Ketchup Popsicle - 23

Balancing life and work was becoming easier for Sandra she realized as she sat once again on the train out of the city. With Marta watching Daniel and making dinner every night, it was a breeze. All she had to do was go home and play with her son. She knew that she was blessed with Marta and wanted to do something nice for her to show her appreciation. But what would a single woman with everything want? Then it occurred to her - a man. And Mr. Neason would be perfect for her. He was as conservative as she was and they were both around the same age or at least looked it. And so she decided that she would play cupid and find a way to set them up without them knowing it. She was scheming and it felt good, she hoped it would keep her mind off of Bobby.

As luck would have it Neason Advertising took on the National Ballet as a new client and Mr. Neason dropped two tickets on her desk a week prior to the opening show for Sandra and a guest.
"Will you be attending the show Mr. Neason?"
"Of course, I’ll be accompanying the clients. We’ll be sitting in the balcony and so will you if you noticed on your tickets. So dress nice and be charming. Can you handle that?"
"Yes Sir." Sandra gave an army solute and smiled.
"Will you be bringing your boyfriend?" Mr. Neason asked.
"Actually, I think I will bring his mother." Sandra ventured, "She’s widowed and watches my son for me, so I thought this might be a nice way to say thank you."
Mr. Neason raised an eyebrow. "That’s nice of you. I look forward to meeting her."
Sandra beamed, "I think you two will get along really well, she’s really something."

Mike was not at all insulted to be bumped from the ballet and happily agreed to stay behind with Daniel.
"I’m glad that you and my mother get along now." He said as she was dressing up for the event in a black satin cocktail dress she had purchased with her own money, something she was very proud of.
"I really hated her in the beginning didn’t I?" Sandra recalled, "But she and I just had to adjust to each other I guess. I couldn’t live without her now."
Mike looked down at his feet and then around the room. "Sandra. I’ve been cheating on you."

The silver beaded necklace she was trying to clasp onto the back of her neck dropped to the ground. "What?"
And then she remembered the email. How could she have been so stupid? The whole reason she got the job in the first place was to save up money to leave Mike. Hadn’t she suspected he was cheating on her? And his semi human emotional state ninety percent of the time was enough to send her packing. But she thought he had changed, that things were getting better. Apparently not.
"Is it the waitress?" She asked. Her tone was cold and unforgiving.
"No. A coworker." He confessed. "It didn’t mean anything. I just wanted to tell you because she keeps calling me now and she’s sort of stalking me. She said she was going to call you and tell you…"

"So the only reason you’re telling me now is because you were about to get caught anyway?" Sandra was strangely calm, it unnerved her. She should be screaming and throwing things at him. But instead she just retrieved her necklace from the floor.
"Can you clasp this for me please?" She asked putting her back to him and lifting up the hair around her neck.
Mike put the necklace in place with shaking hands and Sandra turned to face him. Something changed in her and she kissed his lips softly. She was relieved to know that she wasn’t crazy for being unhappy with him, that she wasn’t the one closing herself off to love. It was him.

"Don’t leave me Sandra." Mike whispered. "Daniel…"
"You should have thought about Daniel before now." She felt a twinge of disgust creep into her throat. "You can’t keep me around and not love me just so that you don’t loose Daniel. How selfish can you actually be?"
Mike dropped his head and then looked up into Sandra’s eyes with all the confusion and worry and sadness of little boy lost at a shopping mall. She felt pity for him at that moment, for whatever she had been going through the last couple of years, she had no idea what he must have been going through himself.
The doorbell rang. "We’ll talk about it later, Mike."

Marta was wearing a purple collared dress with a back fur jacket and heels. She looked like a movie star - if an aging one. She hugged Sandra and air kissed her cheeks.
"It’s been ages since I’ve been out on the town." Marta confessed grinning ear to ear. "We’re going to have a fabulous night."
"Gammy!" Daniel came running from around the corner jumping into Marta’s hands. Sandra had to steady her back as Daniel was getting bigger every day it seemed.
"Did you climb out of your crib again? I think it’s time for a bed soon, Buddy. Be good boy - Mommy’s going out with Gammy for a while. Good night honey bunches." Sandra kissed his cheek and headed for the door completely ignoring Mike who gave his mother a weary glance.