Vicky did not join them for lunch the next day. Tyler had somewhat expected as such by her non-answer but was still disappointed when she didn’t show. It had seemed like such a good start to a friendship and the others had also wanted to spend more time with her.

  So, when the day went by with no change, he wasn’t the only one who was disappointed. They tried not to let it show, but their conversation was quieter at lunch. He’d caught Nina giving him pitying looks throughout css too. Which he’d dutifully ignored.

  It wasn’t that big of a deal, he tried to convince himself as he started for the door when the bell rang. There was always tomorrow. Waving off his nosy friends, he headed towards the door. Then cursed underneath his breath when he was immediately pelted with a downpour of rain.

  Shit. He ran across the courtyard to a covered area. He couldn’t go back inside, there was too many people pushing behind him. Sighing, he plopped his bag on the ground, bending down to search through it.

  “Where is it,” he muttered under his breath, pulling books out to get a better look. “Ah ha!” There it was.

  With a grin, he pulled out the umbrel buried underneath his stuff. He’d never been happier with his mother’s insistence on something. She had shoved it in as he was walking out the door, and he’d just went with it in resignation before. He pursed his lips, messily putting everything back in, he should probably thank her.

  As Tyler was zipping up the bag the rest of the way a shimmer of gold caught his eye. His gnce flickered from his umbrel to her uneasy expression. It was clear she didn’t have an umbrel by the way she was warily eyeing the distance to the bus stop.

  Hmm. He stood up, slinging the bag over his shoulder before walking towards her. As he reached her, he opened the umbrel, holding it to the side in question.

  “Don’t tell me you forgot to bring an umbrel?” He grinned at the look of surprise on her face as she snapped to face him. Then she seemed to process his tone and sent him a small gre.

  “Maybe I did. But how was I supposed to know it was going to storm? It was a clear sky this morning!” Vicky pointed a finger accusingly at the sky to emphasise the point.

  “Yes. Yes.” He nodded sagely, “It’s all the weather’s fault for being unpredictable and not yours for not checking the forecast.”

  That got him a deadpan look, “I highly doubt you checked the forecast. Your mother made you take it, didn’t she?”

  “Maybe,” he singsonged, “but I still have one and as circumstance has it, you do not. So, it doesn’t matter.” Maybe grinning at her afterwards might come off as annoying, but her lips were twitching so he took it as a win.”

  “Ass,” she huffed, losing the battle with the smile. “No. I do not have an umbrel. And I also can’t take the bus, so I guess I’ll just have to wait for the rain to stop.”

  Tyler frowned, that didn’t sound good. “Why can’t you take the bus?”

  “My house isn’t that far from school and the bus doesn’t stop anywhere near it, so I’d still be soaked even if I did take it.” She finished the words off with a casual shrug.

  Ah. He nodded, pulling out his phone. No reminders. Good. He didn’t have anywhere else to be. “Well then,” he smiled as Vicky gave him a questioning look, “Where are we going?”

  “We?”

  “Well you don’t think I’m going to leave you in the rain alone, do you? It’d probably be dark out by the time the rain stops.” He shook his head with a small smile. “Besides you said your house wasn’t far.”

  Vicky pursed her lips, eyes flickering to the rain before settling on his brown. “What if it’s in the complete other direction from yours?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he shrugs a shoulder, “I have a time. And besides, it’s already too te.” Was that another smile pying on her lips.

  “Too te for what?”

  “To get rid of me,” he tells her, “Either you let me walk you home or I’ll stay here with you until it gets dark.”

  “That’s coercion.” It might be, but Tyler was a little distracted by her smile.

  “Doesn’t make it any less true,” he settles on.

  She shakes her head slightly, fully grinning now. “You’re certainly taking the savior role seriously.”

  “Is that a yes?” He couldn’t deny the accusation when that was exactly what he was doing, albeit unintentionally. But he really didn’t like her staying here all alone in an empty school until the rain stopped.

  “Yes,” she slings her back onto her shoulders in a fluid motion, “I suppose it is.”

  Tyler can’t help but grin happily, moving the umbrel so it covered them both. It was honestly shocking how much it could spread, but he was gd for it as they walked. And yes. It was definitely in the opposite direction of his house, but who cared?

  It wasn’t like anyone would be home anyway.

