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BITTERSWEET
:: lxvi. | not a little kid anymore

For the past couple of months, Cole has been really into her schoolwork. Especially since she started thinking about applying for colleges with Mia. Even though the two love each other, they want the best for each other, even if it means separate schools. They had talked about this in the nearest past and if the two do decide to go to separate schools, then they would call it quits. This decision wasn't taken lightly. They don't want the heartache of long distance or someone cheating which is why the decision was made.

Which is also why the two were nervous about what schools they would get in, wouldn't, or choose. They weren't ready to lose the other but like fate puts it, if two people are meant to be together, they'll find their way back to each other.

At least that's what they want to believe.

The two were at Mia's house in her backyard. The sun was shining bright because of the warm spring air. It seemed to be a good Friday afternoon.

"So let me get this straight, jj and your mom are engaged and now they want to have baby?" Mia ask and Cole nodded in response, "But how would that work?"

"Sperm . . . ?"

"I know that, but like you two would be so many years apart."

"Huh." Cole sighed, "I didn't think about that. But me and Henry are years apart and we're doing fine."

"Yeah." Mia mumbled. She looked back down to continue rolling the joint. The two were in the middle of getting high when that conversation sparked. Once the joint was rolled, Mia picked it up and she had a cringe expression. "It's too big."

"I thought you said you rolled before?"

"Only a couple of times." Mia pouted, "Don't be mean."

Cole playfully rolled her eyes, taking the joint in between her fingers, "Just light me."

Mia picked up the lighter and flipped on the flame, lighting the joint for Cole. After her fill, Cole passed the joint to Mia. Mia smoked one, exhaling the smoke out. She scooted closer to Cole and slowly began leaning in. Cole met Mia's lips in the middle and as the two began kissing, a thought came to Mia's mind.

She mumbled against Cole's lips, "Let's skinny dip."

Cole just grinned, stealing another kiss before pouncing off the lounge chair. She stood at the edge of the pool, Mia approaching with the joint in between her fingers.

Cole began pulling off her shirt, "There's a first time for everything."

The two then proceeded to strip naked, then jump into the cool pool. Mia made sure to hold the joint in the air so it wouldn't get wet. After everything they been through, those two were the happiest right about then.

• • •

However, back at home, Vanessa was seated on the living room floor while Henry played with his toys. She was looking at her laptop, trying to find a sperm donor and well, to see if cole is eligible to graduate because the slightest thing could be a backfire.

She scanned through Cole's file and saw her graduation status. It read eligible. A smile appeared across her lips. She was quite happy that Cole finally turned in that missing library book.

Then something life changing happened. She got a notification of two sperm candidates. Bowen Green, CEO of Wixfield Company that is locally stationed. He has blonde hair, hazel eyes, 5'll, and Canadian. Then there was Jonny Boyle, a 1st grade teacher who is local as well. He has burnette hair, blue eyes, 5'10, and caucasian.

Vanessa couldn't believe her eyes. She thought it would be a long time before finding the right person but she loved how the two were perceived, Bowen Green a little more though.

So immediately she got up from the floor, picking Henry up to head to the kitchen to grab the house phone since her's was nowhere to be found. With Henry on her hip, she called jj's phone.

"Babe, guess what?" Vanessa began after jj answered, "You need to come home now."

"Is there an emergency or . . ?"

"Not particularly but if we miss this opportunity now, it'll be months before we get another. There are two amazing candidates for us and I want to talk to them today."

"Well, we have no case yet and it's been pretty slow."

"Please say yes, please."

"Ok. We'll talk to them today. I have to let Hotch know, but who's going to watch Henry?"

Vanessa had a bright smile on, "Got that covered, you just be home within the hour."

As soon as the call ended, Vanessa immediately called Florence who was also off that Friday. She told her about the candidates and why the nanny wasn't available. Luckily, Florence agreed and just like jj, she was needed to be there within the hour.

Since Vanessa was in sweats and Henry only had a diaper on, the two needed to get dress. So in the lapse of that hour, she managed to get Henry into comfortable clothing, a little snack, and get her herself ready. She wanted to look presentable, nice for her meetings with the candidates.

Soon enough, the two women she's been waiting for had finally arrived and at the same time. Henry was now in the temporary care of Florence, Vanessa and jj were now on their way to see Bowen Green. They just hope one of them at least says yes. 

• • •

After a forty minute drive, Vanessa and Jennifer finally arrived at Winxfield Company. The two got out the black suv that Jennifer parked on the curb. They walked into the building, hand in hand. The front desk instructed them to Bowen's office which is on the third floor.

As soon as they got to the office, Vanessa lightly knocked on the door and a voice was heard telling them to come in.

Vanessa opened the door, jj walked in with Vanessa trailing behind. There sat Bowen behind his desk. However, he immediately rose as soon as he saw the two women.

"Pardon me, but I don't recall having a scheduled meeting with clients today."

"We're not clients, Mr. Green." Jennifer began, "We found you on a sperm donor list."

He gestured for them to sit as did he, "No need to continue and this breaks my heart to tell you this but I should not be on that list anymore."

"What do you mean?" Vanessa chimed in.

"Last year, i decided that i no longer want to donate my sperm. I just haven't yet gotten around to make the points to take my name off." He continued, "For that, i apologize. I really do hope you have someone else in mind."

"We appreciate the honesty." Jj nodded.

"Of course. However, I am flattered to be considered." Bowen stood up, "Wishing y'all the best."

Vanessa and jj stood up as well. Bowen kindly walked the two women to their car. He just felt so bad, but was glad to hear they had a backup. Not only a second later did they drive off and began to Jonny Boyle who worked at the elementary that was dab in the middle of their house and Winxfield Company.

