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“Shhh, you have to be quiet, pretty girl,” I tell her, making the universal sign of my finger pressed against my lip. She gets what I’m saying because instead of giving another bark, she goes to her hind legs, dances, and then sits back down. We walk to the fridge. I grab a bottle of beer for myself, popping the top, and taking a healthy sip before getting Jolene’s pup cup, already knowing she’ll make a mess out of it. I’ve resigned myself to seeing her ice cream mustache along her whiskers. My only downfall is not grabbing my phone to snap a picture or video. Yes, my dog has her own Instalook. Where do you think her cute handkerchiefs, bows, dog bowls, beds, and leashes come from?
“Alright, but you have to be quiet when the delivery driver arrives.” A woman in her twenties, spending a Friday night at home talking to her dog. I may as well be called the cat lady, except cats and I don’t get along. Allergies are a bitch. I give Jolene her doggy ice cream just as I hear a car door slam outside. Seeing as how she’s busy devouring her dessert, I grab my bottle of beer and head for the front door to see if it’s my dinner. My stomach grumbles, letting me know the lunch I ate is long gone. Especially seeing as how Jolene and I ran the two miles to my car, not taking a break until we got away from Madden. Only then did we drink some water, load up in the car, and head home.
All I know is that my weekend needs to get better than how my Friday evening started, or I’ll be calling in the reinforcements in the ways of Celeste, Journey, and Tyra.
FOUR
Madden
“It’s not getting any better?”I ask my brother once the girls have eaten, baths were taken, stories were read, and Cooper was in their bedroom snuggled on the floor between the two girls, who absolutely refuse to not share a room.
“Nope. I’m asking for a divorce. I’m inclined to give Krissy what she wants, which I’m sure will be more than she deserves. Except I’m worried what will happen to the girls. I can’t go a day without seeing them, let alone that fifty-fifty bullshit where it’s on one week, off the next.” Forest takes a sip of his drink. I’m just about to offer up my attorney and money when he says, “I know you’ll help me, but I’ve got money stocked away. My older brother may rake in the millions, but I’m not doing too bad myself. Krissy and I both have our own accounts, then one joined for the bills.”
“At least you’ve got the lay of the land. You need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” I tell him. The night is getting late, but I’m not willing to leave my brother in this stupor he’s in right now. If Forest and Krissy go through with a divorce, his whole house will be invaded. Our parents will move themselves right on in to help him and the girls out until they’re on their feet.
“Yeah, for now, I’m going to sip my drink, ignore the fact that my girls have been subjected to the incessant arguing over absolutely fucking nothing, and then pray to some kind of god that Krissy is asleep for the night so I don’t have to go through it all over again.” The girls were a wealth of knowledge, mainly Cammy ratting her dad out, telling me that they don’t sleep in the same room and her parents don’t hug or kiss anymore. It broke my heart that my six-year-old niece could see the writing on the wall.
“My house is open. If you need a break, bring the girls over. They have just as much fun at my place as they do at our parents’,” I offer.
“I might take you up on that. Krissy is going out of town next week, so it should be good then, but when she gets back, it’ll only get worse again.” Forest is an engineer, runs his own business, and is doing well for himself. It works that he’s able to work around the kids’ schedule as well as Krissy’s, seeing as how she’s out of town a lot as a buyer for a lucrative and well-known clothing store.
“Please do. The only time Cooper behaves is around the girls. Any other time, he’s balls to the walls,” I joke, thinking about the shit he’s been putting me through.
“You need to get him fixed. It’d calm his ass down some, maybe quit humping and lifting his leg as much, too,” Forest comments. He finishes his drink quicker than I’ve ever seen him before, then grabs the bottle of liquor and pours himself another glassful, offering it to me after.
“His appointment is next week, and no, I’ve had enough. I’ll be leaving shortly. You want me to leave Coop here for the girls tonight?” I take my hat off my head, tossing it on the table to run my fingers through my hair.
“Nah, but if you aren’t working early Monday morning, would you mind if I dropped the girls off with you for a few hours? I’ve got an appointment with an attorney, not that I’m giving Krissy what she wants yet. I need to go over options to make sure everything is written in black and white to go from there. I’d ask Mom, but you know the questions that will come with that. Even if they can see the load of bullshit I’m slinging, I’d rather not discuss it until I know more.” Our mom means well, so I get that. She’d ask a million questions, worry herself until she’s pacing the floors well past midnight, and nothing Dad says could help it either.
