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“I’m ready!” Olivia calls out, making her way down the stairs wearing the party dress my parents bought her for Christmas a few months ago. Totally impractical, she has nowhere to wear it, but Libs loves putting it on and dancing around in front of the mirror in her room.
Skylar says, “She’s a trip,” before turning her attention to Olivia. “Libby,dah-ling, you look fab!”
“Can I change James’s diaper?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ll show you how. But maybe I’m going to pack you some comfy clothes to take along. You know, in case you want to play later on.”
“Sky?” I gesture to the kitchen so we can speak privately. “The weather is pretty bad. I don’t think—”
“Don’t worry. I was totally going to stall until this lets up.”
“It’s not going to let up.”
“Oh.” She looks disappointed. “We can’t go tomorrow…Garth’s older brother is coming with his family.” Turning to see Olivia coming into the kitchen wearing a frown, she says, “Maybe Tuesday? I could check with Sienna.”
With that, Olivia collapses into a heap on the floor. I’d tag her as being melodramatic, except for the fact that she’s shedding what looks like a bucketload of tears within a minute.
“No worries, Olivia.” Skylar crouches down to her level. “It’s just raining really hard out there. I promise we’ll get there this week though, ok?”
That does nothing to cheer her up, so I join in and make it worse. “Olivia, crying and carrying on like this won’t make me change my mind. It’s not safe for Skylar to drive in this weather. You hear me?”
The wails just get louder and the tears don’t stop. She actually says, “You’re mean,” before she starts hiccupping and making sounds like she’s hyperventilating.
Skylar picks her up off the floor and takes her over to the couch, rubbing a hand over Olivia’s back as she whispers soothing words into her hair.
I should be able to calm her down and take control of the situation, but looking over at the two of them, I decide that Skylar has a way better handle on this than I do at the moment. I’m not too proud to admit defeat. But it does worry me, this close attachment she has to Skylar. What happens when Skylar goes back home this summer? What happens if she doesn’t come back to school in the fall? What if she finds another job?
I look out the window to see that the downpour has let up some, but if the weathermen are right then it’s going to be raining off and on all day. I make a split-second decision before I can think it through. I was planning to get a ton of shit done today, but whatever.
“You can go, but only if I do the driving.”
Olivia looks to me, wiping her eyes and still barely able to talk through her tears when she asks, “We can go?”
Her face is all blotchy and wet and her nose is running. Jesus, she must have been looking forward to this way more than I thought.
“If Skylar’s all right with me driving you two.”
“Of course I’m ok with it! I just don’t want you giving up your day. I know you probably have work to do.”
Olivia is already wiggling out of Skylar’s lap and making her way to the stairs. “I be right back,” she says.
“It’s no big deal,” I tell Skylar. “I’ll bring my laptop and find a Starbucks. I can work anywhere.”
“Well, there’s no Starbucks but there is a diner about fifteen minutes from their place.”
“No Starbucks?”
“Not one,” she says laughing. “And if the diner isn’t up to your standards then you’re out of luck. The pizza shop doesn’t have wi-fi and the sub shop doesn’t have seats.”
“I’ll manage.”
“Let me go up and help her wash her face. From the looks of the dress she picked out, Olivia’s looking to make a good impression.”
* * *
Ten minutes into the drive, I check the rearview mirror and see that Olivia is passed out cold. “I guess this morning’s drama tired her out.”
“I’ve never seen her like that. Minor meltdowns sure, but this morning was like…apocalyptic.”
