Thursday June 7, 1990

Donna sat in a wooden chair, with an emerald green wall behind her. She was smiling and looking ahead.

"Past experiences." Said a deep voice, of an unseen-able man. Donna smiled.

"Well… I haven't really had any experiences with working at a law firm. I took a law class in college. And I applied as like an assistant. So I think I can handle that. At least till you know, I find something… never mind, I'll be responsible and love to work here."

"Well… we will give you a call Mrs. Foreman. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah, do you guys have a day care?"

***

"Mrs. Foreman, it says here that you were in journalism, prior to your leave of absence from the work force, what made you quit?"

"Oh, I didn't quit. I was laid off. Those blood sucking magazine morons… they took the *best* five years of my life, and up and went and fired me. Bastards! And they didn't even give me a lay off gift!" Donna fumed in her seat. And then looked straight ahead. "I'm sorry… what did you ask me?"

***

"Donna? Is it? Yes, Donna. It says here you've been out of work for four years. Is  this true?"

"Yes. I had a child, a little boy, he's so cute. Do you guys have a daycare center?"

"Yes we do, Donna, a very good one, actually.

"Good to hear. My son is great with other kids. Very sweet, smart, and cute. He's going through a naked phase right now, but it should pass." Donna smiled brightly. Her smile began decreasing upon thinking what she said. "Oh damn."

*

Donna walked into her house. Her gray skirt swung as she walked into the kitchen and sat down.

"Chicken! I love chicken!" Eric sang. He turned around and smiled. "How were the interviews?"

"Horrible." Donna said. Leaning on her hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Where's Luke?"

"Mom's." Eric smiled.

"Everything went well?"  Donna asked.

"Other then he mixed up three files that are going to take at least two months to put back in order… yeah."

"Oh god." Donna said rubbing her temples. "It keeps getting better."

"Yep!" Eric said and turned around, back to his food. He heard an "argh" from Donna and then a thud. He turned around to see Donna's head in her arms, shaking her head. Eric opened his mouth, and then closed it. He turned around and Shook his head. "I like chicken."

*

Jackie sat in the cramped office and gingerly tapped her foot on the hard linoleum floor. Maybe she shouldn't have come.

"Mrs. Hyde?" A short, pudgy woman said coming out from another office that was attached to the cramped office. Jackie looked at the woman, taking her in. The woman was no taller then maybe, 4 foot 11. She was a little pudgy, wearing a gray suit with a white shirt under it. Her brown hair was tied in a tight bun, with little streaks of gray.

"Um, yes." Jackie stood up. The pudgy woman took a step back, allowing Jackie to come in.

"Mrs. Hyde, I'm Mrs. Simon." The pudgy woman said sitting at the large desk. She put on a pair of round glasses and looked down at her desk, which had a clutter of papers. "Sister Catherine said you wanted to have a visit with one of the children here?"

"Yes, I do actually. Jamie Bronze?"

"Bronze, Bronze, Bronze." The woman chanted to herself as she ruffled through her papers. "Ah. Here it is, Jamie Bronze. Are you a friend?" The pudgy woman asked, a little confused.

"Um… yes… me and he met a few weeks ago, I took him out to dinner, bought him some new clothes, bathed and gave him a hair cut." Jackie said, looking at the women.

"I see… we don't usually allow visits with the children." Mrs. Simon said, looking down at the papers again.

"Well… I just want to say hi, and see how he is. Maybe take him out to lunch."

"Mrs. Hyde, we truly do frown upon visitors with the children. We don't like giving a child false hope. Last thing we need is little Jamal getting attached." Mrs. Simon looked up.

"It's Jamie. And what false hope? I want him to know that I like him as a person. And I want to see him."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Hyde."

"I'm sorry too. Sorry that Jamie has to live with these asshole-ish rules." Jackie grabbed her purse and got up. "Thank you for your time Mrs. Simon." And she stalked out.

*

Saturday June 16, 1990

Eric looked at Luke who stared at his father.

"Daddy… why is mommy running around?"

"Cause mommy is looking for a job."

"Why?"

"Because she wants one."

"Why?"

"Because she misses having one."

"Why?"

"Luke!"

"What?"

"…Go play…"

"Ok!" Luke smiled and scurried ((like a squirrel, haha)) away to play in the living room. Eric shook his head and went back to the work on the desk. His office was not happy with Luke coming to work everyday. They were a little tired of the tiny boy running around, switching files, ripping papers, stealing tupays… Eric smiled shrugged and said that he was worse at that age. After a laugh and chuckle, here and there, he would take Luke back into his office.

"Eric?" He looked up to see Donna leaning in the door frame.

"Hi."

"Hi." Donna smiled.

"Good interview?" Eric asked hopefully.

