Axel

            Bethany and Norma-Jean was now in twos now. Since she quit he job at the gas station and took on the role of management at the complex they were always together. Sunny was happy she was safe.
       Bethany was headed into the town over to pick up some fixtures that she needed to replace in an apartment that was broken from a previous tenant. Her and Sunny were also taking advantage of a mommy and daughter day.
           James was ordered into mandatory recovery and community service while he was set up in a recovery house for monitoring. Bethany worried the separation would break Norma-Jean heart but surprisingly she bounced back.
                Bethany was at the service counter picking up the fixture she place an order for. Sure she could have had it sent to the complex but she didn't want to risk it breaking. She was grabbing her order paperwork when she heard a familiar voice behind her .
              "  Bethany. Is that you?" She froze suddenly scared she misheard the voice. Trying to place it . She slowly turned to see a familiar friendly face.
                 " Oh Axel. How long has it been?" She hugged her old college friend gleefully. Axel father was a high guns and roses fan and named him after the lead singer. She remembered girls swooned over him with his dark hair and light blue eyes.
              " Long time no see. I thought you were a ghost ." He replied .
               " A ghost ?" She said confused.
              " The news. You my dear are a missing person. Well you were." He said holding her at a distance really looking at her.
               " Look ,Axel . About that . Can we get a coffee after I do my running around to explain it." Bethany said soberly.
             " Oh it's that bad,huh?" He said seriously.
             " You can say that." She replied.
             Just then Sunny smiled curiously at the figure . She rarely saw mom without Norma-Jean and her friends were just business she concluded for the complex. She would greet school moms but didn't really hang out with them.
                 " Well who is this little angel?" Asked Axel.
        " Oh ,Axel . This is my daughter Sunny. " Bethany said now realizing the curious little girl.
            " You had a daughter . Did you ever marry that what his name?" He said tapping his chin trying to remember his name.
           " No. That's also what I need to explain." She said softly so Sunny  couldn't hear.
              " Oh Bethany you look like like hasn't played nice with you at all." He said not concerned in his eyes.
           " It hasn't." She Retorted.
         " How is Avery?" She changed the subject .
          " Well she is as she was. Conquering the world. One woman's movement at a time. You know my father joked he should have named us yin and Yang. Considered how polar opposites we are to each other " he smirked.
            " Oh dear how is your father Mr . Jing?" Bethany asked remembering fond memories of the man always bringing sweet candied oranges Everytime he visited the campus. Mr. Jing. Sent Axel and Avery there on a business degree to not have to work like he did. He was a humble man ,but he aspired more for Axel and Avery .
               " The ancestors took him last spring." Replied Axel.
              " Oh I'm so sorry to hear that." Bethany consoled her friend.
                  " Next in line." Yelled the teller as Bethany was interrupted with her friend she didn't realized she missed until now. Bethany handed the woman her order paper and waited for Axel to continue their conversation. The trolley was pulled around as they sent an employee to help load the fixture in her car since it was heavy.
                " Bethany are you going to be able to carry that in by yourself." Asked Axel seeing the strain the employee had lifting it in the trunk .
            " That is a good question. Possibly . It's me and Norma-Jean to get it out. You might have a point there." Now she thought of it.
           " Let me follow you home to help you. Then we can grab that coffee." He insisted.
             " Oh I don't want to put you out." Bethany protested.
           " Not a bother. Me and Avery are in town for the tournament. We don't do anything but sleep ,eat and train. The distraction will be welcomed." He said in confirmation.
                 " Oh you and Avery still compete after all these years. That is amazing." She replied.
               " We got to eat and sponsor don't pay slackers ." He concluded.
                   " How is your mother doing?" She mused.
             " I suppose we can also explain that at coffee." He said softly.
              Bethany caught the drift to leave it alone. She got in the car and drove slowly to the complex Axel following. Sunny looked at her mother.
            " Mommy I didn't know you had friends ." She stated.
             " Well believe it or not before you mommy was a bit of a socialite . I attended charity projects ,and went to college and me and my friend there both graduated business school together. We were the best of friends then. Me him and his twin sister Avery." Explained Bethany as she watched her daughter's face twist in the rear view mirror she used to pay attention to Sunny.
             " So this friend of yours he is a good guy right. " Sunny asked curiously.
              " What do you mean a good guy." Bethany quizzed.
            " Well a good guy like he won't hurt us. Mr. James was a bad guy. I used to think he was a good guy. " Bethany looked worried. She tried so hard to shield Sunny from this logic but she came to her own conclusion.
            " Yes Sunny he is a good guy." She replied.
           Sunny nodded her head in agreeance . All Sunny needed was her mother's confirmation.They pulled up to the complex as she popped her trunk. Axel helped her take the fixture upstairs and Bethany closed the door.
           " Was that your unit." He asked.
            " Oh no. I live downstairs. That's an apartment we are fixing up after a tenant tore up when he lived there. An odd man never came out. His daughter came to get him to go to a home since he was refusing any help. He was disabled . " She explained.
             " Who is we?" He mused.
         " Oh Norma-Jean my landlady slash adoption Grammy for Sunny. I help her manage the complex after I moved here."she said clarifying .
            " I see your putting your business degree to work." He smiled at her genuinely.
               " You can say that." She agreed.
           Bethany stopped at her apartment and Sunny ran to Norma -jeans apartment. She leaned against her door and looked at Axel. She didn't remember him being this handsome in school.
                " This is me." She said.
              " Okay now I know where you live . " He smiled looking at her. " How about dinner around the corner? I am staying a few blocks down. " He said.
            " Dinner sounds great." She blushed.
           " Seven thirty I'll pick you up. I'll make reservations." He said excitedly.
              " Seven thirty ." She confirmed.
             They both looked at each other . Then he turned and got in his car and drove away. Bethany leaned against the wall and exhaled her breath she was holding.
               " I like him . He is subtle and smooth. Just like Mr. Barry was with me when I first met him." Said Norma-Jean holding Sunny in her arms. 
       Bethany jumped not realizing she had an audience. She smiled and opened her door.
        " Come on . We have a Saturday ritual to attend. She said forgetting what she was doing before Axel showed up.
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