I heard the soft lilt in her voice as she sang to herself.
Trying to be quiet, I was almost on the landing. Then I heard that gentle voice behind me. Even now I get a warm feeling in my belly when when I hear her.
"Jack, c'mere, You've been avoiding me lately, why?"
I turned to face her. She was slender and medium height with dark hair and green eyes. Ava had eyes you could drown in.
"No Ava, I've been really busy with course work at the firefighting academy plus all the physical training that's all."
Being a firefighter is all I ever wanted to be. In my Junior Highschool year I started a strict physical fitness regimen. Also I began taking old exam books out of the local library and practicing for the entrance exam. That paid off. I passed the the test.
She had her arms out. "C'mon." Ava had an inviting smile on her face. She was a lovely black woman, and she wore her hair short. Ava was 5'5", she wasn't slender, nor fat.
Ava was my beautiful stepmom.
She pulled me into her and wrapped me in an embrace.
"I know it's more than that Jack."
"I heard the argument last night between you and dad."
Ava looked at me with her warm green eyes. "Yeah he's determined he wants another baby, but nothing has worked. And he won't consider adoption."
"I wish there was something I could do."
"You don't worry about it Jack, your dad and I will figure this out. You're nineteen and have everything ahead of you."
The next several weeks around the house were tension filled.
