Free Falling for Autumn by Sherelle Green Page B

beautiful certain parts of Illinois were in the summer and fall. Even the springtime, if they were lucky enough to get a short winter season.
    He followed Autumn along the path to a concrete bench on one end of the river that opened into a small pond with vibrant green lily pads. He sat down beside her and minutes passed before either of them spoke.
    â€œDid you know that I was adopted?”
    Autumn slowly turned to face him. “I had no idea that Mr. and Mrs. Reed weren’t your biological parents.”
    â€œIn every way that it counts, they are my parents. But we don’t share the same bloodlines.”
    â€œWhat about Taheim and Kaya?”
    â€œThey are biologically their children.”
    â€œWere you adopted when you were a baby?”
    â€œI wish,” he said with a forced laugh. “They didn’t legally adopt me until I was thirteen.” He glanced at her to see if she was surprised by what he had said, but she appeared only to be listening intently.
    â€œFrom the time I was seven years old, I had enjoyed going to one of the Boys & Girls Clubs on the south side of Chicago. I grew up in an area of the south side that back in the day, we called the wild hundreds. So any excuse to have fun with other kids in the neighborhood was better than being in the streets. I knew that even at seven.”
    â€œPretty intelligent for a seven-year-old.”
    â€œI may not be book smart like you, but I definitely have a good business sense and street smarts. Especially back then. One day, I made friends with this five-year-old kid who used to follow me around. I didn’t know why this kid was so drawn to me, but I couldn’t get rid of him no matter how hard I tried.”
    â€œLet me guess. Was that little boy Taheim?”
    â€œYou know it,” he said with a smile as a memory of five-year-old Taheim flashed in his mind. “My parents are really active in the community and even though they didn’t live in the city anymore, they gave back to the community that they grew up in. One day, Taheim had asked our dad if I could spend the night. I could tell at first he was hesitant. He asked the director of the club about my parents and I couldn’t hear what the director was saying, but I’m sure he was telling him that my grandmother was my caregiver. So he walked me to my house, which was only a couple blocks away, so that he could personally ask my grandma.”
    â€œDid you used to walk to the club by yourself or did your grandmother walk you?”
    â€œMy grandma used to walk me, but then she started having health problems, so one of her friends and neighbors would take me when she could. When Dad met my grandmother, they immediately got along. My grandmother was a saint in more ways than one while my birth mother was the complete opposite. She wasn’t ready to be a parent.”
    â€œI take it you don’t have a good relationship with your biological parents.”
    â€œTo this day, I don’t know who my father is and I don’t give a damn to ever find out. And my birth mom died almost ten years ago. She was in and out of jail most of my childhood and was in jail when I had met the Reeds.”
    â€œI’m sorry to hear that,” Autumn said as she lightly touched his arm. “That must have been terrible.”
    â€œIt was. I was conflicted because on one hand, I wanted her there. But on the other hand, her absence gave me the chance to get closer to the Reeds. As months turned into years, I was at the Reed family home more than I was at my own home. At the time, I felt as though I had the perfect life. A friend who, although younger than me, was like a brother. Parents who weren’t mine, but cared about me as if I was their own. I was even at the hospital when Kaya was born, so she’s only known her life with me in it.” His thoughts drifted to the moment when things had changed.
    Autumn scooted closer to him on the bench.