I'm walking into McDonalds which is where Kylee and Jase agreed to meet with me. It's Saturday afternoon, April 27th. When I see them I see a familiar face sitting in a booth behind them. Her hair is cut in a short bob and her glasses go down to the tip of her nose. It's when I see the shirt she's wearing that I recognize her.

It's the same girl I hit with the changing room door. Her head is in a book, but when I sit down in front of Kylee, she looks up. We make eye contact and her mouth opens slightly. Her cheeks flush pink then she looks down back to her book.

"Hey." Kylee says with a smile. "We ordered some McCafes if you wanted to get something." Kylee looks happy so I expect the conversation to be a good one, but Jase looks a little nervous.

He has black thick hair that hangs low above his eyes. He wears a royal blue button down which brings out his natural tanned skin with some black jeans.

"I think I'm good. I just had lunch with a coworker." I say and Kylee nods.

"Well, we have some good news." Kylee says cheerfully. She looks over at Jase with a smile. "We talked it over, and we both agree that you should have full custody over the baby." My heart skips a beat and my smile grows.

Kylee continues, "But all I ask is that you tell the baby about me." At this she looks nervous.

"Why wouldn't I?" I ask with a smile. "You're the mother of course."

Kylee lets out a sigh. "I just don't want the baby to think of me badly though. Leaving you a single father and running off with another man while still being pregnant." She shrugs and looks down. "Also... Jase and I were planing on moving to Chicago for his work."

She looks a little scared when she looks up at me and I reach out to squeeze her hand.

"Kylee." I say and she looks up. "I will talk about all the good things. And besides, it's not like you cheated. The baby will love you for taking such good care of it. I promise." Kylee giggles. It's random, but it matches her mood.

"We've also talked to a judge." Jase speaks up. He struggles with eye contact but after a second he catches my stare. "His name is Kyle Smith. Here is his card."

A business card is handed to me. It's a deep red with the words "let me take care of this" at the bottom. Kylee's number and work address are there as well.

"He helped a friend of mine go through divorce and also helped my aunt get full custody of my cousin when her abusive boyfriend wanted to have parental rights." Jase says.

I nod.

"He said he would like to meet with all of us next week sometime if you are free." Kylee adds. I hold up a finger and pull open my calendar in my phone. All next week I'm going to a class with Cole and Lauren at their church from 8:30 to 10.

"I'd have time any afternoon, except Tuesday and Wednesday because of work." I say and they both nod.

"We were thinking this Monday." Kylee says. "I know it's late notice, but we'd like to get everything cleared as soon as possible.... it's kind of stressing me out." She says with a laugh.

"That's perfect. How about we meet for lunch then head over?" I ask. Their faces brighten and Kylee nods. We sit and talk for a bit as they drink their drinks. Then the girl sitting in the booth behind them stands up. She walks towards the ordering line, leaving her book on the table.

"I think I'm going to order something real quick. Is that okay?" I ask and Kylee nods. I stand up and walk up behind the girl.

"Excuse me?" I ask gently tapping her shoulder.

"Hmm?" She turns around and faces me.

"I didn't recognize you at first, but I'm pretty sure I hit you with my door in the changing room." I pause knowing she knows who I am. "Well I just wanted to apologize for hitting you. I felt like an idiot for not looking sooner." I rub my neck with my hand and she smiles.

"I want to apologize too actually." She laughs a little. "I was such a jerk to you. It was not a good day." She shoves her hands in her pocket shyly.

"I deserved it, I guess." I say and we both laugh.

"I'll help who's ever next!" The person behind the register says and I see her flinch.

"That would be you." I say motioning to the counter. She nods and steps up to order.

That apology went better than the last one. I think.
When she finishes ordering, she steps to the side letting me in.

"Can I get an ice cream cone?" I ask.

————

After about another hour of talking, Jase says they should head out. We stand and I give Kylee a small hug and shake Jase's hand. I grab my phone and wallet and before I head out I smile at the girl in the booth.

She smiles and does a small wave. I start to walk out then stop and turn around at the door.

"Could I get your name by any chance?" I ask and she looks up from her book quickly.

"I'm... Danielle, but I go by Danny." She says and stands up in front of me. She holds out her hand.

"I'm Ryan." I say taking her hand. "May I sit?" I ask.
She nods and returns to her spot behind the book.

"I see you got the shirt you were trying on." I say gesturing to her yellow shirt.

"Ah yes! You actually remember that?" She fidgets with the shirt then looks back up at me.

"Yeah, yellow isn't a very popular color. At least in my opinion." I say.

"Oh you think so? I think it will go back in style. I'm pretty good on catching trends quick." She says with a giggle. I see the book she was reading is called "Trends Trigger Ideas".

"Are you writing a paper of some sort?" I ask.

"Hmm?" Danny looks down at her book. "Oh, yeah... well, more like a document on trends. It's for work."

I nod. "You work at a magazine?" I ask.

"No. I work at Spencer Commercial Advertising." She says. I pause at her answer.

"What?" She asks her eyebrow rising.

"Wait you work at the SCA building? The one on Johnson street?" I ask. I sit up straighter and lean over the table slightly.

"Um, yeah? Why?" Her eyebrows curve and her hands fiddle with her shirt.

"I- uh... what floor are you on?" I ask.

"I'm in the basement. In the Trendy Times sector." She says. "Wait-" She looks at me shocked. "Do you work there?" She asks. This time she is leaning forward over the table closer to me.

"Y-Yeah. I'm on the idea team under Michael." I say.

"Wow..." We sit back at the same time. It surprises us both that we had never seen each other. "How long have you been there?" She asks.

"Almost 3 months." I say. "You?"

"A year and a half."

I'm shocked. How in the world have I never seen her. "Dang... now I feel like I'm not even paying attention at work." I say with an airy laugh.

"I'm with ya on that! But I guess me being in the basement plays a part. And I go in at 7 every morning and leave after lunch." She says.

"Hmm that would make sense." We talk about work and the possibility of us working in the same building. I get her to laugh a few times and she does the same to me. When the conversation gets slow I glance at my watch. It's three o'clock.

"I feel like I'm taking up your time." She says and I look back up. Her eyes show nerves.

"Oh no. I don't have plans for the rest of the day. And I did ask to sit in front of you... not the other way around." I say and she laughs. "Am I taking up your time?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Not really. I do have something at five but I should be fine." She says.

"Oh okay. Well we've been talking for an hour." I say.
She nods and a silence follows.

"I think I should get going though." She says. I look at her and she grabs her book and the little purse next to her. Then she stands and I stand and stick out my hand.

"I hope to see you at work." I say.

She nods shaking my hand. "Agreed."