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“What, you gonna miss me paying the rent?”
“No!” She flushes crimson. “It’s not that, at all! I just, I mean, I appreciated not having to pay rent for a couple of months, but I’m gonna miss you. You were gone for TWO YEARS.” Rachel was my best friend and college roommate. “I’ll pay you back…” she flounders again. I hug her,
“No, don’t. I know, I know. It’s sudden. But…I need this job. And I promise you he’s a good guy… Stop rolling your eyes! I can see that! Plus, it’s been a month and to be honest, I’ve run through most of what I managed to save. And whatever other money I have isn’t mine. I want what I have to be mine. He will pay me a little more if I live in the house, plus I’ll be there for the kids.”
“How do you know you can trust him? Living with some strange guy.” She’s relenting, I can tell, but she’s still chosen anger and frustration at the moment. “He’s not strange. Well, no stranger than you.” I stick my tongue at her. She glares at me and throws a pillow, but she’s out of steam.
She asks what the kids are like. This means she’s given up this battle. She doesn’t really care about these kids; she just wants to prove she’s supportive. She’s not a kid person. Oh, she likes playing aunt with her sister’s little ones. But it’s not the same as wanting them in your living room. They’re very little, not yet five years old. A four-year-old and two-year-old. The kids like dolls and stuffed animals and boats.
David’s kids are a bit older. The oldest is obsessed with reading and seems quite happy with just a book. Halfway through playtime, she politely excused herself, plopped herself on a giant bean bag, and spent the rest of the time absorbed in a fantasy world. I liked her instantly. The younger two are little dynamos, probably why David has gotten them into hockey, though the girl is really into tea parties with her stuffed animals. They’ll be a handful, but a fun handful. And I liked David, too. His worldview matched my political views. Yes, I even mentioned politics. I don’t know why. Something about him made me feel at ease. I didn’t ask about his ex after she left.Maybe Rachel is right. Maybe something is wrong with him. After all, people don’t just leave for no reason.
I pack my bags. It’s not exactly difficult, though I do like everything packed neatly and in its place.Oops, knocked my laptop off the bed again. Must stop doing that. My bedroom at their house is carpeted, too, but not as thick as the rug under my bed here. Mmmm, love the feel under my toes. I’ll miss that. Anyway, focus. Pack.When I left for Thailand, I put all my belongings into two suitcases. When I came back, I returned with two suitcases. Some souvenirs and such, but I also left some bedding, towels, etc. behind.Okay, yes, I own more, but it’s all stored at my parent’s house and, to be honest, it isn’t that much more. I’ve never lived in more than a one room studio or a college dorm room. Easier to pack light. Hardly anything to worry about, hardly anything to lose
Good night, I tell myself.Tomorrow is a brand-new day.
2
Kitten Tumbles Through the Week
October 9, 6:45am
Isit up, blinking, to a series of uncoordinated and determined knocks. I think maybe I’m still asleep.Maybe it’ll go away? Am I expecting a package? Where am I, my hazy thoughts query my barely awake brain. Oh, right. I’m living with the new family.
It’s my first day on the job. He said it would be okay to come early, get unpacked and everything and spend the night at their house on Sunday night. Make it easier to start off the job. Plus, that way he was able to drive out and help me get my “things.” My two bags. I’m suspicious of the gesture. Rachel even more so. Still, it was nice of him. He invited me to have dinner with them. It’s pizza. I suspect he doesn’t really cook. Still, I appreciate the consideration.
Okay, so what’s that knocking sound?
“Anna!” A tiny voice pipes through the door. “Are you awake?!?”
“Yeah, sweetie, I’m – aw…”
The door bursts open and a little one runs through. Thank God I’m wearing pajamas. Apparently, she’s been waiting all weekend for me to show up so she could play with me.
“— awake.” I finish, although it’s a bit late for that and I don’t think she’s heard me. She’s already rummaging under the bed, probably looking for a stuffed animal she’s left there.
“You want to play hide and seek with us?” she asks in the sweetest voice that I suspect she’s practiced before. “brother is already hiding. I think.”
“Okay, but I have to get, you know, up and dressed first.”
She stops abruptly. “Oh, right.” Her face falls a bit and I feel bad. First day and I’ve already hurt her feelings. Great. I change tactics.
“Let’s get you breakfast,” I say, “I’ll be up in a moment. You want pancakes?”
“WITH chocolate chips?
“Yes.”
“Yay!” She grins and runs upstairs.I am going to have to get used to getting dressed quickly after her visits.I mentally run through my workday, 7am to 3pm, then what should I make for dinner? Then I’m free until the kids need assistance getting ready for bed somewhere between 7 and 9pm. I’m glad of the balance in responsibilities. I actually like cooking. It’s fun to make something that people enjoy.
When I get upstairs, David is almost ready to leave for school with the oldest who is finishing her cereal. The two youngest are circling the kitchen island waiting for me to dazzle them with my culinary skills.
“If you need anything, just text me.”
“Ooooh,” she says. “You make them with the chocolate chips all inside the pancakes. These are the best ever!” Their dad must sprinkle them on top. Or their mom. Neither the kids nor he have mentioned the mother much yet. They were very sweet with her at the initial meeting, though they were mostly busy with their playtime.
I flip more pancakes. It’s nice to feel so impressive, even if she is only four. Polite kid, for sure. She and her brother wait patiently for breakfast and tell me “thank you, Miss Anna,” when I serve them. They do get their own silverware when I ask (“Should we get the big fork or little fork?”). Not bad. Let’s see what else I can manage to teach them.
October 9, 7:05pm
