opposites attract

Audrey felt as if some weight had been lifted. She felt closer to Kayla, somehow. Maybe they could really be friends now. And she couldn't wait for Kayla to get back to work.

But things were the usual calm these days at the library. She enjoyed her time with Henry, and Milo was coming around. Just maybe he was giving in a little to the idea that he could be Quinn's very best friend.

Asa was on the mend too. He wasn't at work all the time, but he brought in the baby to show off. Perhaps. Or the fact that things were changing. Yet, he was kind of clumsy with the baby, but not by much. He seemed happy to be a Dad, even if it was kind of strange with the whole open adoption thing. Part of the time, she thought maybe he'd adopted Josie too.

He insisted he was more of a guardian to Dylan than anything, but at least Josie was giving him the opportunity for Daddy duty, and Audrey knew he was pleased to be around the baby.

Of course, the topic came up that one night about Audrey having a children.

Audrey laughed as if that would not be happening. "Hey, I've got three kittens to worry about." She reminded them. The cat that she thought was a boy getting fat turned out to be a Momma. She came home one afternoon to find a wet spot dripping from under her bed as if it were possessed.  The cat made a hole in the box springs where she nested with her three kittens. As of yet she hadn't really talked about it to anyone. She was enjoying the cat love. And perhaps, she wouldn't get rid of any of them. She didn't want too.

Before Audrey could get into her recount of the arrival of Angelo, Quentin and Nadine, someone unexpected showed up. She was new to the library.

"I guess." Her smile was still cute. Her eyes were still painted up as if she might be a tad evil goth girl or a hooker who liked Halloween everyday.

"Jane?" Audrey blinked. Jane with a baby. "What are you doing here?" Audrey came around to see the infant. Couldn't be more than a few months old.

Audrey and Jane went way back, but maybe this was not the time to explain it. Not that Jane was a druggie or anything. Although, she was the one who got Audrey to be a stripper at the strip club.

"Um, a library card." Jane's smile was open.

"Wow, its been so long, I..I.." Audrey hated to admit it, but she really hadn't thought of Jane. Although, she knew Jane always looked after her. "I can't believe this. You, with a baby!" Her voice carried. She had to hold the little thing, immediately. Jane let her get the baby out of the carrier. The infant's hair was so dark, but her eyes were so blue.

Audrey never held babies. But this was a baby girl.

"When did this happen?" Audrey wanted to know all about her old friend.

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Jane, almost laughed. "Well, not like we were on the news. Mattie's daddy was."

Audrey wondered what that meant. "He's in jail?"

Jane shook her head, no. "Worse, he never got to see her." Her hands were in the back pockets of her tight skinny jeans. "He killed somebody and then the cops shot him down."

Audrey winced. There was something familiar about this story. She looked at Asa who was listening intently. It was as if he knew exactly who she was talking about.