For rix_scaedu‘s prompt

Jamian and Manira are characters in Addergoole

Summer between Years 5 and 6 of the Addergoole School

“Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Jamian had to admit, the situation was a bit surreal: him coaxing Manira out with those words?

They had been hanging around the Village for a month, spending time near each other – at first by accident, and then, as he realized how despondent Manira was getting, on purpose, at least from Jamian’s end.

“I should stay here with Caprice.”

“You should get out, before you go all post-partum depression on me. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

This time, at least, he got a small smile. “Isn’t that my line?”

“So use it. Manira, I love my kids, but if I spend every minute of the day staring at them, I’m going to go bonkers.”

“I… what if I do something wrong? I haven’t… I mean, I… damnit.”

He’d figured out that there was something strange about Manira, something she couldn’t or wouldn’t tell, but he still hadn’t figured out what. Right now, it didn’t matter. “Look, I’m the same Cohort as you, so I’ll be around for the next three years. You’ve got me to help – and you’ve got our Mento… okay, never mind that. But you’ve got Maureen, and Caitrin, and Mendosa, and together, we can figure this out.”

“Really? You’d help me?”

He grinned at her, finally feeling like he was doing something right. “You helped me, didn’t you? Come on, the daycare is expecting Caprice – and Dommie and Carey.”

“You nicknamed your kid Dommie?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah. Wishful thinking, maybe? Look, the rest of the cy’ree – Mags and Anwell, Mea, Joff, and ‘Vette, they’re all waiting for us.”

“Well, all right. But what is there to do around here?”

Now his grin was stretched wide. “They put in a water park the next town over.”

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