Done Adulting Vol. 1 Ch. 48

Jamie knew how to fight, or at least protect himself. The neighborhoods he grew up in, and the group homes, that was something he had learned, and as a social worker in those same environments, he had been trained to safely restrain a violent child or teen. He’d done it a few times, most often pulling one kid off another. Girls, he recalled, were much harder to separate; once it escalated to fighting, they didn’t stop swinging just because he was trying to pull them apart.

Bobby was bigger than Jamie and bigger than anyone Jamie had ever gotten physical with, but he was also regressed, not much but probably enough to make him clumsy. But Jamie didn’t care. It was easier to walk away, and he no interest in fighting him anyway. It wouldn’t serve any purpose and would only leave him feeling ridiculous for having been drawn into a contest with a regressed little.

“Sorry you feel that way. Maybe we can be friends someday,” Jamie said. He didn’t trust Bobby to not do something stupid, so he backed away by going under the swing set. Bobby just glared at him, disappointed that he had failed to even hurt Jamie’s feelings.

Jamie had a better perspective. Bobby, he knew, didn’t even know why he disliked Jamie. More likely he just enjoyed being mean. A psychologist could tie all kinds of motivations to it – acting out frustrations, poor role modeling, a desire to dominate those he couldn’t be superior to in other ways – and maybe one or all of those was accurate, but Jamie knew the reason was probably simpler: sensory stimulation. In laymen’s terms, it just felt good to Bobby to be mean. Jamie could walk away, so he did.

He walked over to a dome-shaped piece of playground equipment made of steel bars in a honeycomb structure. No one else was playing on it. At the top, it was probably fifteen feet from the ground, within reach of the average big if they stood under it; some wouldn’t even need to hop. Out of boredom, Jamie stepped through one of the openings and started to climb up the inside of it. That’s what he needed, just the physical outlet. It wasn’t easy or hard, and he reached the top in less than a minute, hanging there by his knees and hands.

This group could be a lot livelier, Jamie thought. He’d been hoping that it would be more like the park and he could at least get in a good game, but the littles sat in their sandboxes or climbed on the swing set or toddled after each other. Maybe I should bring a set of workout clothes tomorrow and just do laps around the field, he thought. Jamie had been fit before he left, but he never really enjoyed working out. Now, starting with the gifts Cheryl had sent, he was working out more than ever before, mostly because it gave him something to do. There were too many hours in the day for him, considering nothing much happened. He didn’t have deadlines or even any responsibilities. At least at home he had Amanda and Becky to keep him company though.

Jamie had been getting pretty good with the finger board. He wondered how he’d do on the playground equipment. He drew his legs off the bar and hung by his hands, looking at the mat fifteen feet below. You’re lighter here, he reminded himself, and the mat is there. The bars were thicker than the finger board’s openings, a little harder to hold, but he opened his palms so he was hanging from the bar with just his fingers. He let his pinky go, then his ring finger, and that was all he could hold. He tried to pull himself up to get his hands around the bar again, but his hands we’re too sweaty and his arms too tired.

He fell faster than he could get out an expletive but had the presence of mind to let himself go limp and not try to land on his feet. He took a moment to let himself lay there; nothing hurt except his pride. As he pushed himself up, though, he was already being lifted off the ground from behind.

“I’m fine,” he assured whoever was lifting him up.

“O my goodness! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, really.” He was resting on her shoulder so quick he wasn’t sure who had him. She was bouncing him gently and inspecting his legs and hips and back and head.

“I’m fine.”

“Shhh. You’re okay. Shhh,” she soothed him.

Who is she shushing? “Excuse me, I’m fine.”

“Yes, you are. Shhh.” She kept patting his back. “Let’s go back to April.” She cooed and bounced him every step of the way.

One of these again, Jamie realized. Doesn’t she even know better than to bounce someone who may have hit their head? “I stole the Lindbergh baby,” he told her.

“I know. That must have been very scary.”

“I know where the WMDs are.”

“Shhh.”

“I’m the reason why everything that tastes good is fattening.”

“April will make it all better.” Jamie just sighed.

“April, I believe this little guy belongs to you,” the big said.

“Is everything alright,” April asked.

“I’m fine,” Jamie spoke for himself.

“Someone had a little fall.” She said as though I don’t exist.

April frowned and stepped around her to where she could see Jamie’s face. “Everything alright?”

“Yep.”

“Here.” April held out her arms, and Jean passed him over. April set him on his feet.

“Then go play.” She sent him on his way, but he stayed within hearing distance.

Jean was a sweet girl, but this was her first job, and sometimes talking to her reminded April of talking to a little. She wanted to ask which part we use to listen with, our mouth or our ears, but she had sympathy for anyone whose heart is in the right place. “He’s not regressed, remember?” As in Diane had two separate staff meetings about him?

“I know,” Jean sunnily replied.

“Good. Next time, if he’s not crying, bleeding or unconscious, please be sure to ask him if he’s okay before picking him up,” April said.

“O. Sorry. I guess I forgot.” Jamie was starting to appreciate April. He went back to the dome to try again.

“That’s okay. Just remember he can use words just like you can.”

“Okay. Again, sorry. I’ll remember.” April smiled at her and reminded herself Jean was young.

“Let’s round them up for lunch.” April rang a bell next to the door, and the littles started toddling, walking, and running inside, some lingering longer than others over whatever they were playing with. Jamie climbed down from the dome this time and walked in.