“Of course. I have their car seats in the SUV. Cammy has school, but does Piper?” I ask. My oldest niece is in kindergarten now. How that happened, I’m not sure. It seems like yesterday I got the call to meet Forest at the hospital, Krissy was in labor, and Cammy was being born. Three years later, it was a repeat performance.
“Piper only goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays now. I’m going to see about her going daily, though. I want them both on a schedule. Maybe it’ll help with stability.” I gotta say, my brother may be three years younger than my thirty-six years, but he’s got his shit figured out.
“Alright, then bring them over when they wake up. We’ll make breakfast, drop Cammy off, and then I’ll take Piper and Cooper to the park, let them both run off some energy.” More for my sake than an almost three-year-old and a certain Labrador.
“Thanks, Mad. Let me walk you out while Krissy is asleep. That way, you aren’t subjected to her shit once again.” Jesus, the only reason I didn’t dip out when they were arguing earlier is because both girls were by the pool. Forest tipped his head in my direction, and I got the memo. The good news is, the girls had no idea what they were arguing about. The bad news is, this is becoming normal to them.
“Not a problem. Things get rocky, just call. My place is always open.” Fucking house is bigger than necessary. It came on a prime piece of land, and the massive home came with it. The land, the peace and quiet, is what I was after. It helped that it sat on four acres, with neighbors far enough away that they aren’t watching as you’re coming and going.
“I’ll meet you at the Bronco with Cooper. Take the gate,” Forest suggests. That’s when I know it’s way worse than he ever let on.
“Shit, you and I are going to talk real soon, baby brother,” I tell him. I stand up, grab my hat off the table, and head to where I left my shoes earlier today knowing wearing them home wouldn’t happen with the amount of splashing that went on around the pool once the girls were done eating before and after dinner.
“Soon. Not now, though,” are his parting words before he disappears inside. I walk out the side gate with all of my stuff—shoes, shirt, Coop’s leash, and keys in my hand. Forest is going to have a night on his hands once he makes his way back inside. I look at my lovingly restored black 1973 Classic Bronco, sleek black, canvas top. It’ll no doubt wake Krissy up or clue her in to the fact, if she’s not asleep, that I left. The exhaust alone will do the trick, not counting the barking Cooper does when he sees we’re going for a ride. Fuck, my brother is going to have his hands full for a long time to come.
FIVE
Hendrix
The weekend flew by,probably because I stayed busy when Jolene and I weren’t on a hiking trail, that one further than our usual in order to stay far far away from Madden and Cooper. Then there was an estate sale I couldn’t pass up, where I picked up a vintage sewing box. It needs some paint stripper and a good sanding, but I figure it’ll be a nice and easy project to tackle. The bonus was it came on a stand, so I’m going to double it as an end table in my living room. That led to even more thrifting and shopping. Not that I spent a lot; after all, I am working towards a goal to squirrel away a nest egg not only for retirement but also for a home. One where I can paint the walls, hang my tapestries, wall art that I had made years ago but can’t hang up at my place. It has every single music artist I know and love, each name carefully handwritten. I’m a lover of all genres from the 1950s until today. Not so much atoday’s hitskind girl unless they have that deep throaty voice that has a woman dying to hear in the throes of a passionate night.
“You will not believe my Friday night.” I walk into Journey’s apartment now turned office. She’s in the kitchen making a cup of coffee, wearing lounge clothing. The text she sent me today said I’m supposed to be ready to do a try-on right along with her. Where Journey is tall, I’m short. We each have a different body shape, which gives her community a sense of seeing things in different sizes as well.
“Oh, really? Did you finally go on a date?” Journey asks. Her auburn hair is up in a top knot, whisps falling down in a manner that looks effortless, yet you know it’s not, and she’s got a smile on her face.
“Har, har, har. I told you there is absolutely no dating in my future. Never mind the dating sites everyone raves about. No way. Those guys are trolling for one thing and one thing only.” Sure, sex every now and then wouldn’t be bad; let’s face it, we all have needs. I have my hands, showerhead, an amazing toy that’s rechargeable and always ready to give me the orgasm a man might not.
“Well, then, don’t keep me waiting. Avocado toast?” she asks. I put my bag on the barstool and walk around the bar going to grab the ingredients out of the fridge. I start making my coffee. We’re working early this morning since we have a crap ton of clothes to try on, then edits to make, brand approval, and getting content ready for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is the day when Jolene goes to the vet to get spayed, and you bet your bottom dollar I’m taking the day off work, scrubbing my house with my phone in reach in case anything happens. I’m that dog mom. Jolene is my baby, and while I know she doesn’t take the place of an actual human baby, she’s mine.
