Chapter 11 #2
All the blood drains from my face, and I don’t hear the rest of his sentence because my eyes are glued to Mr. March staring back at me from FaceTime.
I drop to the floor, hiding behind the counter like that can save me from this nightmare scenario, except when my knee hits the floor, I don’t see the LEGO until it imbeds itself in my flesh. “FUUUUDGE!”
“Oh no, Mama!” Micah cries.
“I want another Fudgsicle!” Levi whines.
Meanwhile, I’m writhing on my back on the floor, cradling my knee in my hands, biting my lips to keep the rest of the naughty words from spilling out. At least my tits don’t fall out of my shirt.
When Micah appears in my field of vision, still holding the fucking iPad up so Mike can get an eyeful, I curse Lady Luck and the way she keeps shitting all over my life. I’ve got to figure out how to disconnect my iCloud account from Micah’s iPad so this never happens again.
“Are you okay, Mama?” Micah asks right as Levi runs in, stepping over me on his way to get a Fudgsicle out of the freezer.
There’s no way this man will want to have anything to do with me after this.
“Lucy, are you okay? Need me to bring my rig?”
“No. I’m fine,” I groan, covering my face with my hands.
“Micah, can you set me on the counter so your mom can have a minute?”
“Okay.”
I hear him set the iPad down and walk away. Levi tears open his Fudgsicle and runs into the living room, the wrapper of said frozen treat fluttering down like the last leaf falling off a tree in October and landing on my face.
“Lucy? Did I lose you? All I can see is your ceiling. I think there’s something stuck to it.”
I glance up, noticing the sticky ninja toy Micah threw up there months ago that I have yet to unstick. All I give Mike is a groan in response.
There’re some shuffling sounds coming from the iPad and a muffled conversation, but I only hear every other word.
“Can…her kids…appreciate you…see…Monday.” The muffled sound stops, and Mike’s deep voice calls out again. “Lucy? You still there?”
“Barely.”
“Bella is going to come get your boys for a few hours.”
I bolt up, narrowly avoiding the drawer that’s not closed all the way. “What?”
“Hang tight, a chroí.” I hear the sound of the call ending, and I scramble to get up. When I see the dark screen, I breathe a sigh of relief when my phone vibrates on the counter.
Bella
[gif of Mrs. Doubtfire saying “help is on the way, dear”]
I love you but you don’t have to do that.
Getting in my car now
You and Summer had my kids all night last night.
Pulling out of the driveway
Are you texting and driving?
Talk to text
Seriously. You don’t have to do this.
Five minute drive pit stop first pack kids
Sorry for typos period
I chuckle at her last two texts knowing her eye is twitching with the way talk-to-text butchered it.
I grab an empty backpack and start stuffing it with a spare pair of clothes and some snacks, knowing she won’t take no for an answer.
Doing the mom math in my head, I calculate how much time it’s going to take to get them to go potty, grab a car snack, and get their shoes and coats on.
Twenty minutes later, Bella is on my porch, a grocery bag in hand.
“What’s in the bag?” I gesture for her to come in.
“Miss Carlisle!” Micah squeals as he runs over to hug Bella.
“You can just call me Miss Bella outside of school, silly.” She looks around the room. “I’m missing one. Where’s the little tornado?”
“He’s pooping,” Micah announces.
“Or he’s in the bathroom so he can use potty words again.”
“That’s so cute,” Bella says, taking the backpack from me as she hands me the grocery bag.
“It is until you get a call from his preschool three times in one week.”
“Oof. We’ll work on it. He’s still got a couple years before he’s in my class.”
“You enjoy yourself for a few hours, I’ve got the boys. And check your phone before you open that bag.”
“This feels like a setup. And I didn’t enjoy the last one you were involved with,” I say, thinking back to my terrible date with Temu Ben Affleck.
“Seriously, Lucy, the girls and I are all happy to help. I know you think you have to do everything on your own, but we’re here.”
Tears well in my eyes and I blink rapidly as she pulls me into a hug.
I’ve known these women since middle and high school, but we only became close once we all started having kids.
I’ve always wanted kids, but I never knew how isolating it could be, and these women saved me. Maybe I can lean on them a little more.
“Call me if they’re too much—” I start.
“No such thing. I can handle a class of kindergarteners, this is nothing. And there’s no such thing as too much between friends,” Bella says against my ear.
She rounds up both kids and loads them up in her car. Thankfully my car seats were still on the porch from when Summer dropped them off earlier.
Once I’m alone in my house, I pull out my phone to find a text from Mike.
Hey gorgeous.
I had Bella pick up some bubbles for you to drink and to soak in. I thoroughly enjoyed you last night and if you want to check something else off your list, or want some company in the tub, all you have to do is ask.
I open the bag, and there’s a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of bubble bath. Do I want to spend time with Mike? Absolutely. Should I take advantage of this afternoon off from the kids and get caught up on chores around the house? I should. Am I going to? Hell no.
It takes me about thirty minutes to do a quick cleanup of the kitchen and living room. There are still food crumbs and school papers on the counters, but it’s good enough for company.
As hard as it is for me, I’m going to do something for myself for once and put my needs before others. And I need to get laid. No, I need to get fucked.
Meet me in the tub. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.
And then I text him my address, pop the top off the prosecco, and saunter upstairs full of false confidence that for once luck will be on my side.