Beth
rolls stretches her arms and legs out under the covers. She slowly opens her
eyes and rubs her face.
……….
She
walks down the hall into her daughter’s room. The pink walls of her childhood
have now become Emma’s. She readjusts the crooked picture frame on the wall and
opens the drawers of her old cherry dresser. She pulls out an outfit for the
day and packs an extra in the Dora back pack on top of the dresser. She sits on the edge of her daughter’s day
bed. She smiles as Tabby sleeps peacefully, Tabby’s dark brown hair all over the
place from tossing all night and her peaceful tanned face barely peeking out
from beneath the stray hairs.
“Come
on baby, time to get up for school.” She leans over and kisses her on the
cheek.
“Mommie” the little girl grumbling
becomes giggles as she is repeatedly kissed.
“Come on baby, you need to get up.”
“Why do you always kiss me?”
“Because that’s how your supposed
to wake up a princess.”
“That’s only by true love.”
“My love is true. Come on, up. You
need to potty and brush your teeth. I’m going to get dressed then I’ll get you
dressed and brush your hair. “
“Okay.” Emma climbed out of bed and
sleepily shuffles to the bathroom. Beth
heads back to her room. She finds a red polo and slacks to put on. She brushes
her own brown shoulder length hair and tosses the brush back on her dresser. She heads back down to her daughters room and
sees her mom exiting her bedroom.
“Don’t forget to flush.” Emma’s
grandmother reminds her.
“Yes, Nana.” The toilets flush
echoes. Emma takes off her Dora pajamas and tosses them into the bathroom
hamper.
“Morning, mama.”
“Good morning,” Nana responds as
she passes Beth on the way to the kitchen.
Emma waits for Nana to pass and follows her mom into her bedroom. She
grabs her undershirt off the dresser and pulls it over her head. She grabs the
next shirt and pulls it over her head and smiles in the mirror. She pats her
stomach and smiles at the Dora and Boots decal. “I like Dora.”
“I know baby. Put your jeans on and
get your shoes out.”
“Okay.” She struggles to pull her
jeans on and then finally zips them. She opens her closet door to pull out her
tennis shoes. She closes the door, grabs her socks off the dresser, and goes to
sit on her bed. Beth grabs the rubber bands and hairbrush out of the jar on the
dresser sits behind her daughter on the bed. She parts the hair down the
middle, slowly undoing some of the tangles. She brushes out the rest of the
tangles and works each side into a French braid resulting in tight pigtails.
“All done. Fix your bed and come
eat breakfast.” Beth leaves Tabby and heads to the kitchen to start the eggs.
“You can still pick Tabby up today, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be there.” Nana replied
setting some more bread into the toaster.
“Good, I’ve got student teaching
today and I’m pulling a double at the diner tonight.”
“Again?”
“We could use the extra money, I’ll
be back during my dinner to tuck her into bed.”
“I wish you wouldn’t work so much.”
“I know, but hopefully I can get
hired on with the district next semester. Then I can quit the diner.”
“He needs to be the one to have two
or more jobs, not you.”
“Yeah, well he can’t even keep one
job. Momma, we’ve been over this. Shhh.”
“Can I have your cinnamon toast
today?”
“Of course honey, just pull out the
butter.” She finished scrambling the eggs as the toast popped.
“Will you be home tonight mommy?”
“No, baby, not tonight. You and Nana
get to hang out. She will give you a bath after dinner. I will be here in time
to read to you and tuck you in, okay? And I will pick you up from school
tomorrow and we can do what ever you have planned.”
“And Saturday I go to Daddy’s?”
“If he picks her up,” Nana grumbled
under her breath. Beth shot her a dirty look.
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“What about the party?”
“I told your Dad all about
Abigail’s. He’ll take you to it, don’t worry. We can even get her a gift
tomorrow after school.”
“Okay.”
“Eat your breakfast. You need to
get milk today.”
-Phone call from him-
“That’s fine.”
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