mouth, where the front teeth will be one day. And on top of the lower jaw, there seems to be a little white dot in the middle.
Beck takes Benji into his own arms, lies him down onto his lap and inspects that some more, as he says: "Oh, my god. There it is. Baby! You have a tooth now. I'm so proud of you!"
Because it indeed is his first tooth. It's incredible to see somehow.
He drops a kiss onto his cheek, happily.
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Right after the first tooth, the second comes. Both are the lower front teeth. They brush them from the very beginning on of course. It takes a long time for Benji to have a full mouth of teeth, he's more than a year old when at least most of his baby teeth have finally emerged.
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Beck and Jade take Benji to the playground at the beginning of October for the very first time. They are not just passing on a walk this time, but actually stopping to play there. Benji is almost seven months old at that point. He can shortly sit on his own by now, but Jade and Beck still support him a lot. They also do on the playground.
Beck says they should totally go into the sandbox with him, so he can finally feel the sand.
"He will eat it," Jade predicts sceptically as they approach the sandbox, where a few older kids are playing as well.
Beck smiles. "Well, dirt cleans the stomach."
"Especially when other children, some animals and maybe drunk people have peed in it," Jade comments dryly.
Of course, she still allows Beck to sit Benji down in the sand. He sits down behind him, while Jade squats down in front of him (she's sure there will be a time where she will sit down into the sand as well to truly play with Benji there, but he won't be interested for too long at this age and Jade doesn't feel much like getting dirty for that).
Benji is in absolute delight, as soon as his hands gets to touch the sand for the first time.
He makes some small noises as he grabs it and notices most of it falling out of his closed hands. With bright eyes, he looks up to Jade in front of him and shakes his fist in her direction, as if to show her the sand he looses.
"That's sand, baby. You like it?" she asks and his smile is definitely answer enough.
Beck rubs his belly. "It's awesome, isn't is? And look: You can build stuff with it." He pushes some sand together in front of Benji into a mound. He does that a few times until it has a decent height. Benji watches him with glee, until he suddenly hits with both hands upon the mound.
Jade smirks: "Yeah, you can also always let your daddy build something and then just destroy it." Though the mound isn't really destroyed and Benji also hasn't hit that strongly.
Beck chuckles.
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They go on the slide next. Or rather: Beck and Benji do. The slide is connected to a bigger jungle gym and Jade doesn't feel at all like getting up there and getting to the slide on it, when it's designed for children to easily go through it and climb different parts. She won't crawl through parts of it or something. But Beck does it and then slides with Benji on his lap, which Benji also seems to love.
Beck suggests the seesaw next, but there are children on it at the moment. Jade lets her gaze wander further to the swing set and sees that three of the four swings are free, as a family has just left.
She promptly takes Benji out of Beck's arms and walks over to sit down on one of the swings that actually hangs high enough to also use it comfortably as a grown-up. Holding herself with one hand on the swing and using her other hand to hold Benji on her lap, she starts swinging slightly.
"Let me push you," Beck says, who has of course followed her to the swings.
"But not too hard," Jade warns. "I do have to keep Benji and myself up here." So she can't hold herself with both her hands. Though she usually loves swinging really high. She always had the fantasy as a child to go all the way around. She tried so hard. That was her only joy on the playground – the swingset.
"Of course," Beck answers and does only swing her slightly, so she doesn't have to do anything anymore.
Jade starts talking to Benji, who also seems to love this: "This is fun, huh? I'm already excited for you to be old enough to hold yourself. Your uncle Jasper and I always sat on the swing together."
"Oh, him turned to you?" Beck asks.
"Yeah," Jade confirms. That also was ever the only way she entertained Jasper on the playground. If he pouted too much, she also went on the seesaw with him and kept him up on his side until he was whining so much that he wanted to go home. But if he only pouted a little when she told him she wouldn't play with him, she went on a swing with him. Her sitting down first and him then sitting down on top of her, turned to her, his legs dangling on the other side, so both of them being able to build up momentum swinging.
"Let's do that," Beck promptly decides.
Jade stops the swing and turns around to him, cocking an eyebrow: "Benji can't yet, so I'm assuming you mean the both of us. But firstable: We can't just lie Benji next to us while we are on the swing. And second of all: The swingset might not even hold us together." They are both quite heavy by now, unlike two children for example.
Beck disregards that: "Of course it will hold us. And we'll keep Benji between us. Come on. Let me sit on the swing."
Well, Jade guesses that it doesn't hurt to try.
