After a week of trying to stay in, except for classes and work, Ellie and Aidan were both stir crazy.  Ellie arranged for Aidan to visit her parents while she went to Damsel to visit with Ava, who had gotten back home last night.

When Ellie walked in to the store Ava was perched on a ladder working on a display of handbags while Jimmy directed her.

“Okay move the red one up to the next shelf,” Jimmy said.

“Ava how are you going to get these down if someone wants to buy them?”  Jimmy asked as he watched her wobble on the ladder.  “I mean are you going to drag that ladder out every time someone wants to look at a purse?”

“Shit, I didn’t think of that,” Ava said frustrated.

“Is that any kind of language to use in your place of business?” Ellie teased, getting the attention of both Ava and Jimmy.

“El!”  Ava yelled as she got off the ladder and began to squeeze Ellie in tight hug.

“Hey Ellie,” Jimmy said smiling at the look on her face.

“Oh Ellie I found a designer that is amazing.  You would love her.  It’s not my usual but I ordered a few things that should be shipped out by the end of next week.  Maybe now you will shop in here,” Ava rattled narrowing her eyes at Ellie at the last part.

Ava had been trying to get Ellie to get things from Damsel since she opened, she had even tried giving her things, but Ellie’s taste still differed from the dressy fare at Damsel.

“We’ll see,” was all Ellie would say.

“Are you not opening up today?” Ellie asked Ava.

“No I’m going to be closed today to get the things I brought back with me put away,”  Ava answered.

“Where is Paige?” 

“I let her have the day off since she ran the shop by herself while I was gone.  I can get this all put away.”

“How about a coffee break?”  Jimmy asked.

“Sounds good,” Ava answered.

“Do you have time Ellie?” 

“Yeah my classes today are in the evening and Aidan is with Mom and Dad.  So I have all day!”  Ellie said smiling.  She had missed her every other day stop by the shop to chat with Paige and Ava.

“You would think I would have your schedule straight by now.   You need to just make me a calendar so I can stop asking you,” Ava said locking the door while Jimmy and Ellie stood on the sidewalk waiting.

******

On the walk over to the coffee house Ellie wondered why Jimmy was at Damsel.  As soon as they had sat down and ordered she found out.

“So how is she?”  Jimmy asked.

Ava, who didn’t have to ask who she was said, “She is doing really good Jimmy.  Her work is unbelievable I have some things she did at the store I can show you when we get back.” 

“That’d be good.  I’m glad she is doing well and is happy,” Jimmy said looking a little disappointed.

“She is happy but she misses home and she misses you,” Ava said.

“I doubt that,” Jimmy said with a tight smile.

“She does she asked me to tell you that she misses you and she kept asking me how you were.  And she must talk about you a lot because all of her friends seemed to know a lot about you.”

“Jimmy why don’t you just go see her?”  Ellie asked.

“She doesn’t want that,” Jimmy said looking down.

“How do you know?  Have you asked her?” 

“Ellie do you really think she wants me to follow her around the city in this chair?  I’d be more trouble to her than anything else.” 

“God Jimmy do you really think so little of her?”  Ava asked.

“Look lets just drop all of this I’m not going to New York and that’s it.”

Ava let out a big sigh knowing that he wouldn’t say anything else about it today.  It was so hard to see him now thinking that Hazel would consider him a burden after seeing Hazel and how much she cares about him.  He was really all she wanted to talk about. 

Hazel and Paige had kept in close touch but Paige didn’t always do well at talking about anything other than herself or Craig.  So when Ava got to the city Hazel was full of questions about everyone, but especially Jimmy.

“Okay Ava has Sean left yet?”  Ellie asked now that Jimmy had shut the conversation about Hazel down.

“Uh no,” Ava answered.

“Have you seen him El?” Jimmy asked.

“No.  Have you?” 

“No,” He answered.

“Well he has been busy from what I hear,” Ava offered.

“What do you mean?”  Jimmy asked.

“I don’t care what he has been doing.  All I want to know is when is he leaving?”  Ellie broke in before Ava could answer.

“Well to answer both your questions, he’s not leaving Degrassi.  He and one of his old teachers are opening up a customization shop,”  Ava said and took a drink of her cappuccino. 

“An old teacher?”  Jimmy said looking at Ellie.  “Do you think it’s Simpson?”

“It’s Mr. Ehl,” Ellie said.  She knew Sean and Mr. Ehl use to talk about how great it would be to have their own place and to put their mark on cars and bikes. 

“The shop teacher,” Jimmy said.

“Why would Sean and a teacher open a business?”  Ava asked.

“Did you ask Sean or Jay?” Ellie asked.

