Passing flowers
A romance smack down short story
It was entirely too difficult to find a temporary caretaker. Janelle had been reviewing profiles for several days now, and still none jumped out at her. She sighed and closed her tablet. She wanted nothing more than to be able to go out on a jog by herself. Since Jared had outgrown his stroller, it was out of the question. He’d started classes, but between commute time and errands, finding time to go for a run was nearly impossible.
Carefinder.com was her last hope. She’d heard good things from the other mothers in the support group, but she was skeptical. It was hard to put her trust in a stranger, especially where Jared was concerned. Her experiences with preschools and sitters had shaken her faith in those she would trust her son with. Though they’d all claimed to be well versed in handling high maintenance children, only two out of the six had been able to handle him, and even they struggled to meet the demands of her special boy.
It wasn’t that Jared was a problem child, he simply had special needs. Jared was Autistic, though he was on the high functioning end of the spectrum, he had proven to be a challenge to caregivers without a considerable understanding of his sensory issues and limitations. He was a wonderfully sweet, bright and charming child. The thought of leaving him in the care of those who would assume he was being defiant rather than burnt out, or spoiled rather than melting down, scared Jannelle. She needed to find the perfect person.
That perfect person came across her inbox unexpectedly. After finishing dinner, she sat down to watch Jared work on his latest block creation and check her emails. The profile that popped up was strikingly familiar. She knew the name instantly, Eric Feist, her old high school crush. She’d moved a good distance from her home town, so finding him in the same area in her time of need was quite the surprise.
If nothing else, she decided it would be entertaining to see him again, and she clicked his profile.
“Physical therapist with up to date credentials, such as CPR, CNA and experience with children dealing with sensory issues and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Looking for part time or on call jobs. Please contact for hours of availability.”
The credentials were sound enough, but what struck her was the profile image. His thin face, narrow nose, high cheekbones and dark skin. He was so much as she remembered him and so much unlike her husband. She felt herself flush at the memory of her long-ago crush. He hadn’t changed much.
Her hands hovered above the keyboard. He was the most promising applicant so far, wasn’t he? She couldn’t help but wonder as she touched a cool finger to her flushed cheeks. He was qualified, but she also desired a connection. Was that what drew her? Or was it the fact that she knew him already, knew she could trust him.
That was what she’d been drawn to about Eric after all, he was kind. He had a genuine love of people, a desire to do no harm. If anyone could see the natural talents, gifts and talents of her child, surely it would be Eric.
She took a deep breath and typed up a reply.
Eric,
Thank you so much for the interest in caring for my son. You look to be a great fit for what we’re looking for, would you care to meet up for an interview? We could meet at Benefit Park, where my son enjoys playing or at the coffee shop just up the street from the park.
What is a good time for you? We are free after 3 p.m. pretty much any weekday.
Janelle Pritchard
The response popped up in a matter of minutes.
Janelle,
I’d love to meet you and your son. Will tomorrow be good? I should be free at 4:30 p.m. and am familiar with the park, I walk my dog there.
Eric
* * *
The next day, Jannelle made sure her tablet had a good charge, was loaded with games and her purse was packed with snacks. She got Jared dressed in his rain boots, layered appropriately and explained to him exactly what they would be doing.
“Jared, hunny, we’re going to be meeting someone at the park today.”
“Oh! Is it Carl?” He asked, bouncing on his toes, his fingers in his mouth.
“Fingers out of your mouth, do we need to start painting your nails with the bitter stuff again?”
“Nooo!” he whined, and popped his dirty fingers out of his mouth and wiped them on his pants.
“We won’t be seeing Carl today. We’re going to meet a new friend, a grown up.
“Awww!” he whined.
“He’ll be a friend for you, someone to take you to play when Mommy’s busy.”
* * *
Jared had run through the usual gauntlet of the playground, bounding over the bridges, climbing up and over through the toddler section, into the big kid section, down the slides and around again. He’d done this about four times over before making his way to the swings. Janelle sighed and checked her phone. Ten minutes ‘till. Eric wasn’t late, but she’d definitely gotten to the park to early. Jared had been unusually cooperative and for once, they’d failed to arrive late.