She gets up with Benji and lets Beck sit down instead. He slides to the back, so there is room between the chains holding the swing up and his upper body. Enough room for her legs.
She sits Benji on his lap, whom Beck of course has to hold with one arm. Which somehow makes it harder for her to get her legs through. But she'll try anyway.
She grabs the chains and pulls herself high up and very carefully pushes her legs into the space, left to her by Beck. And finally, she sits down, Beck quickly lifting Benji further up and then sitting him down on Jade's lap. It's a narrow fit, but it actually works.
"Then let's hope this thing doesn't break down as soon as you start swinging," Jade says with a smirk. Obviously, it's Beck who has to do the main work to get the swing moving.
Jade turns Benji slightly and then holds onto Beck with one hand in a way that allows Benji to lean against her arm and be safe while also being able to look out to the playground on the other side, between Beck and Jade. She holds the chain herself on that side, while Beck grabs it to both his sides now and actually starts swinging. Carefully first, but when they both realize it's safe and Benji loves it, he pushes harder with Jade supporting as much as she can.
All three enjoy it immensely, though Beck and Jade soon have to stop swinging as it actually starts hurting to hold on so tightly to the chains, to keep all three of them up the swing. They only slightly move then with Jade having wrapped both her arms around Beck, Benji between them, almost asleep due to the gentle movement and the warmth of his parents, and Beck also holding Jade with one arm while only having the other hand on the chain of the swing.
They start kissing, just enjoying the quiet family moment, when there suddenly is a rather sharp woman's voice: "Would you leave this playground?"
It doesn't sound like a question at all.
Beck and Jade break apart and Jade has to turn around slightly to see the older woman standing there, not at the swing next to them, but between that and the next, where a young girl is sitting and watching them. That girl is probably the woman's daughter.
"What?" Jade makes. Without a doubt, the woman talks to them.
"These swings are for children, not for you to make out on," she woman harshly says.
Seriously? Jade points to Benji, who gets a little alert now: "And here is a child who is on the swing set for the very first time." Yes, they might not truly use the swing anymore, but the playground also isn't too full. The only other swing that's used as of now is the one by the woman's daughter, which means that two swings are still free for other children to use.
The woman obviously just now notices the small boy between them. She narrows her eyes at Jade and Beck: "Where are his parents?"
Jade feels Beck's grip around her tighten. And she hears Benji make a small dissatisfied sound. She takes a deep breath. She doesn't need Benji to break out crying right now, so she can't get too... tense. That always makes Benji cry after all. She still pointedly answers: "We are his parents."
The woman huffs. "Oh, figures. So you finally have visitation with your child and you focus on each other instead of on your child?"
Visitation? As if: Naturally, they don't raise Benji themselves but gave him into foster care or alike? Not that that's bad. It isn't even this woman's business either way. But... What the heck?
But before Jade gets to spit something back at the woman, Beck finally raises his voice, coldly: "Are you serious? You are incredibly impolite, you realize that?"
Jade turns to Beck with mild interest. Okay, he is pissed off now. Really, really pissed off. It's probably a good thing that Jade and Benji sit on his lap, so he can't get up and plant himself in front of this woman in any threatening manner. Beck can appear a little scary when he is angry – it's nothing Jade can't handle or she's scared off but they are at the playground and the woman's child is looking at them with big eyes as it is.
The woman huffs again. "I don't think I have to be tought a lesson about politeness by some teenage screw-ups, who make out..."
She doesn't get any further. Jade knows Beck at least would rise from the swing now if Jade wasn't sitting in his lap.
Instead, he harshly interrupts: "You better stop talking now! I don't know why you are this frustrated and bitter, but, like, maybe, you didn't get enough sleep, or you've gotten jealous when you saw us because the father of your child left you or something, but the three of us actually live together and we love each other. We might have screwed up once, but we do know how to behave in front of our child." He looks into the little girl's direction. The woman quickly turns around in surprise, as if she has forgotten about her daughter. "Our child will learn to not just walk up to strangers, tell them to go away and then insult them after they show they have a very valid reason to be where they are. Now, very kindly: Piss off."
Jade surpresses a smirk. Oh, she would've told this woman much worse words. She knows Beck is able to do that as well. But the tone of his voice... And the choice of his words was actually great as well, especially hinting to the woman's daughter, implying how much better they are for their child than she is for hers.
The woman presses her lips together, looks at them for another moment, then crosses her arms in front of her chest and threatens: "I'll call the cops on you."
