Jesse was fresh out of college, working at a small regional university as an Associate Registrar. Each Fall semester, he helped out the Admissions Office by spending a week on the road recruiting new students. It was fun to get out of the office, and the energy of hundreds of prospective students, combined with the competition for those students with colleagues from around the state made for an energetic week. Wednesday evening was the big student fair at El Paso Community College. This was Jesse's first time in El Paso, and he enjoyed exploring new places. It was a typical fair, with students crowding the tables of the big schools, UT and Texas A&M. All dreamed of going to the flagship schools, but most ended up at our regional institutions, so Jesse was biding his time, waiting for the students to come to their senses.
He almost missed her. A cute, short girl approached his table pushing a stroller.
"Do you have a nursing program?" she asked, nervously.
"Of course! And we have one of the highest pass rates on the certification exam among graduates across the state." Jesse was about to continue his sales pitch, when he noticed how scared she looked. "Ma'am, are you okay?"
"Y...yes." She said, nervously. "I want to start over. My boyfriend just dumped me, and I'm not sure I'm smart enough to go to college. But I want something better for me and my baby."
"Let me get some information from you, and we'll go over all the details you need." Jesse spent the next hour going over admission, course requirements, financial aid options, and housing possibilities with Norma. She was smart, but she had been told otherwise on far too many occasions. Norma needed someone to believe in her, to help her find her way. She wasn't looking for a knight in shining armor. Just a good person to show her a path to a better future. As the possibilities looked more real, Norma got excited. Jesse had been very honest, sharing with her that she could go to EPCC for her nursing license, then come to his school for her bachelor's degree. A plan was taking shape in her mind. And in her heart, she felt a connection to this man, the first Anglo she had met who did not look down his nose at her for being Hispanic or being a single mom. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go to his school for him or for the nursing program.
Over the next two years, the two of them exchanged emails, Jesse encouraging Norma along the way, and Norma enjoying having someone interested in her future. The expectation was for her to get married and make more babies. But she wanted more. Norma wanted a man who would be her partner, more than her master or baby daddy. Jesse moved north when he was offered a promotion at another university. It was his alma mater, and he had dreamed of going home to work there. Norma was excited for him, but worried that the new school wouldn't have what she needed. She was overjoyed when she found out that not only did the new school have a great nursing program, but it was part of the Health Sciences Center, which was separate from the university where Jesse worked. He could pursue her without any fear of a conflict of interest that would jeopardize his job. The two of them had started calling each other, and the conversations were no longer about school. They talked about the future, dreams, and family. Angel, Norma's little boy, was now three years old, and he needed a father in his life. Norma knew that she wanted Jesse to be that man. She called him late one night, after Angel had gone to sleep.
"Hey handsome. How was your day?" Norma liked being playful with Jesse. She was in love with him, but she didn't want to tell him yet. The idea that he didn't love her back was crushing.
"It was good. Busy, but good. How was yours? Have you thought about the nursing program here yet?" Jesse was hoping she had. He wanted to invite her to stay at his place, a modest rent house in a working class neighborhood, to tour the school. And he wanted to show her that they could build a home together here. He loved her. He wanted to build a family with her. But he had been heart-broken before, and he was scared of getting hurt again.
"I have an appointment to talk to an advisor there on Friday, but I need to find someplace to stay. Hotels are expensive, so I may just sleep in my car."
"Absolutely not!" Jesse realized he may have responded to quickly. "I have plenty of room. You can stay with me. I mean, at my place. I'll sleep on the couch, and you can have my room." Jesse was a good man, and he would never have presumed that Norma would give herself to him, but he knew that's what he wanted. "Or you can stay at my place, and I'll stay with a friend so you can have some privacy."
Norma was smiling to herself. She knew what a good guy he was, and she knew she needed to stake her claim to him before some other woman figured out what a catch he was. "No, silly. I'll sleep on your couch. I appreciate you offering."
"Do I need to take the day off to watch Angel?" Jesse was fond of Norma's little boy, and the two of them had a bond.
"No, my parents are going to keep him for the weekend. My father wants to teach him how to play baseball. Mom and Dad are scared that I'll move far away and never come back, even though you're, I mean, Tech, is only a six-hour drive away." She had slipped. Norma quietly hoped he noticed.
"Got it. Then how about you let me take you to dinner Friday night to celebrate?"
"Celebrate what? I'm not admitted yet, silly." Norma was being coy.
"I know you'll get in. Besides, I talked to the Admissions Director over there, and he said they're impressed with you. He says you have nothing to worry about. And you can stay with me as long as you need to until you find a place of your own." Jesse hoped that would end up being forever.
"Thank you, Jesse. You're always so good to me. You're a good man." Norma also wanted to add 'and MY man.'
"You're a good woman, Norma. You're strong, beautiful, kind, and smart. I'm proud of you." And he wanted to add 'I'm going to make you my wife.'
After a few seconds talking logistics, they closed the phone call, both wanting to end with "I love you." Both knowing they needed to say it in person.
Thursday couldn't come soon enough. Norma drove to Tech, anxious to see her man. When she arrived, she saw him helping a lost freshman outside his office. He loved helping students, and his giving nature was what attracted her to him. She crossed the lawn behind him and stood between him and the building entrance. When he finished helping the student, he turned around to go inside and was met with "Excuse me, sir, I'm lost." Norma was radiant, her long black hair flowing down her smooth caramel-colored skin, her curves accentuated by her jeans in a way that was sensuous without being sluttly.
Jesse embraced her, whispering into her ear, "God, I missed you." He wanted to tell her, but he knew she didn't need any additional stress heading into tomorrow's interview/advising session. After a short conversation, Jesse gave her the extra key to his house, along with directions, and closed with "I'm going to leave work as early as I can, then I'll make us some dinner at home." They hugged, and Jesse kissed her on the cheek. It was the first time he had kissed her. He didn't want to let go, but in front of his building was not the place to show his passion for her.
Norma headed to Jesse's place and collapsed on the couch for a nap. She could smell him on the couch pillow, and she dreamed of him. She dreamed of marrying him, being swept away, taking his name, and having his children.
Jesse rushed through the administrative tasks on his desk and was relieved when an email chimed, indicating that his 3 p.m. meeting had been cancelled. It was a slow Friday, and Jesse's boss knew he had been working very hard lately. Jesse answered the call quickly, seeing it was his boss, and hoping another meeting hadn't come up. "Jesse, you do good work. Go home early today. It's not busy, and you deserve it."
"Thanks, boss. I appreciate it." Jesse already had his computer in shutdown mode when the call ended. He left the office, paying careful attention to drive slowly through campus toward the exit. The campus cops who could not leave early on Friday were known for ticketing even the slightest infractions on Friday afternoon. He headed west on 19th and caught Brownfield Highway to Slide Rd. His place was a 15-minute drive in good conditions. As he turned right on 47th Street and headed west again, he was pleased to see Norma's blue car in his driveway. He parked in the street. When they became a family, he would give her the one-car garage and park here. He had played it out in his mind a million times.