She made her way to the swing where Jared sat swinging his legs impatiently. She gave him a good shove, propelling him into the air.
“Higher!” he chanted. “Higher!”
It was then she spotted him--that familiar build made her heart jump. It was funny, how even after all these years, the memories, the lingering feelings of that crush came rushing back. She shook her head and laughed a bit to herself before raising a hand to wave him over.
He nodded, and in that ground eating pace of his she remembered so well, made his way to her.
“Janelle?” he asked, a slight furrow to his brow. It was obvious he didn’t recognize her, not, at least the way she recognized him.
She nodded.
“I know you, don’t I?”
She laughed, though it didn’t surprise her that he’d have trouble placing her. She had changed a great deal, while he’d hardly changed at all.
“No, wait,” he put up a hand. “From high school, I remember now. Wow. You look great. Different, but great.” His dark eyes shone with approval, but not the leering sort she’d grown all too conscious of after working so hard to lose the weight that had plagued her through high school. Though she was a mom now, she still worked look at least presentable, stay on her diet, keep her hair, nail and tanning appointments. Though Stewart had grown more sympathetic over the years, he would still slip in a chiding comment if she let herself slip too far.
She beamed. “Thanks.” She’d worked so hard over the years to put that pudgy, awkward girl from high school far behind her. Hearing Eric’s approval made it all worth it.
“Maaaoom! Higher!” Jared protested, and she realized she’d stopped pushing the swing.
“Sorry baby!” she sputtered, and resumed her motherly duties.
“And this must be Jared,” Eric stated.
“Yes,” she managed, concentrating on pushing him while her heart was busy doing flip flops. “He likes to swing.”
“I can see that.” Eric put in, followed by an awkward silence as Janelle struggled to compose herself. “Well, Jared, what else do you like to do?”
“Pictures!” Jared exclaimed.
“Jared likes to take pictures,” Janelle repeated, flushing slighting at her inability to carry on a conversation. She took a deep breath and decided it was best she concentrated on Jared’s needs. And avoid looking at Eric. “Come on, Jared. Why don’t you show Eric how much you enjoy taking pictures. I brought your camera.”
“You remember the cable?” he demanded.
“Yes, I remembered the cable.”
“Good. I need to edit them before anyone can see...”
“I know, Jared.”
“Because I don’t like people to see them before they’re ready.”
“Don’t worry...”
“They don’t look right if I don’t edit them...”
“Yes, Jared. Come on then, off the swing.”
“Noooooo-ooooh! I like the swing!”
Janelle sighed and pushed her eight year old child again, glancing self-consciously over at the mother of two pushing her three-year-old on the swing, her five year old daughter on the next swing pumping her legs and swinging all on her own. Janelle had fought long and hard to try and get Jared to learn to do the same, at five, six and seven years old. Finally, she’d conceded defeat and given into the fact that she’d likely be pushing him on the swing until either he decided to learn, or he was an adult.
“Come on, now Jared. I brought the camera. Look at the trees, I’d love for you take some pictures,” she tried. That got his attention, and he glanced around. The light coming through the trees was spectacular as the afternoon progressed. Jared had an amazing eye, and though Janelle could see the beauty of it, he would likely capture it in a way she’d could only guess at.
Jared sighed heavily and gave a laborious, “Ohhh-kaaay,” and jumped from the swing. After running a wild, limb flailing circle, he approached her, expectant. She produced the older model Iphone, encased in a heavy-duty, waterproof covering. He snatched it and darted in the direction of the trees. It was a stumbling, flailing affair as he zig-zagged to step on, jump over, and stumble on things only he could see.
Janelle turned to Eric. “Care to walk and talk?” She felt more confident now. This was what this was all for, her son. Her crazy, beautiful, talented, mystery of a child.
“Sure,” Eric gave a little shrug and Janelle started off.
