Bold and Simful

Elizabeth had been so busy lately repairing relationships with the Foundation’s donors and with her studies that she barely found time to think. She had found an escape in Archer Park, it was only across the street from the dorm but no one ever ventured there. Green spaces may have been boring to her fellow students, but Elizabeth found solace in the quiet and with graduation only one year away, she began thinking about life after Hunter.

Gazing up into the autumn sun, she wondered if her daughter were playing under that very same sun. Was Lydia able to walk yet? Could she talk to her new parents? Were her new parents taking good care of her? She worried about that often.

But there was no need to worry. Jay and Brenda Gibson were happy to have another toddler in the house, even if it did mean that life got a little hectic at times.

“What are you two doing? Having a screaming match?” Jay laughed as he entered the room to let the kids out of their cribs. “You better quiet down, we have company.”

“Oh, it’s ok,” Maxine Bettencourt laughed as Jacob tried to grab her necklace. “He’s such a cute little guy.”

“He won’t be little for long, tomorrow is his birthday,” Brenda said from the stove where she was preparing breakfast.

“Is it now? Well, you’re going to be a big boy soon,” Maxine cooed over the toddler. She had taken a special interest in the Gibson children since Jay began working for her and Robert at the Cafe.

“Do you have time for breakfast?” Brenda offered as she flipped the last pancake.

“Oh, no I already ate. I just wanted to see if Jay needed extra hours. We’ve been swamped since we opened. Speaking of which, I better get going if I’m going to be on hand for the lunch rush,” Maxine put the toddler down and waved goodbye.

“Jay, have you noticed how Maxine fawns over the kids? Do you think we could ask her for the money for private school for Jacob?” Brenda hit upon what she thought was a great idea.

“No way, the Bettencourts have done enough for us. Giving me this job and all, I can’t ask them for more. I’ll just work the extra hours,” Jay was mortified at the thought.

“You’ll never work enough hours to afford a school in Orion Bay,” Brenda shook her head. “and Maxine loves the kids, I’m sure she would say yes. Imagine the benefits Jacob would have if he went to a prestigious prep school rather than Heights Elementary,” she coaxed.

“We’ll talk about it later, I have to get to work,” Jay left his pancakes half finished and left one kitchen for another.

Jacob aged without either of his parents talking to the Bettencourts about improving his educational options.

His parents needn’t have worried, if the opportunities to learn weren’t presented before him, Jacob looked to create them. He had gotten a telescope for his birthday, a secret want he had harbored since toddlerhood, and spent hours out in the backyard staring up at the stars, hoping to discover a constellation or planet.

During the day, he studied while other kids played. He already had more cooking skill than his mother, even if he wasn’t allowed to use the stove yet and he was so charismatic that he could get away with saying anything.

Well, almost anything.

“What did you say to me, young man?” Brenda glared at her son.

“I said, do you need me to explain it to you?” Jacob asked innocently and repeated his pun, “The odds of one boy finding two new constellations are astronomical…get it?” He hadn’t meant to offend his mother, but he often felt that he was smarter than his parents, even at his age.

Sometimes Jacob acted like a regular little boy, playing in the leaves his mother had just raked.

“Please, Jacob,” Brenda sighed, working to keep the front yard presentable.

“See, I told you, Bren, he’s just a kid,” Jay stroked his daughter’s hair and laughed at his son’s antics. Soon it would be Lydia’s birthday and Jay was already looking forward to their first Christmas together as a family.

Other times, Jacob’s conversations simply confounded Jay. While his parents watched sports or the weather, Jacob watched SBN to stay informed. He already had opinions on world affairs, affairs to which his parents paid little attention.

Talking with his son about peace in some desert place he had never heard of, Jay realized that Brenda was right, Jacob did need a more stimulating academic environment.

“I don’t know, Brenda,” Jay twisted his gloved fingers into a knots while waiting for the Bettencourts to answer their doorbell. He hadn’t rung it, his wife had and he wished desperately that she hadn’t.

“Jay…calm down. The worst they can say is no,” Brenda reasoned. She heard the lock disengage and turned to face the door. “Come on, Jay,” she hissed.

But when Maxine let her in, she suddenly found herself alone. Jay had disappeared.

“What can I do for you?” Maxine asked, “Is something wrong? Is it the kids?” she noticed the look of anxiety on Brenda’s face.

“No, no, nothing is wrong, exactly…” Brenda went on to explain how Jacob was being stifled at Heights Elementary and that they had already advanced him two grades, then finally asked what she had come to ask.

“So you would like us to pay for your kids to go to school?” Maxine grasped the question before Brenda even had it out of her mouth.

“Oh, no. Not both of them, we don’t even know if Lydia is smart or not yet. Just Jacob,” Brenda amended hurriedly.

“You can’t very well give to one what you don’t give to the other. Trust me, I know, we have twins,” Maxine laughed comfortingly, trying to take the tension out of the situation. It must have been hard for the Gibsons to come over and ask for help, she had seen Jay sneaking down the steps as she approached the door.

“Of course we can help. Our girls went to Bay Prep, I’ll just have a word with the headmaster and send him over to interview you, but that will just be a formality,” Maxine waved away Brenda’s thanks.

As soon as Maxine had discovered Lydia’s parentage, she had determined to become the child’s quiet benefactress. Catherine was in no condition to take on the role, Elizabeth was too young and Francis, well, it was better that he never knew about the child, so Maxine had made it her duty.

‘I may not be able to change the past, but I can influence the future,’ she thought to herself.

 

Posted on June 21st, 2008 under Gibsons. Tags: brenda, elizabeth, gibson, jacob, jay, lydia. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.