“Pooh, that means your father will see them first, and he’ll be their favorite today.” She sets down what I know is her banana pudding as well as pasta salad, a staple when it’s a hamburger and hot dog type dinner. Madden and Hendrix always bring an appetizer and drinks, and I prepare the main meal as well as a side, making it all work out.
“Good luck. I’m pretty sure everyone is chopped liver, including myself. Bailey’s been out there swimming with them since they finished breakfast, it seems.” Of course, that was after we woke up early again, my head buried between her thighs, a pillow over her head to keep her moans to a minimum. One day soon, I’m going to have to beg my parents or brother to take the girls to their house for a night so I can hear Bailey scream.
“Good. I’m glad she decided to stay the weekend and take some time off. Though, I’m not sure Cammy and Piper understand the concept of a chill day.” I don’t go into detail that Bailey has been out of her parents’ house since graduating, only staying there when necessary between nanny jobs. She loves them and her brothers, but apparently, it’s a lot to handle in bigger doses. Everyone is used to living on their own. The last time, it was a month of living under their roof. Bailey explained that it was like walking on eggshells. She grabbed the first plane ticket to Reno, where her brother lives, insisting on staying in a hotel instead of his house. Thank fuck, or I would have never met her that one night.
“Yeah, I know. Hey, next weekend, would you like to take the girls for an overnight stay?” I ask.
“They’re always welcome. First things first, I see the glow on her face, and I see my son happier than he’s been in forever. Bailey obviously has a lot to do with that.” I go to interrupt her, but at one arch of an eyebrow, I shut my mouth, not looking to get beat with the nearest thing that’s readily available. “Bailey is nothing like Krissy. It’s obvious. The woman is here on her day off, fitting into the fold of our family more than that sorry excuse of a mother or wife ever did. All this to say, have fun, but don’t screw her up with your past issues. It’s time to live in the present. You deserve happiness, your girls deserve happiness, and by God, so does Bailey.”
“Leave it to you to drop a bomb on me while I’ve got my hands full of raw hamburger meat.” I look down at the pile I’ve made a dent in, knowing there won’t be any leftovers with this crowd.
“Well, it’s the best time to have any conversation. A man can’t walk away when he’s working his meat.” I drop my head, hiding my amusement with her word vomit, literally.
“Okay, moving on. I’ll let you in on a secret like I did Madden. I met Bailey before I knew she was our nanny. There was a pull then; it’s now magnified. I wasn’t ready, didn’t think anyone would be worthy of my girls or that I had any room in my heart for another person, until Bailey. Somehow and some way, she snuck in there. It’s taken my brain this long to catch up. I hear you loud and clear, Mom. She’s a great woman. I’ll be a lucky man if she doesn’t run for the hills after hearing about Krissy and the shit she put us all through.” Bailey hadn’t asked, showing more patience than I could ever admit to having.
“Good, because I think you’ll need to talk to her, and soon.” My mother nods her head at the open door, where I see Bailey wrapped in a towel heading back out to the pool area.
“Fuck, a warning would have been nice, you know?” I tell her, forming my last patty and placing it on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I need to wash my hands and do any damage control before Bailey thinks I willingly withheld my past from her. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our relationship is new, so new, I wanted to be in the present more than the past.
“Let’s just say my work here is done. I’ll take the girls home with me tonight. Piper doesn’t have school, and we can do some shopping while Cammy is in school. I’ll bring them home after, unless you run Bailey off.” My mother gives me a finger wave and leaves me in the kitchen alone with my damn thoughts about how I’m going to tell Bailey what my mom was after while coming clean on the Krissy front. Fuck, this might get interesting.