Prosperity: How’s teaching going so far?
Waddell: Great! *lights up* My students are always a bright spot in my life. I have a good class this year. I miss Kai, though. He was the best student I’ve ever had.
Prosperity: Thank you! He starts high school on Monday, if you can believe it.
Waddell: He’ll be in college before you know it.
Prosperity: Oh, Watcher, please don’t say that.
Prosperity: Speaking of college – are you a Foxbury or a Britechester man? And just know before you answer that I will be judging you!
Waddell: *chuckles* I earned a Psychology degree from Britechester.
Prosperity: See! I knew there was a reason I liked you.
Waddell: I like you too, Miss Banks. I like talking to you. I don’t get many opportunities for adult conversation being around children all day.
Prosperity: Me either. This may sound odd because I’m in college classes all day. But I can’t relate to anyone. My classmates are concerned with attending the next party, and here I am raising a child. That doesn’t give us much to talk about.
Waddell: That can be very isolating. I know more than my share about that. How much longer before you graduate?
Prosperity: One more term.
Waddell: Then you’ll be free to live the life you want to live.
Prosperity: Free? I almost don’t know what that word means anymore.
Waddell: Do you have an idea of where you’ll go after you graduate? Will you return to Oasis Springs?
Prosperity: Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t had a chance to think that far ahead. And finishing college has taken me so long that Kai will probably be enrolling soon. I want to stay close as a support system for him.
Waddell: Close is good.
I have a feeling that he doesn’t just mean good for Kai.
Mr. Washington leads me to a small picnic area, equipped with a picnic table and a grill.
Waddell: I had plans to grill up some skewers, you know – in case you get hungry again.
Prosperity: How long do you plan on us being out here?
Waddell: I’ll take as much time as you give me.
This man can have all my time. I knew that as soon as I arrived.
Mr. Washington takes the skewers to the table and sits down, but he still doesn’t eat anything.
Waddell: You would think it would begin to cool down out here with the sun going down.
Prosperity: I’ve hardly noticed. Hey, does anyone ever actually swim in that pool?
Waddell: All the time.
Prosperity: Then let’s go swimming.
Waddell: I didn’t bring a suit.
Prosperity: Neither did I.
I can tell by the look on his face that he knows what I’m suggesting.
We’re both okay with the idea of skinny dipping. But we’re not quite familiar enough to just strip down in front of each other and just go for it. I hide behind a bush and slip into the water, while he undresses with his back turned and hops in.
I can’t resist splashing him in the face with water, hoping to bring out his more playful side – the one part of him that I haven’t seen yet. He doesn’t splash me back, so it ends there.
Prosperity: I’ve never done this before, which is surprising because I spent so much time in Sulani. I guess I can check it off my bucket list now.
Waddell: *laughs* Yeah, me too!
His laugh is even sexier than his speaking voice. It commands attention. I look over, and our eyes lock.
I’m completely naked, and he is too – with an unknown volume of water standing between us. It’s intense. I want him, I know I want him, but I also know that I need to be pumping the brakes. Why do I always put myself in these situations?
I try to tell a joke to lighten the mood.
Prosperity: Well, it didn’t take me long to get you naked.
He laughs. I have to stop myself from reaching out and touching him. I attempt another joke…
Prosperity: The last time a man let me to water – I ended up pregnant.
His entire expression changes. I can almost see all the blood drain out of his face. Crap – I went too far.
Prosperity: Oh, Watcher. I’m sorry. I was trying to make light of us being here. I shouldn’t have said something so stupid.
Waddell: It’s not that.
Prosperity: I didn’t mean to offend you. Sometimes I speak without thinking.
Waddell: It’s not that either. Prosperity, I can’t get you pregnant.
I’m wondering if he’s joking. But he called me by my first name, and he’s never done that, so he’s probably not. I’m confused. I glance down in the water. I’m pretty sure he has all the right parts. Why would he use the word “can’t”? I have a tough time hiding the confusion on my face. I chuckle as if he just told me a joke.
Prosperity: Can’t?
Waddell: I’m infertile.
He clarifies as if I don’t know what the word means.
Waddell: I can’t have children.
The words hang in the air because I have no idea what to do with them.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
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