A Not So Cinderella Story...

The Notes

I thought hanging out with Toby on a Saturday night would be weird, without Jasper. And it wasn't, not one bit. I like hanging out with Toby more than Jasper right now. Ever since the breakup with Farrah, Jasper has been trying to be fun and loud, but he's being clingy and whenever he sees Farrah his face gets tight and he has to 'excuse' himself.

Yet as Jasper is a dark cloud of depression, Toby is a sunny summer morning.

This is what I was thinking about as I lie in bed, Toby's sweatpants and t-shirt combo that coordinates with mine. His easy smile and way he ran his hands through his hair. We sat for hours talking and watching TV and it was so easy, like it was meant to be. He pulled my legs into his lap so I was stretched out and his feet were up on the ottoman. I told him all about my day with Maggie and he told me about his day trying to avoid Jasper who was looking for ways to cling to people every chance he got. And for a second I considered bringing up my dad, but I didn't want his pity or to make this a sad hang out.

When I couldn't stop yawning he told me he'd go so I could sleep, and when we were at the door he pulled me into a hug that was normal, yet fantastic, he smelled good and felt warm. He pulled away and I almost felt sad. He waved from his car. With the smell and feel of him fresh in my mind I had fallen asleep.

Now the sun was shining in my window onto a patch of carpet and Ruby was snoring loud enough for a giant. And I heard the radio playing softly, but two voices were singing. I jumped out of my bed giving myself whiplash startling Ruby awake with a snort. We padded down the stairs and I grabbed Ruby's collar before she could step onto the tile and there was my mom, hair pulled back singing softly as she made french toast. The house smelled like coffee.

"Good date last night?" I asked.

"Oh hell!" My mom yelled, she dropped an egg, Ruby ran over and sniffed the dropped egg, then decided against it. "Jaycee, now was that really necessary? You scared ten years off of me!"

I giggled, "sorry mom, didn't mean to scare you."

She smiled, "So anyways how was your evening?" As she grabbed a sponge and cleaned up the egg.

I opened the fridge and got a new one, "Good, Toby came over for a couple of hours, but I know you don't really want to know about my night, you want to tell about yours." I smiled at her.

"Toby? Jasper's older brother? He came over here, and it was just the two of you?" She wrinkled her eyebrows together.

"Yes mom, don't worry we just watched tv, he was trying to get space between him and the new clinging Jasper." My mom's face softened just a little bit, "so anyways, how was your date with mystery man?" I wiggled my fingers at her.

She laughed and her face eased into a ginormous smile, "it was fantastic! He's a really nice child psychologist and I thought great, he's going to analyze everything, be boring, or talk to be like a child. But no! He didn't he is extremely sweet, owns his own practice, and hes coming over for dinner next Friday!"

"This Friday? Huh, can't wait to meet him, so what's his name?"

"Oh, duh," my mom hit herself lightly in the forehead with the heel of her hand, "it's Bruce, Bruce Gillis."

"Hm, don't you mean Dr. Bruce Gillis?" I poked her in the side, this was the longest time me and my mom had ever gotten along.

"Well you know," a sly smile spread across her face, "you can invite Toby to dinner, that way you aren't alone when Bruce and I head out to watch a movie after."

I froze momentarily, "why Toby? I could invite Maggie or Jasper." Even as I said those words, I knew I wanted it to be Toby.

"Well fine, invite them then, sure because you so totally want Maggie to come instead of Toby," my mom rolled her eyes and flipped the last slice of french toast onto a plate with the others.