It was unlikely to be more than just a casual friendship short-lived like every other one she ever had. She was used to this; it was the norm.
Instead of worry about it, she went about her day, shopping, swimming, and taking her dogs for a nice long walk.
“Hey Aunt Jasmin, Bradley and I are going for a bike ride while I still can, do you want to come along?” Darby stood leaning against the counter in front of her as she finished a salad with seafood. She always had a lot of energy and tended to eat standing up unless there was someone to sit with.
"No honey, I am good, you too go enjoy each other's company. You only have a little more time until Bradley goes back to work, right?"
“Yes.”
“I am going to go sit by the water and relax a bit. It’s not too hot right now. When is Miranda coming back?" Her sister had gone to the bakery to check on things and probably do some other work.
“I don’t know, she had a bunch of things to do. See yah Aunt Jasmin.”
She watched as Darby and Bradley walked off-hand and hand together to their next adventure. To be young again, she smiled to herself. She hoped they were happy and had a long life together filled with love and fun.
Jasmin knew she wasn’t the marrying type. Even though she had never been in a long term relationship that really mattered or was significant, she knew marriage likely wasn't for her. That would require a man of uncommon understanding which she didn’t think existed on planet earth.
Grabbing her phone, she headed out to sit beside the glistening water. Its watery appeal called to her to enter, but she withheld. Instead, she opted to look on her phone for adoption agencies.
There were many to choose from, she took her time investigating which one would be the best place for her to start. The one she selected required that she fill out an in-depth application that covered her background and current life. This made her a little nervous since her past was filled with unpredictability and wayward behaviors.
It wasn’t like she was a criminal or financial strapped ever but she moved around a lot. The house in Colorado had been the one she owned the longest so far. She traveled often and didn’t really have any sort of steady or ritualistic behavior. This was bound to cause difficulties during the adoption process.
Forgetting the application process for now, she gave way to the urge for another dip, slowly descending into the water and allowed it to cool her body and relax her mind. There was plenty of time for the paperwork. From what she had read, it wasn’t quick. Jasmin would be required to go through numerous steps, interviews, meetings, and waiting that was likely to test her sense of strength.
She would figure it all out another day, she wanted to have a child, this she knew with all her heart. Whether things progressed with Wayne or someone else or she never had a significant other, she still wanted a child.
When she was done, she dried off and headed inside to change into dry clothing.
"Jas, you will not believe what I discovered today?" Miranda, her sister, came bustling into her room carrying packages galore and dumped them on the bed.
"What's that?" She was rummaging through her closet to find the misty blue dress she loved so much. It had a polo collar that made her feel like she was headed for a golf course.
"I was cleaning out a desk drawer at the bakery, and I found this recipe for this sandwich, I am not even sure what it's called, but it sounds delicious. Stephanie told me the owners often wrote their original recipes on scraps of paper and hid them in places for whatever reason."
Jasmin reached out to grab hold of the slip of paper that looked as old as it did crumble. The ingredients were simple, but somehow it seemed incomplete. Something appeared to be missing. "I am betting that it is missing something. We can tweak it here in the kitchen and test it. You thinking of putting it on the menu?”
“I am. We have a lot of baked goods, but I think it would be nice for the guests to have something of substance to order. Maybe we could add a little Miami flare to the menu as well. Some spicy flavor that will pique interest."
Smiling, Jasmin found the dress, tossing it over her should she quickly make the dressing in the bathroom. At the same time, her sister continued to discuss menu items and food from the bedroom.
“What did you buy today?”
"Well, I am going to need all kinds of stuff for my new house. I think it would be better to decorate here instead of moving everything from the old house. I am thinking about selling everything as is in the house. It’s all just stuff, not really important to me. This way, I can travel light, only take the things of sentimental value and pictures."
“What did Darby and Alyssa have to say about it?”
“They don’t know yet. Besides, I don't think the girls will mind. I mean, I was thinking of asking them if they want anything first, then whatever nobody wants, stays."
“Sounds like a good idea, it will help everything go smoother. You know, I was looking at adoption agencies today. I hadn’t realized they would ask so much information and want to know everything including the last relationship I had. They seem incredibly detailed, and I got to see a few of the children available."
“What age are you looking to adopt?”
“I don’t really know right now. I think I will just know when it’s right. I mean, I would love to have a baby or toddler, so I can go through every phase of the child's life, but if it feels right to adopt an older child, I will do that."
Her sister sat on the edge of the bed now, rifling through her purse. "You are really serious about this, aren't you?"
"I am. You know I have always wanted children, but at this rate, that may never happen since I don't have any plans to marry anytime soon."
"Well, what about Wayne?"
"I'm not sure I understand." Jasmin knew what her sister said, but sometimes she liked to do her work for the information given.
“What I mean is, he has a child he adopted, Bonnie. What if things work out with him, then you would be her mother.”
"That could happen, but it may take a very long time. If I just proceed with the adoption agency and things work out, we could be parents to two children then if it all works out."
9
Miranda
Miranda was thrilled with the idea of her sister adopting a child. Jasmin would make a wonderful mother to any child. Somehow though, it just seemed strange for her to be going through this process alone. Miranda wasn’t by any means old fashioned, but she wasn’t liberal either. She supported many alternative lifestyles and choices and believed in many things. What she did know was that raising a child was hard work, doing it alone was even harder.
She didn’t want to see her sister suffer or struggle. Mentally she told herself that if her sister ended up adopting alone, she would be at her back to help her whenever she could. Alyssa and Darby could help too.
“What do you think about going water skiing tomorrow?”
“Oh my goodness, I haven't done that in such a long time, yes, absolutely."
Miranda shook out her hair that had been tied up in a loose bun. “Afternoon?”
“Definitely. You know I am not an early riser.”
“I do dear sister, how is that going to work if you become a mother?”