”The guy from the hopsicle.”

”Hospital hun.”

”Yeah the guy, umm, JC. He said he was your friend too mama.”

”Yeah he was my friend honey,” she said breathing a sigh of relief, ”go put your things back in your bag so we can go baby bear.”

”Yay,” he said and ran off.

Tina stood up just as Ms. Poteet was coming from the kitchen. She smiled as she approached Tina. They both hugged and stood in silence for a while. She knew there was an explaination to be given, but Ms. Poteet was a quiet lady, never to pry. If Tina wanted to say, she would. They had lived next door for almost five years, since Tina had started her nursing job at the hospital. Ms. Poteet knew a lot about the Kyle family, but this was something she never saw coming.

”I’m sure you’re wondering why Eric and I have been acting like strangers lately.”

”It’s ok hun, you don’t have to say a word.”

”I know but something about you compelles me to speak.”

”I’m no gossip, you can speak if you want,” she said smiling, moving to the sitting room and sitting on the small love seat Tina sitting next to her.

”The thing is, Eric and I are getting a divorce. It’s my fault, not his. But I’ve recently discovered something about myself, that I hadn’t realized until now.”

”You’re gay.”

”What? How did you..?”

”We all have what you kids call ‘gaydar’, even at our old age,” she said and smiled.

”Wait..”

”Yes, Tina. What did you think? Ms. Jones and I were just two widowed old ladies living together,” she asked and smiled.

”We’ve been living next to you for five years. I never knew.”

”You’ve just never really noticed. We’ve been together for almost forty years.”

”Oh my,” she said as Jackson came around the corner eating a cookie, he smiled and waited patiently for Tina to get up.

”Forty years?”

”The best forty years of my life. It was the seventies and we met in college and have been inseperable since.”

”That’s amazing.”

”Yes, and I hope the woman who’s captured your heart knows how lucky she is.”

”She knows and I’m the lucky one.”

A couple months had gone by and Tina still had not found a place to live. Kit didn’t mind the company and she often enjoyed taking care of Jackson when Tina was working. It was the summer and Kit’s cafe was getting busier. She brought Jackson a few days out of the week because unlike most children he was a big help. Even though he was only three, he helped Kit at the counter. Greeting customers and calling out names when their to-go orders were ready. He even helped Kit and the waitstaff at the register and wiping the dirty tables. The staff enjoyed him and the customers enjoyed him more. Being three, he made quite a few dollars in tips.