“This is normal for him. He knows not to go too far, but after a good romp through the playground, he’ll occupy himself with taking pictures. Don’t worry about the phone. It takes good pictures. It’s second-hand and that case is pretty durable. We have a spare should he manage to destroy it,” she started. “You seem pretty knowledgeable from your profile, but of course, the deciding factor will be whether or not you’re able to connect to Jared. When he tires out, he’ll come back to do some editing on the tablet, and you can see his work. Then we can try and see if you two connect, I mean, if you have time.”
“I have time this evening,” Eric put in. “Though I would need to know what sort of hours you would need me.”
“Sometime after three, like I noted. He has classes most days until then. More than anything, I just need some time to myself. I get called in to help at his school more often than not, and sometimes I just need someone to pick him up from school on the days while I’m running errands. I’d also love someone to help me with some of his sensory issues. They seem to come out more in the afternoons, after school.”
She glanced up at Eric catching herself. “I’m sorry, am I going too fast? I don’t even know your experience with kids like Jared.”
“No, no, it’s fine. My niece and nephew are on the spectrum. The nephew is non-verbal, so I’ve seen the extremes. I also see a lot of sensory issues at the children’s hospital, though I’m more in the rehabilitation side.”
“Oh,” Janelle gasped, she should have known. Surely he worked as a therapist, one doesn’t just acquire the certification without using it. “How on earth do you have the time to help us out?” she sputtered, off guard once more.
He shrugged, an increasingly familiar gesture she remembered from her school day observations of him. “I need the extra income. I’ve had some unexpected expenses lately.”
“Ah,” Janelle nodded, keeping an eye on Jared as he bounded back in their direction. She steered their walk towards the nearest bench and started digging into her bag for her tablet. She glanced up at Eric. “Jared will need to process his photos...”
On cue, the boy bounded towards them, eyes plastered to the screen of his phone. Once Jared was settled and downloading his photos to edit, Janelle and Eric were able to arrange a second meeting. Jared took little notice of the newcomer until his photos were ready for the big reveal. At that moment, he reached up and tugged on Eric’s sleeve.
“Look!” he announced, revealing a stunning image of yellows and golds of light through the stark contrast of the black trunks of trees.
Eric gasped, and knelt beside Jared. “You took this photo?” he asked, eye to eye with the boy. “That is amazing...”
“Yeah!” Jared beamed and pointed to the trees in the distance. “See, the sun setting through the trees, there. I used the computer a little bit.”
“Wow, Jared, this is really beautiful. You have a great eye. I love how you composed this, with the sun off center like that.”
Jared nodded. “Thanks. I like to take photos.”
“I can tell,” Eric leaned in close to Jared as he worked on the tablet on the next set of photos. “Can you show me any of your other photos?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jared answered, flipping through the files. “See this one, it’s from when we were at the beach.” It was a gorgeous sunset cast in blues, pinks and purples, the reflection of clouds a mirror image of the sky on the water.
“I really like the way you capture color. Do you enhance them much?”
Jared shrugged, and Janelle furrowed her brow. It was strangely similar to the Eric’s nonchalant shrug.
“Not much, I just adjust the levels a bit. Mom showed me.”
They glanced up at Janelle then and she smiled, glad to see them getting on so well. “You are a natural, though, love.”
“Yeah, it’s not that hard once you know how,” Jared admitted, seemingly unaware of his unique ability to see light and capture it.
“What about this one?” Eric asked, directing the boy’s attention back to the screen. They carried on like that for a good while, shoulder to shoulder, Jared showing Eric his photography, and Eric responding, interested and encouraging. Janelle was content to watch them, relaxing on the bench. It wasn’t often Jared acknowledged or took an interest in people. The fact that Eric had simply slipped into Jared’s world with little prompting was promising.
As the lights were coming on around the park and the evening chill was growing, their conversation had moved from photography to Eric’s own fondness for guitar. Though Jared’s interest in music didn’t go much further than the music he listened to in the car and his demands and preferences while they were driving, Eric’s photos of his guitars, shared on his smartphone piqued Jared’s interest. Soon Jared was asking to take pictures at Eric’s next performance.