“Whoa, tell me everything.” Now my brother wants to actually listen to me. Figures.
“If you’d kept your pie hole shut, you would already know that while I was in Reno, I hooked up with a woman. Little did I know it was Bailey. Now, I’m keeping her as a nanny, so don’t get your panties in a bunch.” I pull into my parking spot at the Hughes Engineering Firm. The lot is pretty empty, nothing out of the ordinary these days. We’re hybrid now more than ever. Employees are happier; it helps with them finding a babysitter, cuts down on gas, and it helps my overhead cost, too.
“Wow. Well, are you calling for advice or what? I know what I would do,” Madden responds, feathers unruffled. Unlike me, he’s never been divorced, and he’s not a single father, much less from a semi-abusive relationship. I say semi because the one and only time Krissy laid her hands on me happened to be in front of our children. My own daughter, Cammy, called her uncle, cops were called, and things escalated in the right manner from there.
“And what would you do?” I reply, worried that I’m going to fuck everything up, the promise I made to myself one of those as well.
“Not be a dumbass like you are. I know you well enough that you put down rules and regulations, probably told her you’d throw her out on her ass if she fucked up, too. Meanwhile, you’re the one doing the fucking up.”
“I did not threaten to can her ass, thank you very much. Christ, do you have little to no faith in me to not be a dick?” I ask, ready to put this shit to bed and get on with my day.
“Damn, she must have really lit a fire under your ass for that. My advice,” Madden starts.
“Yeah, that is what I called you for, not to get my ass chewed out.” Which I’m beginning to think was a waste of my time after all.
“Go after her. Don’t stop. You’ll have your own issues along the way. I’m sure Bailey will, too. Don’t self-sabotage. It could be the start of a new beginning. In other words, don’t be a dumbass like I was when I called it quits on Hendrix, okay?”
“Yeah, appreciate it. I’ll talk to you later,” I tell him, ready to get inside and quit talking about our feelings. Women, man, they make you fucking crazy.
“Later, brother,” Madden says. I hit the end button on my steering wheel and take a deep breath to calm myself before going inside, where I’m sure to see a mess of work that will only make me pissed off again.
FIFTEEN
Bailey
I’m lost in my own world, tired from pulling out everything from the cabinets while Piper was at preschool and Cammy was at school for the majority of the day. It was a mad dash to the store, grabbing the containers that I thought were necessary plus some, then I was back at Forest’s house, taking everything out. Trying to get everything cleaned out of the cabinets and separated in the four hours Piper was at school really challenged me. I barely had time to sort things out into their new home inside the built-ins before my alarm on my phone was going off telling me it was time to head to the school. The hardest part is figuring out what to do between the hours Piper’s day is ending and Cammy’s is still going on for four hours. I hate to have to head right back out after she eats lunch when it’s nap time. Today is no different, except after strapping her into my car after she helps in her little, “I do,” voice, she’s already drifting in and out as we leave the school. So, it looks like today I’ll make her lunch, let her take a nap, and then wake her up when it’s time to pick up Cammy.
“Piper, can you tell me what you did at school?” I take my eyes off the road to look in the rearview mirror, hoping to keep her from falling asleep. I’m not sure that it’ll work. Right now, I’m willing to do anything, even if that means playing those weird car games, like ‘I spy with my little eye’ or singing off-tune to nursery rhymes.
“I payed, den…” She takes several pauses, eyes drooping. I go back to watching the road, being careful to watch my speed limit and stay safe. The one plus is both girls’ schools are only a few minutes away and next to one another.
“Oh yeah? What did you play?” Piper’s eyes pop back open. I laugh at the situation.
“Outside and nack!” That perks her up, and just in the nick of time as we pull into the gated subdivision, my hand on the remote to open it.