  “So,” he starts after a few minutes of companionable silence, “Any reason you didn’t want to sit with us today?” He paused, “We didn’t scare you off, did we?”

  But that worry was dispelled soon enough. She ughed, “No. It was nothing like that. I was just busy with something, and,” she gives him a pointed look, “I do have friends to sit with us.”

  Yes. But he wanted her to sit with them. He would have said so aloud, but even he knew how petunt it would sound, so silence was a better bet.

  “Will you at least consider it,” he asked instead, “it doesn’t have to be everyday.”

  That got him another smile. That was three now. “Yeah,” she said softly, “I’ll consider it.”

  After that they settled into small talk about random things as the rain continued to pelt down around them. Tyler was pretty sure some of his bag might have gotten wet, but it wasn’t important. All the important stuff was close enough to avoid the rain anyway.

  When they came to a stop in front of a rge house with a covered verandah over a few steps, Tyler was surprised to see a heavily pregnant waiting for them. He wasn’t sure if she should be so close to the rain in her condition. Still, only an complete idiot would say that aloud.

  “Is this it?” Which might have been equally dumb to ask as she was starting to undo the tch into their front yard, but was less likely to offend.

  As expected she shot him a slightly amused look. “Yep. This is it. Come on in.” The wooden door swung open right after.

  “Okay.” He made sure to keep the umbrel open until they were safely covered, but was then faced with a new problem.

  “Just rest it against the wall, dear.” The woman in the rocking chair, who Tyler assumed was her mother said with a smile. Then she cocked her head to the side, “You don’t have anywhere to be do you? I can’t possibly let you leave so soon when you went out of your way to get her home safe.”

  “I don’t,” He gave her a small smile, feeling a little shy. “It was no trouble really.”

  “Good,” she says as she makes to stand up, “Then you can help me finish the cake as well.” She waves off his protest kindly, “Please, it would make me happy if you did.” Then she gives the disgruntled Vicky, who may or may not have been cut off when she opened her mouth a pointed look.

  She sighs. “This is Tyler. Tyler, Jade.”

  “Nice to meet you,” he says automatically, pcing the umbrel down. He wouldn’t mind having some cake.

  “The pleasure’s all mine,” Jade says with another smile, shaking his extended hand. As they step inside, before which Tyler makes sure to remove his shoes, Jade motions for him to take a seat at the sofa. “Please sit.”

  Then she blinks and looks towards Vicky, “I almost forgot. V, could you please put up the rest of the decorations in the living room?”

  “The rest?” Vicky gives her a pointed look, “Didn’t we agree you’d wait for me or George before you put them up?”

  “I’m pregnant not injured,” Jade rolls her eyes then gives her a sheepish smile. “It…just got a little tiring.”

  Vicky looks like she wants to argue but thinks better of it, sighing instead. “Alright.”

  “Wonderful,” Jade smiles. “Thank you, Sweetheart.”

  “Do you want me to help?” Tyler feels a little uncomfortable just sitting there, doing nothing.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Vicky tells him, “Guests aren’t put to work.”

  “But…”

  “That’s right, dear,” Jade says as well, “You’re a guest, just make yourself at home.”

  He still doesn’t really think he should be just sitting there but concedes to their words with a nod. If being friends with Nina and Lia has taught him anything, it’s to not argue back to women who’ve made up their mind. It doesn’t end well.

  Not that he thinks either of these particur women would throw a pillow at him, but still. Better safe than sorry.

  The cake ends up being absolutely delicious and he finishes it far too quickly. Then, he’s hit with the awkward feeling of being in the presence of an unknown parental figure. Tyler is self aware enough to admit he’s nervous.

  Not that Jade has done anything to warrant it. In fact, she sits in front of him with a kind smile. The moment is almost peaceful with the rain tapping at the windows and the sweet smell of cake not too far away.

  But he can’t ignore the uneasiness in his gut. The feeling that he won’t like what’s to come, anticipation rising under his skin as the seconds tick by.

  “I-”

  “So,” she interrupts whatever he meant to say, “I’m assuming you’re friends with Vicky?”

  Tyler gulps, mouth feeling dry. “Something like that.” He would hope they were friends, but he didn’t want to presume.

  Jade gives him a small smile. “You would have to be to come all this way in the pouring rain.” She waves him off not a moment ter. “It’s alright, that wasn’t what I wanted to talk about.”

