Another couple weeks had passed before Tina had officially begun moving into my home. She had waited for summer to start when Jackson would spend two weeks with Eric. Eric and Tina had always taken a vacation in the beginning of the summer, camping, fishing and then Disneyland. But since they were no longer a family, Eric took Jackson to his family’s cabin with some friends and their kids from work.

"Be on your best behavior ok bud," Tina said, to which Jackson smirked.

"I’m never bad, am I mommy?"

"No baby, you’re not. I just say it because there will be other kids," Tina says, talking to him as if he was grown. Eric was leaning against his Jeep, in front of Ms. Poteet’s house.

"Do I have to go," he whispers and pouts.

"Yes baby, daddy wants to see his little man."

"But I wanna stay with you and B."

"I know sweetheart, but you know when you get back I have a surprise for you."

"Really?"

"Yes my love. Have fun and don’t give your daddy a hard time. You’ll be back home before you know it ok," she says and winks.

"Ok," he said and tries to wink, but blinks instead. She smiles and gives him one last hug and kiss. He walks slowly towards Eric and Tina follows him carrying his bag. Jackson gives Eric and hug and Eric smiles. I stop a few feet away and hand the bag to Eric.

"Thanks."

"Yep, alright buddy, I’ll see you when you get back, ok," Tina says and Jackson only nods.

"Come on dude, let’s go," he says picking up Jackson and placing him in the back seat.

"Bye momma."

"Bye baby," Tina says as Eric shuts the door, "y’all have a good time."

"We will," Eric says and gets into the car.

As he starts to leave she can see Jackson’s little hand waving and my eyes start to water. She had been watching him leave with Eric for weeks, but still she cried and didn’t know why it was affecting her this way. As Eric’s Jeep rounded the corner, I put my arms around her waist, I had dropped Tina off thirty minutes before Eric had gotten there.

"Are you ok love?"