My New Baby

Chapter 5.

Riding my board home wasn't too bad, it was a lot warmer outside so the breeze felt nice. Once I get home, I'm going tell Grace about Eric. Maybe she has some advice for me, so I could survive when I have to deal with his annoying attitude. I understand that he's the boss, he's the manager, but he's not equal with his employees. He treats the other girls a lot different than he does with me. He talks to the other girls like they're friends, like he's not the boss he's just another employee. With me though, the boss comes back and it gets annoying. I know today was my first day, but I couldn't help and notice the difference. I just hope things get better with time.

As I road up to the door, I got off of my board. I opened the door and leaned my board against the wall. The house seemed empty, but I knew Grace should be here. Today was her day off, and she said she going to get her room ready for the baby and herself. "Grace, I'm home!" I shouted.

"In here, Aaliyah!" Grace was in her room, probably putting her things away.

I walked into Grace's room, it was the door to the right, while mine was right across the small hall. As I entered the room, I gasped. Everything looked different, and it looked more like a babies room too. The sliding closet held all of Grace's clothes, but she had bought a chest of drawers for the baby I assumed. The crib she had purchased was small; brown rails, with the inside of the crib all baby blue. Grace's bed was next to the crib, with just the perfect amount of space between them.

Grace was standing next to the crib, she obviously looked happy she had more things for her baby. I walked over to Grace's bed, and just took a seat at the edge of it. "Everything looks really good," I assured her.

Grace smile at me, obviously happy with my comment. Inside the bed of the baby, there also was more blankets, something I hadn't noticed. "I still have a lot of things to get,"Grace explained. She walked over to the chest of drawers, and opened the first one.

"As you can tell, I have no clothes for my baby." Grace moved to the side so I could see, but either way I wasn't able to see the empty drawers.

"Did Isiah take you to buy these things?" I questioned her.

"Yeah, he did. I wanted to wait for you, but Isiah works in the afternoon so he could only take me in the morning. Plus, I have this huge urge to nest, and have everything ready. Although I didn't wait for you to buy the big things, you and I can go buy all his clothes." Grace smiled at me as she spoke, and she had taken a bag out of the top drawer.

"I look forward to baby clothes shopping, but with what did you buy these things with?" I questioned her. Last time I checked, we were broke. Grace had spent her life savings to make the deposit, and first month of rent for this place.

"I still had some savings left over, and I thought it'd be best to invest the rest on my baby." Grace walked over to the bed, and she placed the bag on the bed.

"What is that?" I questioned her.

Grace took out the wooden letters one by one, and she spelt out a name on the bed. "Hayden?" I questioned her. Grace nodded.

"Dad's name, do you like it?" Grace asked. I smiled at the name on the bed, of course I liked it.

"Yeah I love it, and I think Dad would of loved it as well," I reassured her.

With my finger I traced each letter, remembering my Dad. He would of been happy knowing his grandson had his name. Thinking about him made me miss him more, but now after all those years I was use to the feeling being there.

After both of us being quiet for a while, I remembered Eric again. I still haven't told Grace about him, and I knew I had to. Grace was picking up the wooden letters from the bed, and suddenly I felt nervous to tell her about Eric. "Grace, I have to tell you something."

Grace placed the bag that held the letters back in the first drawer, and she closed it up again. "Tell me, you know you can tell me anything." Graced walked over to the bed, she sat down next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Do you remember Eric Palmer?" I asked her. Grace seemed to have thought about it for a while, but almost instantly it hit her.

"Eric? The little kid that would tease you all the time?" She asked. It seemed like Grace wanted to smile at the thought of him, or laugh, but I quickly ignored that.

"Yes, him," I confirmed.

"What about him?" She asked.

I hesitated a bit to tell her, I didn't know how she was going to take the news. For all I knew she would take the news really good, and I'm just the one paranoid that I'm going to get tripped again. "He's kind of the manager of Java Beans."

This time, Grace didn't smile at all, her face fell. "What? Really? That's such a coincidence, don't you think?" She asked, the smile slowly grew on her face again.

"Kind of, but why do you look so happy, or amused by this?" I questioned her. Grace's smile softend.

"Look, I know that kid use to be terrible to you, but those were just kid things. Did you ever think that maybe he had a crush on you?" Grace questioned with a smirk.

I was a little shocked at how Grace was reacting; yes back then those things were kid things, but what makes her think he won't be worse this time. "No, Grace. Eric didn't like me, he teased me and made me miserable. At work today, he treats me so different than the other workers. The other girls seem to be good friends with him, but he hates me."

This time, Grace hugged me. She pulled me by my shoulders closer to her body. "I know he was terrible to you, trust me I remember all those nights you cried. All I'm saying is that he teased you so much, maybe he had a crush on you. I know you're still upset over all that, and I don't blame you, but don't be so quick to judge."

"What do you mean not to be quick to judge? I saw how he was today, he was terrible Grace. He was arrogant, a smart ass, and any other insult you can think of," I complained.

Grace stroked my hair, it felt really nice and relaxing. "It was your first day at work, he's not going to be your friend right away. Look, before you judge and make assumptions that he's still the same guy, give him some time. For all you know, he can surprise you, maybe he's far from the same guy. If he turns out to be the same guy then just find another job, okay? I know you love working at Java Beans but if Eric's going to be the same, then I suggest you go somewhere else."

Grace was right about everything, but I didn't want to admit it. I will give Eric time though, because maybe he's not the same guy. "I'll give him a month, and after that we'll see if he truly did change," I decided.