  “It wasn’t?” Tyler feels his brows furrow, mouth contorting in confusion.

  “No.” Her green eyes flicker between his, a look of indecision on her face before she sighs. “I’m assuming you’ve noticed we look nothing alike?”

  He had, and nods to say as much. It wasn’t just the colour of her eyes or the brown of her hair. There was nothing of Vicky in Jade’s features. He’d sort of just assumed she looked like her father or something.

  “There’s really no easy way to say this…“ Sigh. “In all the time I’ve known her, I haven’t seen V smile at anyone the way she smiled at you today. Or met any of her friends, but she let you come here today.”

  “Known her?” Something about the words striked him as odd, but his brain chose to focus on this particur fact. That was a weird thing for a mother to say.

  “That’s the part that’s not easy to expin. V came into our lives six years ago after her parents died and she was put in the system.”

  “You adopted her?” Jesus Christ. That sounded like a stupid question even to his own ears. But there was a buzz in his mind after learning Vicky’s parents were dead.

  “Yes,” she smiles, clearly not offended by the question. “I really shouldn’t be mentioning this so easy, but I want you to be prepared.”

  “Prepared?” He felt really stupid, but his brain was still out of commission. “Prepared for what?”

  “Prepared for when she tries to push you away,” she tells him with a tired smile. “She doesn’t trust easy, our V. I don’t know all the details because she doesn’t like talking about it, but I can tell there’s still some demons she has yet to face.”

  “I’m assuming you mean metaphorical ones.” Yep. Still out of commission. Though to be fair, Vicky’s adoptive motherhad just dropped a bomb on him. Or several. “And I’m not going to give up on her.”

  That wasn’t even a possibility in his mind. He wouldn’t push her of course, but it didn’t mean he was simply going to stop trying to be her friend if that was all she wanted. Tyler internally groaned, maybe he should just start saving for the py station.

  “That’s good,” Jade smiled fondly. “I have a good feeling about this.” She sounds both relieved and tired as sinks back into her seat.

  “This has been weighing on you a lot, hasn’t it,” he asks her quietly.

  “Of course,” Jade tells him, pushing another cushion behind her back. “I want my girl to be happy.”

  “Which she won’t be if she keeps everyone at a distance,” Tyler finishes with a nod. Then he feels a smile pulling at his lips. “You care about her a lot, don’t you?”

  Envy rears its ugly head for a moment before he smashes it down. Now wasn’t the time to think about his own parents and their absentee parenting. Sure they cared, but not the way Jade did. Not enough to look under the surface. If they didn’t see the problem, it didn’t exist.

  “Of course I do,” Jade moves her hand up to ruffle his head, which he dutifully leans forward to make it easier for her. “She’s my daughter now.”

  Tyler decides right then and there that he likes her. He likes her warmth and the way her face lights up when she talks about Vicky being her daughter. Like blood means nothing. It has a tension he hadn’t even felt rising leaving his shoulders.

  “She’s lucky to have you,” he decides to say.

  “Not at all,” Jade says quietly. “We’re the ones who are lucky to have her.” Then her eyes flicker to the hallway and a frown forms on her face, before settling on his. “She’s been in there for a while.”

  “Yes she has.” He’s not entirely sure whether that was question, but replying feels like the safest bet.

  “Would you mind checking on her for me?” Jade moves to stand, eyes going to the clock. “It’s getting te.”

  “Not at all.” He stands as well, smiling. “Thank you for telling me all that.” Even if he’s still not entirely sure why she did. Lia was a lot better with these things.

  “Just don’t tell her I did,” she says, putting a finger to her lips. “And don’t pity her for it, she hates that.”

  “I won’t.” Neither of those things. It wasn’t even a thought in his mind. Someone had once told him that people would tell you things when they were ready. That pushing would only dey it, and although he couldn’t quite remember who it was, he knew the words were true.

  “Good.” She shoots him another smile over her shoulder as she walks into the kitchen, “And you’re welcome to have another slice of the cake if you want.”

  Tyler gives her a sheepish smile, not sure what to think about being seen through so easily. Then he turns and walks towards the sound of footsteps in the distance, mind still racing. The conversation was revealing, but had also raised a lot of questions.

  He shook them away. All in good time. Hopefully.