Free The Eternal Engagement by Mary B. Morrison

inquisitive smile. “I see how this operation is running. Send the irresistible kid to reel us in, huh?”
    â€œAre you a registered voter?” Katherine asked her.
    â€œI will be as soon as I complete this application.” She looked at the young man Jeremiah led to the table, picked up a pen. “Here, fill this out,” she told him, handing the guy a pen and an application. “If you need help, let me know.”
    He placed his grocery bag beside a chair. “Hey, thanks. I’ve been meaning to do this so I can vote for Obama.”
    By the end of the day, Jeremiah and Makeda had become inseparable. Or more like her son had become attached to Makeda. Together they’d registered over a hundred people. Their persistence to make sure the applications were processed timely and the people showed up at the polls on Election Day was Katherine’s next battle.
    â€œThanks, Makeda. You were a tremendous help. Whatever I can do to help you, you just let me know. Here’s my card.”
    Makeda hugged her, then kissed Jeremiah on the cheek. He jumped up and down. She clenched the card in her hand. “My mom is not going to believe this! Ms. Clinton, thank you so much! And if you and your husband,” she said, eyeing the ring on Katherine’s finger, “ever need somebody to babysit this handsome fella, I’ll come to your house and watch him for you. Bye!” she yelled, running off.
    Katherine smiled at Jeremiah grinning at her. “Yes, she can come over sometimes to chaperone you and your friends. But only on weekends. Grandma could use a break.”
    Truth be told, Katherine could use a break too, but she didn’t want to make her son feel she was tired of him. Single parenting was arduous. Taking care of Jeremiah and working all the time consumed her. If she wasn’t cooking, cleaning, or shopping, she was helping with homework, volunteering, at PTA meetings, working, or going to what they called pre-football practice preparedness.
    The exercise was great for her son. She didn’t want him sitting inside obsessing over video games and not caring about taking care of his mind and body. The hour that he’d practice, she’d run laps around the track and keep an eye on him with his teammates in the middle of the field.
    â€œHey, champ. Great job,” she said, giving him a high five. “What do you want to eat tonight?”
    He yelled, “McDonald’s!”
    â€œYou sure you want to use your last Fast Pass today? You know your friends are coming over tomorrow.”
    Katherine never wanted Jeremiah to feel he couldn’t have what he wanted, so she taught him moderation. He was allowed to eat twice a month at a fast-food restaurant of his choice. Giving him the option helped him to make better decisions. His Fast Passes were use or lose, because he couldn’t use more than two per month. But she’d let him hold on to the unused tickets because somehow he thought saving them was a good thing.
    â€œI’ll wait. Let’s go home, Mama. Can Makeda come over tomorrow? I want my friends to meet my new girlfriend.”
    Whoa. New girlfriend? “Jeremiah, you can’t decide she’s your girlfriend without asking her first. Besides, she’s almost twice your age and she might already have a boyfriend. Let’s continue this conversation over dinner with Grandma. See what she thinks.”
    Katherine was going to have to start an open dialogue with her son about girls and sex soon. Real soon.

CHAPTER 15
    Mona
    May 2010
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    F ive years in Bakersfield. Mona wasn’t homesick, but she did miss Lincoln. The only guy who had ever made her feel pretty was William Lincoln. But she didn’t marry Lincoln; she’d married Steven. Each day she was married to Steven, she regretted he was never the man she was in love with. But no one had taught her what marriage meant, so she’d have to continue this journey