Uncompromising (Age Gap, gxg)

Chapter 10

"Wake up sleepyhead!" I said while shaking Gracie in her bed the next morning. She'd had a hard time getting to sleep the previous night, since it had been the first night sleeping alone in months. It had been a tearful goodbye, and Gracie was miserable after Jashanna rode her bike back to her house. Now it was a little before 6am, and school started just after 7 so I needed to get my youngest up.

"Do I really have to get up? Why can't you just homeschool me?" Yeah, Gracie wasn't a morning person.

"Because I would have no patience doing that, and you're doing great in school. You just have to get back into the routine you had before and you'll be fine," I assured her. "You want some avocado toast?"

"Mmmm, yes please!" she said while sitting up. "I'll take a quick shower and be down in a minute."

"Okay, don't take too long!" I knew the first week would be rough, adapting to the new schedule and missing Jashanna would be a rough combination, But I was pretty sure that given a few days we'd be looking better. Avocado toast was one of our more popular breakfasts because it was quick, easy, and healthy. It also gave Gracie some energy to get through her morning classes.

I got the water boiling for the tea that we'd both need to get caffeine in us, and then heated up a skillet for the eggs. The avocado was mashed up while the skillet got hot, and I added salt to make sure it had a little more flavor. Gracie was downstairs and dressed in a nice dark blue skirt and white top for her first day of school before the eggs were done, and she started in on the tea with a happy sigh.

"Oh, I needed that!" She groaned in appreciation, and I slid a plate over to her as soon as I put an egg on the avocado covered toast. "Thanks, mom."

My own plate was ready seconds later, and I sat next to her at the counter eating in a comfortable silence. When we were done, I put everything in the dishwasher, then went to brush my teeth while Gracie did the same. A few minutes later, we met by the door that led from the kitchen to the garage.

"Did you already text Jashanna to see if she's ready?" I asked as we headed out to the car. I pressed the little button on the wall, and the garage door opener hummed to life, pulling open the door behind my car.

"Yep. She's awake. Hopefully, she's ready to go when we get there, and her mom and brother aren't being a pain in the ass."

"Perfect. I got behind the wheel, while Gracie got in the back seat so she could sit next to Jashanna when she got in. They'd been doing that all summer, so I wasn't shocked.

Jashanna's house was on the way to the school, and right by our old house, so it was easy enough for me to drive in and pick her up. Unlike ours, their neighborhood didn't have a gate, so there was no issue getting in either. I pulled up into the driveway, noticing that the grass was much higher than it should be, and beeped the horn. A minute later, Jashanna came around the side of the house, as if she'd come out the back door.

"Hey!" she said wearily as she got into the back seat.

Gracie leaned over and gave her a kiss good morning as Jashanna buckled up her seatbelt. "Good morning, Shanna baby."

"Good morning, Jashanna. Did you sleep okay? Or were you like Gracie, and up all night?" Judging by the bags under her eyes, I knew the answer to that question.

Indeed, she snorted, and leaned her head back on the seat. "No, I didn't sleep well at all. I'm glad we won't be doing much on the first day, because I'm going to be useless." She looked to have had a worse night than Gracie, and I hoped she'd adapt quickly to the schedule.

I pulled out and got back on the road to the high school. When I looked in the back seat, Jashanna had tipped over, her head on Gracie's lap as my daughter gently ran her fingers through the dark curls. Fuck. There weren't enough words for how much I hoped they would end up together forever. I don't think I'd ever had that kind of relationship, and it was something I hoped they cherished.