Daily Story
Life for Jimmy Chance was good. Even if he was still single at the age of forty one, he lived on his own, sharing a tiny two bedroom apartment with his daughter Hope. It wasn't glamorous, but it also was not his parents house, which is what mattered more.
Jimmy looked over the photos of Hope that had been posted on the fridge since the day they moved in, and smiled. She looked just like a softer version of her mother, her nose was a little rounder, and her eyes were brown, but other then that, they could have been sisters.
He was so glad that the biggest problem Hope had ever gotten into was forgetting her homework on her way to school. Even he had gotten into bigger trouble then that before he was eighteen, and he'd been homebound practically until he bought his own apartment.
Yes, life hadn't been easy, but it certainly had been good to Jimmy.
He fixed his tie in the mirror, and adjusted his suit jacket. He tried not to look like he was bursting with pride, but he failed miserably. He couldn't help it, his baby girl was graduating high school.
The sound of the door opening cut into his one man gushing, and Jimmy called out, "Hope, is that you?"
There was no response, but Jimmy could hear her light footsteps racing past the door to her room.
"Hope?" He called again, running after the young woman, and wrenching the door to her room open before she could lock it.
She was curled up on the side of her bed, behind her laundry hamper, trembling.
"Daddy," She whimpered. Jimmy sat on on the edge of her bed, moving the hamper away, and fighting the urge not to simply throw it across the room.
"Daddy, I did something really bad." Hope said, lifting her tear streaked face to look at him.
"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad Hope. Just tell me." They sat in silence for what seemed like forever, Hope jist cried, and Jimmy trying to comfort her.
"He came after me, daddy." Hope started talking as her sobs died down. "He said we should... because we were graduating and it would be special. But I said no, just like you and gram told me and..."
'Oh God,' Jimmy thought, horrified, "Hope was raped."
"And then he fell." Hope continued, cutting into Jimmy's panic. "He didn't get up daddy." Hope got up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Jimmy.
"Daddy, I killed my boyfriend."
Fujioka Ryoji collapsed on the couch next to his very pregnant wife. They were absorbed in their own little bubble, it was dark outside, the house was clean, and nothing had caught on fire that day, which was even more of a relief then it sounded. The couple was wrapped up in the magic of a carefree moment between two adults, they knew that these moments rarely happened, and they were planning on taking advantage of it.
"Do you feel that?" Kotoko whispered, placing Ryoji's hand on her stomach. "He's feisty tonight."
Kotoko sighed, and her head dropped to Ryoji's shoulder. She had been working too hard in order to get things ready for her leave of absence, and it was taking a toll on her strength.
"I think He'll be strong, just like you." Ryoji murmured. Kotoko giggled tiredly. "No, I hope He'll be fun, and carefree, like you." Ryoji rolled his eyes. If his wife were really awake, she would never say that.
"He'll be just like her mother." He replied.
"But Ryoji, what if it's a girl?" Kotoko was slow to reply, but once she did, it made Ryoji pause.
What if their baby was a girl? He hadn't thought of the possibility before. It was indeed, however, possible.
A girl. A sweet, little princess he could take care of, and dress up. The thought made him smile.
But wait. A girl might grow up, and want to date. That wouldn't be okay.
No, they were going to have a boy, Ryoji decided, a girl would be too dangerous.
Mina looked around the food court with apprehension. This was almost like meeting one of those weirdos off the internet, except she knew what Jeffery looked like, and she had kind of met him before. She checked her cellphone again, reading over the text Jeffery had sent. He'd called to ask her out, but she'd asked him to text the information so she wouldn't forget.
'Meet me in front of the Chipotle on sixth. Bring a swimsuit. Jeff' It was still there, plain as day in it's glaring white lettering.
"Hey Mina." Mina jumped in surprise, and whirled to face Jeffery, who had snuck up behind her. He looked the same as she remembered, but different. It wasn't the lack of a uniform, though Mina had to admit that she liked the t-shirt and board shorts Jeffery better. He seemed like he wanted to be there, like he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders anymore.
"Hey." Mina replied, suddenly shy and awkward. "That was pretty clever, putting your number in my phone while I was sleeping." He just smiled, and took her bag to carry it for her.
Mina didn't have a clue that this would be the beginning of an amazing relationship.