11
Ava pulled up to the school to get Ruby, but before she could get into her car, the car behind her honked loudly. Then she heard her mom’s voice.
“Ruby, over here.”
Ruby’s eyes met Ava’s, and she swore she looked like she was pleading with her. Ava hopped out of her car and walked with Ruby over to their mom.
“Hey, Mom,” Ava said.
“Ava, why are you picking Ruby up? I didn’t ask you to,” she said. “Ruby, get in.”
Ava set her hands on Ruby’s shoulders to hold her back. “She stayed with me last night. I thought I’d take her home again tonight to give you guys a break. I’m sure you’re tired.”
The best option she had always found was to act like she was doing her mom a favor. It usually worked, but apparently not today.
“No, I’m not tired. I can take care of my daughter, Ava. Stop pretending she’s yours.”
“Mom, let me take Ruby home with me. I already planned on taking her tonight.”
Her mom slammed her hands on the steering wheel. “No. She’s coming home with her mom. You need to butt out, Ava.”
People stared, but Ava was beyond caring. Ava stood up straight from talking to her mom through the open car window. When Ruby didn’t move to get into the car, their mom got out and stalked around to the sidewalk.
“Ruby, I said get in,” their mom shouted.
Ruby’s eyes widened, and Ava stepped between them. The smell of alcohol was heavy on their mom’s breath.
“Mom, have you been drinking?” Ava asked, lowering her voice so people around wouldn’t hear.
“It’s none of your business. I’m an adult and can do what I want in my free time,” she spat.
Ava turned around and looked at Ruby. “Get into my car, Ruby.”
Ruby nodded and hurried over to Ava’s car.
“What do you think you’re doing? She’s my child, Ava!” Their mom’s voice rose with every word she spoke. School officials were walking over.
“Is there a problem over here?” Danica asked. She was one of the school administration who helped with parent pickup and drop-off.
“Yes, there’s a problem. Ava seems to think she can kidnap my daughter,” Tonya said.
Ava looked at Danica apologetically.
“Ma’am, have you been drinking?” Danica asked.
“Cut the shit, Danica. Don’t ma’am me. I’ve known you since you were a teenager.”
Danica raised a brow, and Ava stood back watching. The school would handle it. They weren’t about to let a child get into a car with someone who was clearly under the influence.
Danica spoke into her walkie talkie asking for additional help. A security guard immediately walked over and asked what the problem was.
Tonya stepped closer to him and jabbed her finger into his chest. “I’ll tell you what the problem is. Ava thinks she can kidnap my daughter, and Danica is enabling her.”
The security guard looked down at her finger and then back up at her. “Ma’am, have you been drinking?”
Tonya sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. “What is it with you people asking me about my personal business?”
In only a few minutes, a police cruiser had rolled into the parking lot. While Ava’s mom was busy yelling at the security guard, Danica had called the police to report Tonya. While Ava didn’t relish seeing her mom put into handcuffs and stuffed into the back of a police cruiser, she also didn’t feel sorry for her.
