Taxi: Sarah & Tom

Chapter 3: Sarah

Sarah

It's been a few weeks since Tom picked me up from The Zoo and we haven't resolved anything. To be fair, we haven't had much time to talk about anything.

I got busy at work and didn't want to have to sacrifice a significant amount of sleep to stay late at Tom's and then go home super late or wake up so early that Jackson doesn't see me in the morning. I can't keep making myself miserable just to continue fitting into the neat little space of life that Tom has offered me, with no improvement in sight. Instead, I've been seeing my friends more often, and I just picked up a running club to get back into my favorite sport.

After my work schedule got a bit better, Jackson got sick and Michelle couldn't take an entire week of PTO, so the evenings that I would have gotten with Tom he needed to use to catch up on work.

Which is also why I'm on the way to pick up Jackson from his pre-K program. Neither of his parents could get away from work and I have a car seat. I used to shuttle Jackson around to a few things before things went sour, so Tom just said that it was easier for me to have a permanent car seat.

I arrive at the school building with Jackson's favorite snacks, as told to me by Tom, and a CD of songs from a recent animated musical that he and Tom saw. I'm devolving into bribery, but I also don't care. I miss Tom, but I miss my little friend. I loved spending time with Jackson, and it cuts deep that our relationship has changed so much.

I sign in at the front desk and they tell me to wait for them to bring him out, so I sit down in the little area they have set up. I'm reading a book on my phone when I hear my name.

"Sarah?" The voice is familiar, and I'm shocked to see Daniel, the guy I met at The Zoo. He really was harmless, and very respectful but seeing him in the daylight, in a school no less, is weird. We only chatted for a little while, but he seemed like a fun guy.

Maybe a few inches over 6', his dark hair is kept close to his scalp, and he keeps a well-groomed mustache and beard. With black and red traditional tattoos and a gleaming smile, I am sure that he doesn't need cheesy pick-up lines to take most women home.

"Oh my gosh, hi! Do you work here or does your child attend?"

"The latter. My son, Steven, is in pre-K. Usually his mom picks him up but she's on a trip with her wife. Do you have a kid here?"

"Not my child, but my boyfriend's. I am just playing taxi today."

We turn at the sound of little voices and see Jackson and another little boy. By the way he jumps at Daniel, I'm assuming that I'm meeting Steven.

"Hey Sweetpea. This is Sarah, one of Daddy's friends. Can you say 'hi'?"

Steven is obviously not a shy kid, and he immediately launches into a conversation with me about why my hair is orange. Daniel goes to scold him, but I laugh it off, used to those questions from kids.

"Well, when I was younger, I would never ever ever eat my veggies or my fruit, only Cheetos. I ate so many that all of my little fingers turned orange, and then so did my hair! No matter how much I showered I just couldn't get it off. After I ate some broccoli, my fingers went back to normal, since green is the opposite of orange."

Steven looks concerned, and then wiggles to get down from his dad's arms. "Jackson, we can't even eat Cheetos ever again!" Steven yells this down the hallways as he runs over to Jackson.

Jackson is still collecting his folders from his teacher, and Daniel and I keep an eye on them.

"You may not have any, but you're great with kids." I look at him skeptically. "No, really. It's a funny answer and now he'll have a fun little lie to tell his friends. The best part about being a parent is teaching them goofy white lies."

"Thanks. I try but Jackson actually doesn't even really like me right now, and I don't know why."

"Kids can be fickle. Have you and his dad been together long?"

"About a year and a half. Jackson and I didn't meet until his dad and I got serious, but we got along really well at first. Recently Jackson doesn't want me around, so we've been trying to make him more comfortable."

"You're picking him up alone though, so his dad must trust you."

Daniel doesn't realize that it's a sore spot, but it hurts all the same.

"Well, I am a convenient taxi and at all other times I am neither seen nor heard, so I'm not sure what you'd call that," I slap my hand over my mouth immediately. "Ignore that, please. I was venting for a second but that was so inappropriate." I hate being the oversharer.

"Don't sweat it, obviously I hit a nerve and, in the future, you can always tell me to just shut up. Anyway, I'm glad I ran into one of Jackson's adults. Steven has been asking if they can have a playdate. Can I grab your number to chat about it?"

"Oh, of course. I'll send you his mom and dad's information, since they'll be the ones to say yes or no. Just text me and I'll forward you their contacts."

It isn't until later that I realize I could have just given him Tom's number, but it's a bit late for that.