Within the next fifteen minutes, the two arrived at the school. The car was parked in the main parking area. Once the two left the car, they headed on in and walked into the office. They asked to speak with Mr. Boyle, however since school was still in progress, they had to wait.

Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, only an hour and by the time a buzzer went off, the two were headed to Jonny Boyle's classroom.

The door was wide open when they approached. The two walked on in as he was packing his bag for the day.

"Hi." Vanessa voiced and Jonny immediately turned around.

"Hi." He smiled, "Do you have a kid who goes here?"

"Not really." Vanessa walked a bit closer, "It's more on the lines of a sperm donor list."

Jonny nodded, "Well, you're here, so I'm assuming you both liked what you read. How about we plan a casual hang and get to know each other. I already know i want to do it."

"But we didn't ask yet." Jj spoke.

"You didn't need to. But it is your decision if to accept my yes."

"Like you said, we'll plan that casual hang first but it's good to know where you stand." Vanessa nodded, "Oh — our names." She looked to her fiancé, "This is Jennifer and I'm Vanessa."

"Nice to meet you two." He sighed, "So should I give my number to you both?"

The three then proceeded to exchange numbers and in the next five minutes, they already made plans to have dinner together the week after. They already liked his energy and how straight to the point he is. He had this aura that Vanessa really loved and that jj didn't understand but went along with it anyway.

As soon as they get in the car, they immediately head home with happy faces. They couldn't believe the news and now, they were just looking up with a positive outlet.

• • •

Cole was still over at Mia's, but now they were in her room spread out, applying for colleges on their laptops. Each of them decided to pick three colleges. Two of them would be the same, and one different. Mia and Cole decided on Oxford University and George Mason. The last college would be their personal favorite, which was NYU for Cole and UCLA for Mia.

Just as Cole was closing her laptop, a text went through to her phone. She picked it up and saw it was from her mom. It read got big news, see you soon with an explanation point. She smiled reading it, then glanced up at Mia whose eyes were locked to her laptop screen.

"Hey." Cole began, "I'm going to get going. It's getting late and my mom has big news."

Mia looked up from the sound of Cole's voice, "Yeah, ok." She moved her laptop over and crawled to the end of the bed, standing on her knees, "Once we get our envelopes, we open them together?"

Cole took both of Mia's hands in her's, "I wouldn't have it any other way." She pecked her lips with a smile.

Cole soon let go of Mia's hands and made her way out the room, down the stairs and then out the door. She headed to the bus stop as the sun started going down. It was a sight to see. As soon as she got there, the wait was about ten minutes before a bus pulled up.

Cole got in and found a seat somewhere in the back, then relaxed till she got to her road. After a good twenty minutes, the bus finally stopped on her street.

As she got out, she noticed the sunset was almost over but she couldn't wait to see it tomorrow. As the streets were dimly lit, she began walking that one block from the bus stop to her apartment complex.

After ten minutes, she finally arrived. From the elevator, long hall, Cole approached the front door. She pulled out her key and soon the door was open. She walked on in, closing and locking the door behind her. As she made her way to the living room to drop her bag, her mom came from the hall.

"Got back just in time. Ordered sushi." Vanessa smiled.

"Fried?" Cole spoke with the tilt of her head.

Vanessa nodded, "A variety and before we tell you the news, i did not order your cap and gown yet. It slipped my mind today but in the morning i will."

"Yeah, yeah." Cole spoke eagerly, "Just tell me already!"

Vanessa chuckled at her daughter's excitement.

Soon enough, everyone was called in the living room. Vanessa and jj stood in front of the tv with Cole on the couch, holding Henry.

And soon, jj began.

"Your mom and i found a donor. We're moving forward now with this. His name is Jonny, so pretty soon you'll have another sibling."

"I'm happy for you guys, really." Cole in the first time ever, actually spoke with love in her eyes, "Any names yet?"

Not to say she doesn't love anyone, but always had a hard time showing it through expression. She knows what love feels like, family or significant other —— she feels it. But not letting it just be words, that part was hard and now she finally gets it.

Change.

Change was the key and she is very open to that now.

"Not really yet." Vanessa chimed in, "But we do have other news as well. We went back and talked about the city buying the house. I agreed to it because we're going to need a bigger place and we need the money. So on top of everything else, house hunting is now also on that list."

Cole sat Henry next to her, "Well, what changed?"

"People."

The teen mumbled, "Like dad?"

Jj glanced to Vanessa, then to Henry. She walked around the coffee table to get Henry, "We'll give you two a moment." Just as she was leaving the living room, a knock was heard at the front door, "I got it. Probably the food."

Vanessa went and sat next to Cole.

"Your dad taught me a lot. Even after everything, the good out weighed the bad, the love out weighed the hate."

Cole shook her head, "He was manipulating you the very moment you met him."

"Sadly, you're right." Vanessa nodded, "But my love was real and his love for us was too."

"If that were true, why couldn't he change for me? Instead he brought all this drama and loss."

"That is a question you'll have to ask him one day." Vanessa sighed.

Cole softly switched subjects, "I'm scared, mom —— about college. Mia and me made a pact that if we want to go to separate schools, we'll break up. Long distance would be too much."

"Well, it's like that saying goes . . . " She began.

"If two people are meant to be together, they'll find their way back to each other." Cole finished.

"In hindsight." Vanessa practically whispered.

The two smiled at each other, then went in for a hug. Soon afterwards, the two headed to the kitchen to join jj and Henry for a family dinner.

Everything finally seemed to be looking up for the Reigns girls.

a/n:
less than five chapters
left till book 2. also, in
the intro part of the book,
Miguel is quoted saying,
"Take my advice. Having
a kid won't change you."
see the connection there??