Sunny Side Up - JJ Maybank

6

To say the next few months were easy would have been a lie, but at the same time, I had a bed to sleep in, a roof over my head, and supportive friends who were like my family. I hadn't heard a word from my mother since she kicked me out, but I didn't expect anything more. We had never had the best relationship and at least now she could justify it.

I knew I couldn't rely on John B forever, I worked two jobs until my bump got too big and then I had to stay at home, but I started my own business selling jewellery to make sure I still had an income. At the start of my pregnancy, I was set on giving my child up for adoption, but as the months went on, and I felt the baby start to kick, I grew attached and decided I was going to keep it. I was surprised how much money I'd saved up in less than nine months and decided I was going to look for my own place. I could afford it and my child deserved a good life.

"Will you help me look?" I asked Kiara, she'd been so supportive through my whole pregnancy, reading books to the bump, putting special lotion she'd read to help with stretch marks, helping me think of baby names, because I wanted the sex to be a surprise.

"Of course! Shall we bring Sarah?"

The three of us spent the day looking at affordable flats on my side of the island. I sometimes felt embarrassed because the two other girls were Kooks and I was a Pogue, but I knew they didn't see me any differently because I had less money than them. The places I could afford weren't the nicest, but eventually I found one that with a bit of work, could be a home for my child and I.

I wanted to show JJ to see what he thought, but he was teaching surfing lessons to the kids on The Cut so I waited until he was finished. He was always a gentleman and made sure I never had to carry anything for myself, so he picked up my bags and bent down to talk to my stomach.

"Is this gonna be your home, little one?" he cooed, placing a hand on my stomach and grinning up at me.

"Not long now, sunshine."

I nodded at him as I led him inside.

"I know it's not much, but I can decorate, and it's affordable and close to the Chateau and-" I rambled.

"It's perfect," he smiled, looking around.

The landlord came inside and smiled at JJ.

"I take it you're the father?"

JJ glanced at me to see what I wanted to say, I'd learnt that a single pregnant woman got treated a lot differently to a pregnant woman with a man beside her, so sometimes JJ pretended to be my boyfriend, to make things easier for me.

"No, he's just my friend. It'll just be me and my child living here," I explained, and the man nodded, seemingly indifferent about the situation which I was grateful for.

By the end of the tour, I knew this was the place for me; the rent wasn't too high and my neighbours seemed nice, it had two bedrooms as well so I would have some privacy when my child got older. JJ seemed keen on it and it was close to his house so he could visit often.

"What's your verdict?" the landlord asked with a genuine smile.

"We'll take it."