“You guys need a ride home Leah?” I look over at Ally and Skylar who are getting up to leave. Remy nudges me with her elbow and mouths ‘go’. I raise my eyebrows at her, I thought the whole point of her coming tonight was for her to meet her dream guy Chase. Remy pushes me a little closer to Chase as she stands up and grabs her purse, “Great show Chase. See you tomorrow at work Leah,” she leans over and whispers in my ear, “I expect details. On everything.”
I wave bye to her and Ally as they take off leaving me stranded with Chase. “Well I guess I could use that ride, seems like everyone ditched me. Oh shit I need to get Calebs car seat from Ally though.” I send her a quick text to wait for me outside and scoop Caleb out of his booster seat. “Ready to go buddy?” With a nod of his head he twists his little body around and reaches his arms to Chase who willingly takes Caleb from my arms.
He gives me a smirk as he reaches for my hand with his free one and begins to lead me towards the exit, “Well I guess you’re lucky we live so close to each other. I don’t give just anyone a ride, gas is expensive nowadays ya know? What happened to your boyfriend, Grant wasn’t it? He left in a hurry.” He says to me over his shoulder.
“Mommy doesn’t have boyfriends, silly. Just me.” Caleb giggles and buries his head in Chase’s chest and I feel a pang of jealousy shoot through me. How’d Caleb get so lucky? Maybe we should trade spots.
“It’s Gage and we’re just friends. And I’ve never told him about Caleb before so I think he was caught off guard a little bit.” He looks at me with surprise as he holds the door open for me on his jeep, grabbing me around the waist and setting me onto the passenger seat. “Um I need to make sure you get the car seat in the right way,” I say as Ally hands it off to him with a quick wave before skipping back to Skylars car. “Have fun Leah!”
“Don’t worry I’m like an expert with these things, I have a ton of little sisters and I was always helping my mom out.” I turn around to watch and sure enough he straps it in and more quickly than I do. He straps Caleb in and hops into the driver’s seat.
“So he’s just a friend then?” He shoots me a crooked grin and I nod my head at him. “Cause he definitely looks like he wants to be more than friends.” I bite back a laugh before turning my head around to look at Caleb. Passed out already, I wish I could fall asleep that quickly.
“Well that’s all its going to be, even if he thinks differently. Which I’m pretty sure after tonight that’s not the case. I have Caleb to worry about and enough going on with work and school to be dating.”
“So is Calebs dad not in the picture at all? You do everything on your own?”
I shake my head at him, “No I was not on an episode of 16 and pregnant. He’s my brother, my mom took off and left us when he was just a little baby. No clue on who the dad is but I’m sure he’s a loser.”
“Wow Leah. He calls you mommy so I just assumed,” he trails off as he gives me a sideway glance.
“Well he just started doing that being around other little kids for the first time at daycare. And I’m not about to correct him. I had a shitty upbringing and I’m going to make his life better. He doesn’t need to know that his mom abandoned him.”
“You’re pretty amazing, you know that? Calebs lucky to have you and in every sense you are his mom. You’re the one taking care of him like a mother should.”
Chase pulls up to our complex and we both hop out of the jeep and head into the building. “Well thank you and for the ride. I’ll definitely have to try and make another performance, you guys were awesome. I wish I knew how to play the guitar.”
“Really? I could try and teach you some time. My mom was always having me and my sisters try new things when we were younger. Guitar and soccer were the only two things that really stuck.”
Wow soccer too. I really wasn’t expecting that one. “I doubt I would be able to pick up the guitar. How many sisters do you have?” He laughs and pretends to count on his fingers.“A grand total of six. Two older and four younger, the youngest just turned three.”
“Oh wow I can’t imagine being in a house with that many girls and I am one. I feel bad for you.”
“It’s actually not that bad. My parents divorced when I was younger and then my mom remarried my step dad Chris a few years after that and started popping all the younger girls out. Chris is a good guy, he really loves me and my older sisters like we’re his own. I’ve always been the man of the house, taking care of my little sisters, no one messes with them or they have to deal with me.”