Beck promptly realitates: "Awesome. I bet they also need a good laugh." And he starts imitating the woman's voice, which he isn't really good at but Jade still loves every second of this: "Hello. I am at the playground and there is a family with a baby on one of the swings, enjoying their afternoon. Could you please arrest them?"
The woman purses her lips, then huffs again, before she suddenly grabs her daughter's arm and drags her away with her with her daughter crying at the hard grip and being dragged away all of the sudden.
Jade looks to Beck, who returns the look, and before Jade knows it, she lets her own lips crash violently onto Beck's.
He returns the kiss, like he always does, and when they break apart from each other, she breathes: "That was very hot."
Because yes, she may have a thing for Beck getting a little angry. Even when they fight sometimes. And him getting angry at someone else because they attacked their son?
Of course, she now also has to look down to their son, who hasn't started crying apparently, because Jade quickly hasn't been angry anymore. Instead, he looks up to them curiously.
"Did you witness that, baby?" she asks him, running on of her hands through the boys hair. "How your daddy reacted after someone attacked you? How he protected you?"
"Both of you," Beck quietly puts in.
And well, Jade doesn't need protection. She can protect herself. But still. Yes, him protecting her and their son... their whole family...
She kisses him again and then rests her forehead against Beck's, while she says: "My legs are getting tired but I guess, now we gave to stay at least ten more minutes, right on this swing, out of principle."
Beck has to laugh.
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They usually don't get too many bad reactions from other parents or nannies or whoever comes here with children. Well, they get stupid and judging looks, but barely anyone else talks to them like that. There are also mostly the same people coming regularly and they get used to them around.
It's early January, Benji is ten months old when Jade lets Beck and him play alone in the sand box (Beck actually building and Benji destroying – and Beck keeping him from destroying the other children's sand buildings). Jade first played with them, too, but she has enough of the sand. She actually thought about going home, but it's relatively warm today (you need a jacket but it's fine) and she hasn't got any homework and... why not sit on the bench and watch boyfriend and son play, nothing else, just watching? Especially, as school has already begun for the year and they don't take Benji with them since this year anymore, which means they see a whole lot less of him as it is. She should use her time now. Even if she doesn't want to play in the sand with him even more, she should at least take his sight in as much as she can.
She is not sitting there for too long though, when she gets distracted. There is a small boy running by, into the direction of the street. Right in between, he falls down and keeps on crawling instead, but that doesn't slow him down much.
Jade has gotten surprinsingly good at estimating children's age since she has a child herself. This boy must barely be a year old.
Jade looks around. The playground is quite full of people, also grown-ups sitting and standing around, watching their children. But nobody seems to watch this little boy right now. Nobody is running behind him.
Jade quickly gets up and catches up to him. "Hey, you," she says, which makes him stop and turn around, sitting down, looking at her. She squats down as she asks him: "Where are your parents?"
The boy just looks at her and she tries to aks in a different way: "Where is your mommy?"
That makes the boy shrug and she just starts the question for his father, when suddenly, a woman passes her in a rush, pulling the little boy directly up in her arms. "Oh, god! Here you are, Ricky."
"Mama," the boy says with a bright look in his face, patting her with his hand but looking to Jade, who gets up at the same moment. As if to tell her that he has found his mommy.
The woman, who also only can be in her early twenties, turns to Jade as well: "Thank you so much for stopping him. I just had to take a call, turned around for a minute and... gone. Sometimes, they can be so quick."
She also still has her phone in her hand and seems out of breath. And Jade gets it. Benji also has gotten much more mobile and it's crazy how fast such a small kid can crawl when they want to. And they seem to know exactly when you are not looking. Jade is glad that Beck and she are mostly together when they let him crawl free outside somewhere, so the probability of one of them to see and catch him in time is much higher – and that the RV and their parents' houses are all safe for him to crawl around in freely.
"They can be," Jade therefore confirms, glancing to Beck and Benji, who are still playing in the sandbox.
Then, she already walks back to the bench and sits back down. The woman follows her and also sits down with her son, while she talks to him sweetly: "Ricky, you can't just leave. You have to be careful and always stay in my sight, okay?"
She talks more to him, but Jade doesn't listen, but gets back to watching her own child. She doesn't even know why this woman, who, as she will later find out, is named Juliett, even has sat down next to her on the bench.
She only gets pulled out of her thoughts again, when Juliett asks: "Is that yours?"
Jade looks to her again, her son Ricky now sitting happily in her lap, and glances to where Juliett nods. To the nearby sandbox, where Beck and Benji are.
Jade simply answers: "It is."
