(Hey everyone! I thought I'd try a short series in which each entry is from the perspective of the two people involved. The first is the My character, Johnathan Roberts, star of several of my other stories. All characters in this story are fictional, and are over the age of 18. Enjoy!)
JOHNATHAN'S PERSPECTIVE:
It was a total surprise when I asked her, though in retrospect, it shouldn't have been. Layton was the girlfriend of my son, Chris. She was maybe 5'6 if that, slim and petite, with b+ cup breasts (guessed when looking discreetly) blonde hair and cobalt blue eyes, a smart head on her shoulders, and had those stunning girl-next-door looks that said he'd really hit the ball out of the park on this one. They'd been dating off and on for more than a year now, & were both at the University just up from my place on the coast, and while I had been blessed with a lot of financial security, for Layton it wasn't so. Unlike my life in the gated Gator Point community, she had grown up desperately poor. And that along with a pinch of opportunity was what got the old man's gears spinning.
Chris was doing a presentation related to his doctoral studies, and said he'd drive down when he got back in, he'd let Layton and myself know when he knew more. As I happened to be in the capital city, I offered to give Layton a ride down, which was good with her, as she had no car. I can't remember the complete conversation, but it went something like this:
"It's good to see that you two are back together," I said, "He was hitting way over his weight when he met you."
Layton blushed and said "Not so sure about that, but wow is that ever nice. Actually these days with his studies, Chris barely has time for anything, much less me, and to tell the truth, I'm not sure if I can really afford to stay in school...so really, we're just not sure about a lot."
"Damn that's a shame." I said. I knew she came from a badly broken home, so asking the parents was not an option. "Can I ask where you are in school loans?"
"Well, for my degree in criminology, they don't like to see a lot of debt, it hurts your credibility. I know the max amount they want to see, and there is just no way I can finish and not go far beyond that."
We rode in silence for a bit, before I spoke. "So if you had the finances covered, you two'd still be together though, right?"
"Honestly Mr. Roberts---"
"Call me John, or Johnathan, but for goodness sake, no 'Mister' stuff, ok?" I ended with smile, and that little crack made her smile in return. It was working
"Really, it's just hard to tell right now. Your son is a great guy, and wow are you ever great to me. I mean, not sure how I would have made it this far without your support, from food to the occasional financial 'gifts'. I know you're just trying to do the best you can, and you are overly generous. Chris & I are in a odd place right now. A holding pattern, if you will."