Chapter Two
Adam
“Come on, guys! We have to go or we’re going to be late,” I call out from the bathroom as I straighten my tie in the small mirror.
A loud screech has me flinching, and I rush into my daughter’s room to see what’s wrong.
“What? What’s going on?” I ask, my heart pounding, the adrenaline preparing me to fight off someone who’s broken in.
She looks at me furiously. “I am not a guy!”
Judy puts her little fists on her hips.
I groan. “I thought something was wrong.”
“Something is wrong.” She stomps her foot with way too much attitude for a seven-year old. “I am not a boy.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Sheesh.”
I head down the hall to Ian’s room and find him sitting on the floor, playing with his cars.
“Ian, buddy, what are you doing?” I ask, trying not to sound annoyed, but I’ve already told him twice that he needs to put things away so we can leave. “We have to go.”
“Cars.”
“Yes, I see that, but we have to leave. Where is your backpack?”
“Backpack.”
I sigh, looking around his room. He’s been doing this new thing lately where he hides his backpack, thinking he can’t leave without it. One of these days he’s going to learn the hard way. I can’t find his backpack anywhere, so that day may be today.
“We’re leaving in five minutes. If you don’t have your backpack, we have to go without it.”
He ignores me, smashing his cars together and making an explosion sound.
I gather my things quickly, making sure I have my cell, ID, and my briefcase with my laptop.
“Okay, let’s go, gu—I mean, kids! Kiddos. Princess and prince, or whatever else you want me to call you.”
Judy comes trotting out of her room, her dark hair in lopsided pigtails. She’s wearing a dark purple frilly skirt with striped purple leggings and a white T-shirt.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
“Of course, sweetheart.” I kiss the top of her head before calling out, “Ian, let’s go!” I put my hand on Judy’s shoulder. “Go wait by the door.”
I check my watch. If we don’t leave right now, I’m going to miss my flight. I hurry into Ian’s room. He’s crouching down on the floor, trying to stuff more cars into his backpack. Of course he found it.
“Buddy, we have to go.”
“Cars.”
“Yes, you have your cars in there.” I take his bag and zip it up, then help him get it onto his back.
I take his hand and hurry out of the room.
We head down the stairs and around to the back, where my car is.
Judy gets in and buckles herself, since she’s in a booster seat now, while I buckle Ian into his car seat.
I toss my stuff into the front seat, then hurry around to the driver’s side.
“Daddy, can you put the radio on?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” I say as I turn the car on and reverse it. I mess with the radio as I turn around and reach the road.
Co-parenting is not easy. Dealing with a separation is not easy. Living in Seattle for my kids while also living in California because that’s where my job is, is fucking hell.
Less than two months left. That’s it.
I make it to their mother’s house and quickly get them out of the car, grabbing their bags.
“Car!” Ian shouts when I put him on his feet. I shove my head back into the car to look for his car.
“I got it, Daddy,” Judy says with a smile, holding up his little red car.
“Thanks, sweetheart.” I take it with a smile and hand it to Ian, who hurries toward the house. I close his door, then follow after him with Judy at my side.
Mona, their grandmother, opens the door after Ian knocks.
“Hi, my little pumpkins!” she greets, holding her arms out wide.
“Grandma!” they both shout at the same time, jumping into the house to hug her. She smiles, then pats their butts for them to run off.
“Is Leslie here?” I ask.
“No,” Mona says, giving me a hard look. “She ran to the store.”
I nod. “I’ll call her later to figure out plans. I’m going to miss my flight if I don’t leave right this second.”
“Dropping them off earlier would have made more sense.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her off, to complain about how I am doing everything all by myself, even if I only have them on the weekends.
Yes, Leslie is single too, but she’s living with her parents, and they help.
I have no one, and getting two kids ready in the morning isn’t the easiest thing to do on the planet.
“I’m doing my best.” I look past her at the kids sitting on the couch. Judy has the TV remote in her hand. “Love you both!”
“Love you, Daddy!” Judy says, not pulling her attention from the TV. Ian doesn’t answer me, but it’s fine. He’s three and in his own world half the time. “I’ll call later,” I repeat as I hurry down the steps and get back into my car.
I rush to the airport, going into the garage that I pay to store my car. It’s a ridiculous fee, but I can’t rely on Ubers when I have to drop the kids off. It’s just too much.
I make it to my gate just as they’re boarding people, and it’s only when I’m in my seat that I have a moment to breathe.
But only just a moment, because there is work to do and the second I land, I’m on again.
I have a busy day, and by the time I get to my hotel, I’ll be exhausted, only to wake up the next day and do it all over again.
Well, the work part, not the traveling part.
At least I get a breather from that until Friday.
The downside is I don’t get to see my kids all week.
It’s the worst part of being here, but I am thankful for video calls.
The flight is less than two hours, and I spend the time responding to emails, scheduling showings, and putting together information for the newest listings.
Once we land, I grab a coffee and a breakfast sandwich, then head to the pick-up area where I await my ride.
It’s forty minutes to my office, which I’ll stop at to check in.
After that, I have back-to-back showings, then I’m meeting with a photographer to get photos of a new listing, then another showing, and a meeting with someone over a potential commercial property.
I’m also meeting with someone this evening about taking over some rental properties.
That will thoroughly increase my salary and give more of a buffer, which I will be grateful for.
I don’t mind working my ass off as long as it pays.
The busier I am while I’m here, away from my kids, the better.
One day things will settle down. Today just isn’t that day.