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“Yes, you said that already.” His smile creased the corners of his eyes. “Have you been good or do we need to handle some things before we get too busy?”
“Always straight to the point,” I mumbled with a roll of my eyes. “It was a tough morning, and there are some broken rules, but we aren’t handling them with my kid here.”
“Oh right.” His sheepish grin told me how out of his element he was. It felt good to feel like I had the upper hand for once. “Well, can I come in?”
“Oh yes, right. Come on in.” I bit my tongue to keep from groaning at how awkward our interaction was, and stepped to the side to let him in.
As he had the last time he’d been here, he grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him, nuzzling my ear as he whispered in it, “You look good enough to eat, little girl.”
“Stop it, Bain! Not in front of the kids!” I exclaimed, smacking his shoulder as I pulled away, even though there was no way Marcus had heard him, and no way he’d understand him if he did.
“Right, kids. The youngest is Marky, right? And he’s the only one currently here?”
“The youngest is Marcus, but we usually call him Marky. Trevor is in kindergarten, and Marlee is in third grade.”
Nodding as he appeared to file away the information I’d just given him, Bain checked his watch. “The other two we need to leave to pick up in… approximately one hour. And then its parent-teacher conferences, soccer practice, dinner, and homework?”
“If all goes according to plan.” With kids, it very often did not go according to plan, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. He’d figure it out for himself.
“Great. Well, what can I help you with in the meantime?”
I hesitated as I closed the door behind him. It was tempting to put on my strong, independent single mama facade and tell him I didn’t need any help and I wasn’t sure why he’d come so early, but that would totally defeat the purpose of having help. It wasn’t like Bain would be able to drop what he was doing every day that Gia was gone to help me with things I should have been able to manage on my own. It wasn’t like I would let him if he tried. This was a one-time thing, and I needed to take advantage of every second.
“Marky needs to go potty and get dressed in clean clothes. They are in the blue dresser in the room at the end of the hall. He should also pick out a book and a toy to take with him so he’ll have something to do while I’m busy.”
“Got it.”
I sincerely doubted he had it, or had any idea the afternoon he was in for, but I’d let him figure that out, and I’d sit back and enjoy the show.
Bain
I’d known from the second I hung up the phone this morning that I was out of my element. The feeling had risen like a pit in my stomach up into my chest, where it had settled. For a moment when Jasmine opened the door, looking beautiful and happy, I’d forgotten myself and the reality of why I was there. But, as I was sure was often the case with kids, reality hit me fast, like a speeding train. And Jasmine seemed content to sit back and watch me struggle with a smile, surely hoping I’d give up and tell her she was right, and her life was far too impossible for the rules I’d given her, and maybe even let her quit the program.
She had another thing coming, because that was not happening. Attacking the situation like I would any business deal, because that was what I knew, I honed in on my target. Her youngest, Marcus, she’d called him, was curled up on the corner of the couch, with a chunk of a well-worn blanket tucked in his fist and his gaze glued to the TV, where cartoon dogs appeared to be solving crimes.
“Hey bud. Hey Marcus. We’re gonna have to get ready to go soon. Do you want to take me to your room and show me where your clothes are so I can help you get dressed?”
The child recoiled, jumping to his feet and running to the far end of the couch as fast as his chubby little legs would take him.
“Mommy! he cried. “Stranger in the house! Stranger danger! Stranger danger!”
I felt Jasmine running up behind me to help, and I waved her off, turning back to the situation at hand just in time to get kicked in the nose. I saw stars for a moment, but I knew right away it wasn’t broken and no real damage had been done. Blinking away the pain, I shook off the shock, and started over before Jasmine could stop me.
“Marcus, I didn’t mean to scare you, but you did exactly the right thing for if a stranger approaches you. But I’m not a stranger.”
“I don’t know you. That makes you a stranger.” He glared in my direction, his chubby little hands clenched into fists at his sides, and I realized I’d just been outsmarted by a three year old. Worse, I could hear Jasmine snickering from somewhere behind me.
“Okay, I’m a stranger to you,” I conceded. “But I’m not a stranger, stranger. I know your mommy.”
His brows furrowed together and he seemed to be considering this tidbit of information.
““Mommy, who’s that man?” he finally called.
“His name is Mr. Bain and he’s mommy’s friend.” There was a slight hitch in Jasmine’s voice, and I couldn’t tell if she was uncomfortable at introducing me to her kids as her friend, when god only knew what we were at this point, or if she was still trying not to laugh. Ignoring her, I turned my head and smiled at Marky.
“Hello.”
“Hi Mr. Bain. Do you wanna be my friend, too?”