Though Juliett also could mean the other two children playing there with some older woman. She doesn't though. At least, she now asks: "Is that the father of the child?"
Jade nods.
"He seems to be good with your son. Are you still together?"
Jade nods again. How much she hates this pointless smalltalk.
"You chose a good one then," Juliett says, rubbing her son's belly. "I don't know if you planned it but... My boyfriend and I certainly did. My ex-boyfriend. He suddenly deicded that it's too much responsibility after all, when I was seven months pregnant."
So, her ex wanted a child with her and then decided it was too much responsibility when the child wasn't even born yet? Seriously?
"Asshole," Jade comments, because that's truly terrible. Of course, it could be worse, and the guy could've cheated on her, but... this is already really low.
"I know," Juliett dryly answers. "And I loved him so much."
Jade can imagine. She has seen it time and time again with her mother and the men she loved and who disappointed her. But at least, Jade's and Jasper's father do take care somewhat of their children. If Juliett's boyfriend left her because he didn't want to carry the responsibility...
Jade looks at Ricky, who is not nearly as cute as Benji, but who seems somehow lovely nonetheless – though Jade usually doesn't feel like that regarding other people's children at all. "Doesn't he take care of him at all?" The way Juliett mentioned him...
"Only saw him twice. Because I forced him to."
"Men are idiots," Jade promptly says because women barely do this kind of thing. And how can a person just abandon their own child like that? How can they just ignore it? Only seeing him twice though he must be about one year old?
"But you got lucky," Juliett dryly says, nodding to Beck and Jade shrugs: "I did."
And the thing is that they both know that that's stupid to claim. Yes, sometimes Jade does feel like to have a loving father for her child, but it shouldn't be like that. No matter if parents are a couple or not, both should be involved in their child's life. You shouldn't feel a need to praise a guy because he stayed with his child – or consider a mother lucky if her child's father stayed.
Jade notices Juliett also sees it that way, despite what she said.
"How old are you?" Juliett now asks.
"Seventeen," Jade answers truthfully. Beck also will be turning that soon now, while she already is seventeen for one and a half months.
"It must be hard," Juliett answers. Not judging at all. "I mean... I'm 21 and feel overwhelmed at times."
And Jade doesn't know why. She hates people. But... She doesn't hate Juliett or her child. And somehow, she just admits to this also quite young mother: "Our families help out a lot."
"My sister does, too," Juliett answers. "That's why I moved here now. I lived in San Diego before and my sister drove down there almost every weekend to help me out. I just recently was able to let go of my fantasy of living happily with Ricky's father and moved here over Christmas."
Which explains why Jade never ever has seen her here before. You really do recognize everyone quite quickly.
"Do you come here often?"
Jade shrugs. "Relatively." When the weather is fine and they have enough time next to school. And when they aren't too lazy.
Juliett smiles: "Then maybe, our sons can play together some time. We only live a block from here now. And this is a really nice playground."
"The cleanest around," Jade agrees. They never go to one close to Beck's home, because they are all a mess. They only go to this, which is in a walking distance from Jade's home.
Juliett seems to remember something: "Oh, god. What I saw on the playground close to my apartment in San Diego..."
She tells a story about some junkie, which makes Jade even laugh shortly in between, because it's actually quite dark and a mess and Jade is so in for stuff like that. Juliett also seems amused in restrospect.
She's barely finished, when Beck walks up to the bench, Benji in his arms. He must have seen them talking and has also noticed Ricky who is still sitting on his mother's lap, playing with the zipper of her jacket at the moment.
"Look, Benji," Jade can hear him say as he approaches. "Has your mommy found you a little friend?"
Yeah, sure, because Jade is a person to search for friends for herself or anyone else. But... If Juliett will come to this playground regularly with Ricky from now on, it's very likely that they will meet them again and that eventually, Benji and Ricky will possibly play with each other one day. Benji starts to be more and more interested in other children, though he isn't able to really play with them as of now.
Beck puts Benji down in front of Jade in a standing position. Benji can stand by now, though he promptly lies one of his hand on Jade's knee to support himself. But he does look curiously at Ricky, who looks back just as curiously, after Juliett turned him slightly in his lap and pointed at Benji.
Jade now also leans down, lies her arm around her son and also points the other boy out: "This is Ricky."
.
.
Ricky does become the first child, Benji truly plays with. And he becomes his first actual friend. A friendship they keep for many years, all through elementary school, which they visit together, and beyond that. And there might come a day, where Jade would also call Juliett somewhat her friend.