Chapter Fifty Four

"Hey, Jessi," I asked, trying to cradle the phone between my ear and shoulder and bounce my daughter on my knee at the same time without injuring anything, "do you think that I could go to college?"

"Why do you think that you couldn't go to college?" she replied, sounding confused from the other side of the line.

"Well, I'm not smart, I'm not rich, I have a kid—" Hayden squeaked "—and I'm me, you know? I don't really want to deal with twenty five years of student loans to pay off, either. Or a baby sitter."

"You're smart, who cares if you're rich, you have Aaron for a 'baby sitter', and you should go to college because you're you." I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious. Don't roll your eyes at me."

"No wonder you scare Aaron."

"Haha, very funny. Listen, I gotta go. Eric's.. being difficult. Love you!"

"Love you, too. Tell him Aunty Caitlin says hi!"

"I will!"

I looked down at Hayden, who was still being bounced on my lap. Her mouth was open, and her entire face was jiggling.

"What are you doing to that baby now?"

"Yah-yah-yah-yah-yah," Hayden shouted in time with the bouncing, and Aaron just stared.

"I blame that one.. on you," I muttered, wiping her mouth with my sleeve and passing Aaron his daughter.

"Why me? What did I do?"

"You breathe."

"Oh, that was cold." He feigned hurt, and I rolled my eyes. "So, who were you on the phone with?"

"Your sister." I stretched and let out a loud yawn, accompanied by several odd noises. Aaron ignored this.

"About?"

"College."

"Are you thinking about going?" I picked at my fingernails.

"I don't know. I don't really know if I want a huge student loan under my belt." Aaron leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"It's up to you."

"That wasn't any help."