âOh, thatâs good,â Cole nodded, but his brow creased in concern - wondering if she needed help, with losing hours and a paycheck or two. He never meant to seem like he only cared about pushing money her way, but honestly, itâs not like Cole had much else to spend it on. The fancy town-home, a gym membership, and an unhealthy specialty coffee addiction was all his cash ever went to unless Jasper needed or wanted something. He didnât understand why Aspen hesitated to accept his financial help so much, but tried not to push it unless he needed to. It usually wasnât worth the fight. âWork has slowed for me, too. Most of my study jobs dropped for the time being, and one lab just downstate got damage to the telescope, soâŠâ
  So Cole was bored. Hence the pot roast instead of Burger King or Panda Express. âI know we do. Donât have a clue where he got it from - not me, thatâs for sure.â Jasper chimed in to tease Cole for not even being able to draw a stick figure. If he didnât look like such a spitting image of Cole, some may wonder if he was even his, due to their differences - but Cole just believed that Jasper was special. âNo thank you, for sitting down and staying for it. I know you probably enjoy the break you get⊠when heâs here. But this is- itâs nice. Right, Jas?â
There was a time in Aspenâs life where she wanted to ask for child support from Cole. She was grateful for her siblings and her dad who were willing to look after Jasper when she had classes at night or had to work. Of course, she wanted more than anything for her sonâs father to be a part of his life, but she couldnât confront him, not back then at least. She always appreciated that Cole offered to help her, but she felt bad, felt like she was taking something that wasnât hers. Most people mightâve disagreed with that. âDamn, that really sucks. Are you guys able to repair the telescope or do they have to buy a whole new one?â She was absolutely clueless about anything rocket science related. âI hope that everything goes back to normal for you soon.â
To be honest, Aspen had a hard time leaving Jasper with Cole, even if it was for a few hours after school. The fear was set in her mind that somehow Jasper would see Cole as the cooler parent, the parent who had it all, while his mother had struggled at times to make even a decent meal. She would never outwardly admit it and she didnât want anyone to feel bad, but it was something she always considered. Of course, she had finally trusted her baby daddy, but there was still a part of her that wondered if he would just run off again when he got into a doctorate program or something. âI love it when my mommy and daddy are together,â Jasper mentioned, grinning from ear to ear. âItâs nice to have some alone time, but I do miss him even when heâs gone for a few hours,â she admitted. âIâm just glad that I can leave him in the hands of someone I can trust.â