Summer 2010 - Ebadi / Elementary School

Jessica (30), Bridget (5), Bryce (5)

Jessica's days were occupied with children.  When she wasn't at school teaching the children of New Eden, she was at home playing with her own little ones.

She was content with her life overall.  Even though it was difficult being a single mother to twin toddlers, she was doing well, but she wouldn't deny that she was looking forward to the twins being old enough to go to school.

When it was time for their first birthday, Jessica had a small celebration at home with just her, Bridget and Bryce.

Bridget seemed to get prettier and prettier the more she grew.

And Bryce continued to look more and more like his father.

He definitely inherited the Lillard nose.

This year brought even more exciting changes for Jessica.  Construction on the new elementary school was going well.  Even though the building still needed some finishing touches, most of the building was complete and ready for the first day of school.

The children were disappointed that it was too rainy to play outside when they arrived in the morning, but the excitement of meeting new friends and seeing their new school soon distracted them and they followed Jessica inside.

James had stopped by the first day to see how things were going with the finishing touches on the building and to see what the teacher thought of the new building.

Jessica had nothing but praise for James' work.  "I love it.  If there were enough room I think this would be a great place for the Jr. / Sr. High as well."

"We might be able to manage that, if we added another story to the building.  I'll look into the possibility."

The first days at the new school went remarkably smooth.  The classroom design worked well.  The students were well behaved.  With only five children in the class, and two of them being her own, the class size was easily manageable.

At the end of the day, the kids seemed happy with their new school too.

One evening after school, Jessica invited her colleagues, Hope and Rich, over for an informal teacher's meeting.  Since they were now working in separate buildings with different groups of students, they thought it would be a good idea to meet to touch base on issues, such as school menus.

Jessica also wanted to host the little party to welcome Hope to the neighborhood and to try to get to know her a little better.  She was sorry to say she found Hope a little bit boring. 

Jessica was in for a huge surprise when she saw Bruce walking on the sidewalk in front of her house.  She hadn't seen him since she left Eden, before she found out she was pregnant, when she saw him kissing an old flame when she thought he loved her.

Her hurt and anger at being cheated on had long since faded and she was no longer furious with him, so she went over to say hello and they talked.  He was in town visiting his nieces at the university.  He had heard rumors about her having twins and he wanted to know if they were true and if they were, if he was the father.

He was not happy to learn that the rumors were true, that Jessica's children were his and she had never told him.  When she invited him inside to meet Bryce and Bridget he was reluctant, but agreed.

When he met Bridget, he didn't tell her that he was her father.  He introduced himself as a new friend and told her that he was the chief of staff at the hospital where he worked.

He and Bridget seemed to hit it off immediately and she even surprised him with a hug before he left.  However, the next day when Jessica invited him over to spend more time with the children, he declined, but told her to expect a check in the mail and more in the future whenever she needed it.

It was not the reply she had wanted to hear.  She just hoped the children wouldn't be disappointed.