Chapter 5
It was Thursday evening, the final Sprouts day of the week. It was the name that the kids came up with for their after-school STEM program. I never imagined how much I would love working with little kids that loved rockets and spaceships as much as I did when I was their age.
Mr. Collins mentioned that Harper’s son was interested in signing up for the program.
I was looking forward to getting to know him and seeing his mother on a regular basis.
I wasn’t too proud to use the kid to get close to Harper, but at the same time, I knew the value of being interested in science at a young age.
Even if all he wanted to do was make a robot, the experience was a building block for something far greater.
It was the whole reason I started the program.
It had been a few days too many since I’d seen Harper’s face.
Now that I knew exactly where to find her, the urge to go snatch her up nagged at me like hell.
I was trying to give her a little time to come around, but honestly, I was over it.
I had given her almost eight years. It was time for her to come home.
It would have been different if she rode off into the sunset to live happily ever after, but Harper was divorced and living in her grandmother’s house.
I had sacrificed years with the only woman I truly loved, only for her to be with another nigga who couldn’t love her right.
I couldn’t wait to make Harper happy for the rest of my life.
Hopefully she wanted more kids, because I’d always wanted at least one. No matter how much my mom pressured us, Jase and Jameer had always been on the fence about having kids. Deep down, I always knew that I would probably have to be the one to carry out our family lineage.
Now that my sister Janelle and her husband had a daughter and a son, my mom had let up some on the grandbaby talk, but I knew soon she would be looking for fresh cheeks to squeeze.
I had no problem being the one to make that dream come true for her.
Harper being back in the area felt like fate.
I wasn’t living the rest of my life without her by my side. The shit just didn’t feel right.
“Doctor Jay!” one of the kids called, causing me to turn on my heels to face them.
I didn’t attempt to hide my smile when I realized that it was Harper’s son.
He was a good kid overall. The assistant principal seemed to think he was having a hard time adjusting, and I agreed.
A few extracurricular activities could help turn things around for him.
I didn’t want to overstep, but I would do anything to help Harper.
“What’s up, little guy?” I greeted him once he stood in front of me.
“Do you know my mom? I heard you say her name that day when I got in trouble.”
“Yes, she and I actually kinda grew up together.”
“Good. Can you tell her how not cool that robot thing is so she will let me do it? She’s a nerd, and she usually likes nerd stuff. Since I kept getting in trouble, she won’t let me do it. It’s school stuff. She should want me to do school stuff.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the kid’s logic. “You’re right.”
“So can you talk to her for me? Like call her or something and tell her it’s a school project.”
“I would call her, man, but I don’t have her number.”
“I can give it to you. I know it by heart. She made me practice it until I remembered it.”
“Um, you know what? Sure,” I said, deciding that I was not above getting Harper’s number from her son either. I wouldn’t be able to rest until I made up for my past mistakes. There was no way she just wandered back into my life so casually if I wasn’t meant to have her.
I needed Harper back in my life. If she wanted, our arrangement could still stand.
I actually preferred it. More than anything, I just wanted her back.
I listened to Cameron rattle off his mother’s phone number as I casually plugged it into my phone.
I had about twenty minutes before I had to be in the class, so instead of heading to the science lab, I stepped through the first set of double doors I came to that led outside.
Once I was a few feet away from the building, I looked down at my phone and pressed send.
Why the hell could I feel my heart beating as I held the phone to my ear?
I’d had a physical about a month ago. There was nothing wrong with my heart aside from the empty place where Harper should have been living.
“Hello, this is Harper.” Hearing her voice only made my heart rate quicken.
“Hey, Harper. It’s JoJo,” I said, pausing to give her a minute to gather herself. I was sure I was the last person in the world she expected to hear on the other end of the phone. Then again, after I’d dropped off a housewarming gift for her, maybe I wasn’t.
“What is it, Jordy, and how did you find out where I live?”
“How are you adjusting to the move? I noticed that your son was struggling a little.”
“Fine aside from a mad man showing up at my house unannounced and calling my phone without me giving him my number.”
“Mr. Collins mentioned a couple of times that he felt like the Sprouts program might be good for Cameron. He’s asked me a couple of times if I would talk to you about signing the forms and letting him participate.
I wanted to find out if there was something I could do to help you with that decision.
If it’s the logistics of everything or the time, I can drop him off. ”
“I don’t need you dropping him off. He has to learn how to behave during a normal school day before he starts worrying about participating in after-school activities. I can’t keep dropping things to come discipline him, JoJo. I’m sorry, but that’s my son, and I have to handle him my way.”
“Harper, baby, he’s probably struggling with all the changes and the move. You’re right. He’s your son, but know that I’m more than willing to pitch in where I can. I’m not trying to interfere, but I’m not going to see you needing me and not help. He’s a good kid, and we have a good rapport.”
“You sure you’re not just trying to use him to get to me?”
“So, what if I am? I’m sure he needs some kind of outlet outside of home and the classroom. Besides, it’s not like we’re sitting around playing video games and wasting time. We’re building robots this semester. Once we finish this module, it will be rockets.”
“I have too much going on right now, JoJo. I’m looking for a job and trying to learn how to be a single mom, not to mention everything else on my plate.”
“Let me lighten the load for you, Harper. That’s what I’m here for.”
“No. That’s what you were there for in the past, and we see how that worked out.”
“I know that we have some unresolved issues, baby, but don’t punish him just because you hate me.”
She sighed heavily before responding to my statement. “I don’t hate you, Jojo. I just . . . I don’t know. I haven’t even looked at the participation fees yet.”
“There are no fees unless the school hosts a field trip, Harper. Even if there were, that’s the least of your worries.”
“Everyone keeps suggesting things to do to occupy his mind. I understand that, but I also don’t want him to feel like he’s being rewarded for acting out.”
“It’s educational, Harper. One might even consider it a punishment to be in school after hours.”
“Don’t push it, Jordy.”
“How about I give you a minute to think? Take the weekend to marinate on it. We have another class on Monday.”
“I don’t need you to give me a minute to do anything,” she snapped, causing me to chuckle. I missed how feisty she could get.
“How about if little man isn’t in that robotics class five minutes after it starts on Monday afternoon, I’m putting the whole fucking thing on hold so I can come pick both of y’all up. Don’t deprive him just because you’re afraid to face me, Harper.”
“I’m not afraid to do anything.”
“Well, I’ll see you guys Monday at four,” I said, ending the call before she could protest.
I was done talking to Harper. Learning that she was divorced was all the ammunition I needed. I had stood down long enough. Now, I was getting my lady.