Woke Up Married

4. Meeting Mother

The next morning I was glad to wake up in my own bed. I sat up and looked around just to make certain, and sure enough, I was. I ran a hand through my long dark hair and yawned. I still wasn't happy about the small chunk of hair missing from my bangs but what could I do? Maybe I'd just bobby pin it down or something.

I was a little relieved and felt level headed about yesterday now that I had some time to think and sleep. I mean it was still kind of weird and confusing but it was somehow getting a little better.

Mom never asked any more questions, and I was glad. Jamie never texted or called, and for some reason I actually found myself anticipating it. Rain did a check-in to make sure everything was still okay and I was glad that it was.

After a few minutes, I checked the time and got up. I got ready in less than thirty minutes and headed out the door for the school bus. But before I even made it off my porch Jamie's car was pulling up in the driveway. I was on the second to last step of the porch and I stopped in my tracks. Why was he here?

I wasn't sure what to say to him. I waited for a minute, but he just sat there with the car running. I looked at him through the windshield and he motioned for me to come over.

I walked over to the passenger window and bent down to look inside at him. He looked up with those green eyes of his. "I was hoping you were awake."

"I have to go to school, unfortunately." I rolled my eyes. Why did this feel natural? He was talking to me and it felt okay. He didn't feel like a threat like he did yesterday.

"School?" He asked.

"Um, yeah. I'm in high school." I said, and he looked surprised. Why would he think otherwise? Did I look older than seventeen? Because most people guessed I was like fourteen or fifteen and it was frustrating.

"Are you not in high school?" I asked. He looked like he was my age.

"No. Of course not. I graduated a while ago. Anyways, would you like a ride?"

I contemplated it shortly. He didn't feel like a stranger even though he was. I decided against the bus and told myself that was why I chose to get in the car. Not because he was kind of good looking and was being nice...

We didn't say much after he pulled away. When we hit the second red light in a row, he looked over at me breaking the silence. "I'm sorry about all this. My dad is a hard person to convince but he believes it."

I looked up at him. I couldn't stop playing with the hem of my shirt all of a sudden. "Uh, convince him what?"

"That we're married." He said it so easily.

"So, we really aren't?" I wanted to feel relieved, but I wasn't exactly. This was all sort of exciting in the weirdest way. Plus Jamie was nice to talk to.

"No, we are definitely married." He admitted. "The certificate is in the glove box. I wanted to bring it to you, but after yesterday I figured your mom might not like that bit of news too much."

I inhaled and opened the glove box compartment. The paper lay firmly between my hands but it seemed hard to believe as I read it.

Certificate of Marriage. Jamison Kade and Peyton Adair were united on this day, the 12th of March.

I just stared at the paper almost speechless. I couldn't seem to wrap my head around how all this even happened.

It was silent for a moment. Jamie broke it though. "You really don't remember, do you?"

I glanced up at him, but he was looking forward. Maybe it was a good thing that I didn't remember. It was probably not a good memory. I mean why else would I block it out?