Suddenly Jayden wanted to know, had Mia's father ever thought to 'get rid' of her. He wondered if ever that idea had crossed his mind.
"Dude, I sent you down to get some chairs and you get loss down memory lane" Skip teased coming down the steps to see what was taking him so long.
"Sorry… I couldn't help myself. It's like watching Mia growing up… I see the love and support that she had and I can really understand why she's the person that she is today."
"It was a struggle… and there were times when I didn't think we would make it… But God has been good to us." He quietly said as he came over standing by Jayden.
"Mr. Cleaves can I ask you something?"
"Why the sudden formality?" Skip teased.
"I don't know… Just looking at these pictures, suddenly you just seem more like a father now…"
"What did I look like before… ah…" Skip said remembering their first encounters and then chuckling. "That's right you thought I was trying to get with Mia at first… go ahead… what were you going to ask me?"
"I was just wondering…"
"Yea…"
"I mean you were much younger when you had Mia than my parents were when they had me…"
"Yea?"
"Yea… they were both in their early twenties… I think my father had my mom by a few years like it is with Mia and me… I was just wondering if during that time… if…"
"If what?"
"If you ever had the thought to get rid of Mia… you know what I mean?"
Skip nodded his head. He knew exactly what and why Jayden was asking him that.
"Hmm, I don't think I knew that getting rid of it was an available option for us… I mean you're talking about a couple of high school teenagers with no money." He answered honestly.
"What do you mean?"
"I was sixteen years old. Unlike you, I wasn't as studious. I wasn't out there busting my chops trying to make some extra money. I was enjoying my youth and my life. Shit happens and then you find yourself in unexpected situations and having to deal with them. That's pretty much what happened with Mia's mom and me. We found ourselves in a situation and chose to make the best of it." Skip went over to behind the stairs and started pulling out the chairs. Jayden followed and did as Skip did. The two of them started marching up the stairs carrying six chairs each; three on each arm.