"I don't know. After she began laughing… I sort of left." Donna shrugged.

"Your son misses you." Eric said, straying away from the interview conversation.

"I miss him too. I've been at a lot of interviews, huh?" Donna said coming in.

"Yeah." Eric nodded.

"And I don't have a chance with any of them."

"You never know." Eric smiled.

"Whatever." Donna sighed. "I'm going to go play with Luke. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok." Eric watched as Donna slinked out of the room. "I love you." Eric shouted a bit. Donna simply nodded.

*

Jackie hung from the window of the second floor; she pulled herself up and fell into the old house. "Ow!" She whispered loudly, as she jumped up. She looked around the small room she had landed in. There were various toys scattered around the room. They looked old and used.

"It's like a needle in a hay stack."

"Who are you?" Jackie turned around and smiled at the tiny boy behind her.

"I'm… an… angel." Jackie said, she had lied to Elise and Luke on several occasion about stupid things, this was no different.

"You're a pretty angle. Sister Jessica showed us pictures of not pretty angels." The boy said, his meek voice just above a whisper.

"Well… I'm a guardian angle. I'm looking for the little boy I look after."

"Who?" The little boy asked.

"A big boy, Jamie." Jackie asked. The little boy looked confused.

"The big kids are playing outside." The little boy smiled.

"Are you serious?" Jackie said as her shoulders fell.

"Just fly outside, to the back of the home." He little boy said, as if it was the most logical thing. Jackie looked at the boy and then the ceiling, and then back at the boy. She let a small smile play on her lips.

"Thank you…"

"Justin."

"Thank you Justin." She kissed the boys head and gave him a snickers bar that she had in her purse. "Since I'm on Earth, I can't fly… but I'm good at climbing."

"Thank you for the candy."

"If anyone asks… you got it from your new friend, an angel." Jackie smiled and winked. The boy, becoming very excited opened the candy bar and ran out of the room. "I'm so going to hell for lying to the poor child." Jackie said as she climbed out the window. She slipped. "Dammit!"

***

Jackie wondered around the large play area outside. There kids running, and jumping, and playing all around her. She noticed they range from at least nine years old to sixteen or seventeen years old. She was happy that she blended slightly into the crowd because she was so petite.

She looked around; she noticed the condition all the kids were in. She could feel her heart tugging. She saw a girl not to far away on the ground crying. She had a few other girls comforting her. There was a boy a good twelve feet away feet away yelling at his friends for something. And then about a good yard and a half from Jackie was a small boy, blonde hair that look a bit longer then it had been a month ago. A familiar new shirt but old looking shorts, and a pout to go with the picture. Jackie smiled and walked over to him.

 "Hey." She smiled. Jamie looked up and smiled brightly.

"Jackie!" He whispered excitedly.

"So… I ditched work to visit you." Jackie smiled as Jamie's eyes lit up.

"Mrs. Simon asked about you." Jamie smiled. "I told her that you returned a basketball to me and then thought I was lost, not an orphan, and then I eventually told you." Jamie smirked.

"Good job." Jackie smiled. "So… how's life?"

"Not the greatest."

"I'm sorry…"

"No worries." Jamie smiled. "Want to go play basket ball? No one will notice you if you're with me. Don't worry." Jamie smiled. Jackie smiled too.

"Ok." Jackie jumped up and followed the slightly shorter boy to the courts.

*

"Jackie… I love you, and I understand you have that whole Jamie complex right now but…"

"Steven, shut up." Jackie said, laying on the bed in a tank top and shorts.

"Jackie… I don't know how to cook meat loaf… and that's what our child wanted… and there was crying…" Hyde said, looking at his wife.

"I'll make it tomorrow." Jackie shrugged. "She was fine with the Tai food you ordered."

"Jackie, that's to the point." Hyde whined.

"Steven… Jamie needed a friend. It was fun. God those orphanages are so horrible. So dirty."

"The city paid for, it's not a pretty site." Hyde shrugged.

"I just wish there was something I could do."

"No." Hyde said, popping his head from the bathroom.

"Steven…"

"No!"

"Ugh! Couch! Couch, couch, couch!" Jackie said. Hyde looked at her.

"Jackie!"

"No!"

"Ugh!"

"Now you know how it feels!" Jackie said, shutting the bedroom door.

Hyde stood outside."I barely make an appearance, and already I'm getting yelled at." Hyde said and went towards the couch.

*

Eric sat and looked up to see Luke sitting. Eric put his head down. He looked up a few minutes later and saw Luke sitting. Eric put his head back down. His third time looking up Luke was no longer sitted in the chair across from Eric. There was a loud crashing noise, followed by Eric's boss.

"FOREMAN!"

"Damn." Eric said, getting up. "Think he'll buy it wasn't my kid."