“I haven’t seen Sean, he was in bed when I got home last night and was up and gone when I got up this morning.  And Jay doesn’t tell me anything El, you know that,” Ava said.

“Damn it!  I can’t believe he is staying here with his perfect little family.   What the fuck am I going to do?”  Ellie asked her friends.

“You have to tell him El,” Jimmy said.

“There is no way you can hide Aidan Ellie,” Ava said.

After a few minutes of silent thought Ellie said hopefully, “What if I say Aidan is Cameron’s?” 

“Ellie don’t pull my brother into your mess,” Ava said harshly.

“What would it hurt?  Cameron is always saying he wishes Aidan were his so why can’t we let Sean think he is?” 

“Ellie no,” Ava answered.

“El, you could tell Sean Aidan is mine but that’s not going to change the fact that he looks just like him,”  Jimmy pointed out.

“God I know.  You guys are right.  I’m just afraid Sean will hate me and down the road Aidan might too.” 

“Ellie Aidan is never going to hate you.  You’re his mom,” Ava assured her.

“Yeah and you’re a cool mom.  You let him play drums, he has a bad ass room, thanks to me, and you let him wear a Mohawk to daycare.  That is pretty good for a two year old,” Jimmy said smiling.

“I hope you’re right,” Ellie said softly.

“Guys I got to get to class.  I’ll see you tonight at practice El.”

“Bye Jimmy.”

“Okay Jimmy.  I’ll see you then.”

The girls watched Jimmy make his way out to the sidewalk.  They waited until Jimmy was engulfed into the crowd of people before they spoke again.

“Is Marco over the whole Aidan’s bad ass room thing yet?”  Ava asked.

“Yeah.  Jimmy promised he would help us paint over his work if we moved.”

“Good.  You want to come back to the shop and help me?” Ava asked.

“Yeah, I’ll help you for a little while.”

******

As Ellie and Ava unpacked some crates their chat turned to Jay.

“So how did Jay do with the trip and all?” Ellie asked as she put a red skirt on a hanger.

“He was okay.  I just don’t know.  I called twice at after 1:00 two nights in a row and he didn’t answer the phone.”

“Maybe he was sleeping,” Ellie offered.

“No I told him, when I talked to him the next day, I couldn’t sleep and he said he was up most of the night too and I should have called him.  And it’s still bothering me that he wouldn’t keep Seth while I was gone.  I mean he lives with him everyday for almost a year but he thinks it would be too uncomfortable to stay alone with my son.”

“Ava how can you live with him if you can’t even trust him?”  Ellie asked. 

“I don’t know Ellie, I just love him” 

Ellie had hated the idea of Jay and Ava together from the beginning.  She just didn’t believe the “changes” Jay has made.  And the fact that he tries to make Ava feel guilty for not letting his loser friends over or making him chose between her and the partying every night pisses Ellie off.  Jay is using her and Ellie hates that Ava can’t see it.

“Ava he is not worth it,” Ellie said but Ava’s phone started to ring and she ran to grab it.

“Hey babe,” Ava said into the phone.

“No I’ll be a while.”

“That would be fine”

“Okay I’ll see you in a minute.”

“Jay is coming down here for a little bit.  He said he hasn’t seen me in days and he misses me,”  Ava said smiling as if the previous conversation hadn’t happened.

“Well I think I’ll go then.  He can help you finish this up.  I told Aidan we could rent a movie today so I’m going to go get him and do that before I have class.”

“Okay, Thanks for the help Ellie.”

“Sure thing.  I’ll call you later,”  Ellie said as she walked out the door and into Jay.

“Hey Ellie,”  Jay said letting the door close without going in.

“Hi Jay,” Ellie said walking away.

“Ellie wait a minute,” Jay said grabbing her arm.

“What do you want?”

“You are going to tell Sean about his kid.  Cause if you don’t I will.”

“What!” Ellie yelled.

“Oh you heard you me Red.”

“Jay mind your own business.  I’ll talk to Sean when I’m ready.” 

“Well if you don’t tell him by tonight I’m going to tell him,” he said smirking.

“You’re such a dick.  When do you suggest I tell him Jay?  Should I go to your place and tell his girlfriend I need to talk to him alone?”

“No he’s at the new place getting it ready.  Shelby and the baby are out looking for their own place so he’s all alone,” he said ignoring her sarcasm.

“Where is it?” Ellie asked wanting to get way from Jay.

As Ellie started to the dreaded destination she couldn’t think about how much she didn’t want to do this, how much Sean was going to hate her or how much she hated Jay.  All she could think was the name, Shelby, she had a name now.  And that made it real and that made it hurt more for some reason.  Shelby.