Ketchup Popsicle - 26
Monkey Mountain.
"Mommy park?" Daniel asked as soon as she pulled his shirt over his head.
"Mmm. It's a little cold honey. Why don't we go to Monkey Mountain instead?"
"Yay Monkey Mountain!" Daniel cheered.
Sandra couldn't get Bobby's soft kiss off her hand. She could still feel the warmth of his lips weeks later. Of course he had been a virtual ghost since the ballet. Sandra decided that he let the alcohol speak for him and was now embarrassed by what he had said to her.
Mike, in the meantime, had taken to following Sandra around like a lost puppy. It was becoming annoying. The only benefit was that he was actually around to help her out with Daniel. Daniel had grown into a little toddler and was wreaking havoc on her nerves pulling town books off the shelves that would inevitably land on his head sending him into hysterics. He had also begun running off without any warning towards a dog or cat or squerell running across the road. She feared everyday that he would run right into traffic. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic in their area, not like in the city, but it would only take one car and poor timing to cause a disaster. It was safer to bring him to an indoor playground like Monkey Mountain where everything was soft and safe and colorful and fun.
Mike was waiting at the door with his shoes on. "Do you mind if I tag along?" he asked.
Sandra rolled her eyes, but it wasn't in her nature to be cruel. "Sure. Why not?"
"Thanks," Mike said, "I'll buy you a latte on the way.
That sounded nice to Sandra and they all piled into the car for a little family outing. "Maybe today we'll talk about it." Sandra thought sipping her latte. Was she ready to have that conversation? It was so mature, so serious, so depressing to talk about how he had cheated on her and how she planned to move out of his house and into an apartment once she had the money saved. He was being so sweet and so attentive. If only he had been that way before, it would have been easier somehow to accept.
She could feel Mike glancing at her from the driver's seat. She avoided his eyes as she turned to check on Daniel in the back seat.
"Hi Mommy." Daniel waved and smiled, milk dripping down his chin. He was very proud to be drinking from a straw out of the small carton of milk from Starbucks.
Monkey Mountain was a large indoor playground with silly music playing over the speakers. Songs that Sandra was surprised to recognize from television - her metemorphis into motherhood was complete - she now knew all the words to every Barney song. It was slightly disturbing.
Daniel wiggled out of her arm running toward the ball pit swan diving into it. He came up crying because he hit his head on the bottom. Not surprising to Sandra. Mike took a step forward and Sandra stopped him by the arm. "You're okay honey!" She called to Daniel. "Look - there's a rope ladder." She pointed at the rope ladder leading to a maze of bridges and slides just above the ball pit. Daniel stopped crying immediately and started making his way through the red, yellow, and blue balls toward it.
"He's fine, it's more his ego that was hurt than anything." Sandra commented and then added, "He is a male after all," and laughed to herself.
Mike gave her an uneasy look and followed her to the parent sitting area. The chairs were big enough for them to sit in but the Monkey Mountain theme was never ending. The chairs were shaped like animals, hers a giraffe and Mike's an elephant, both complete with a tail hanging from the backside. The music quickly became obnoxious as they silently watched Daniel scurry about the playground, fall, cry, and then continue on.
"Mike. I've been seriously considering moving out with Daniel for a long time now." She didn't look at him. She knew that if she did, she would change her mind. Mike remained silent and so she continued, "I've almost got enough saved for first and last deposit. I'm going to move close to your Mom so she can continue to help me out with Daniel and so that Daniel won't be too far from you, just in the next city over."
"You're not even going to try?" Mike asked. His voice was shaky and low.
"Tyr? I've been trying since the day I got pregnant. Listen. You never asked to be a father and never asked to have all this responsibility of supporting us both. I have a job now and I can take care of Daniel and myself."
"I'll still help you out." Mike said a little too easily defeated in Sandra's opinion.
"You'll have to pay child support I guess." Sandra felt tears stinging her eyes and went to collect Daniel and go back home.
"Mmm. It's a little cold honey. Why don't we go to Monkey Mountain instead?"
"Yay Monkey Mountain!" Daniel cheered.
Sandra couldn't get Bobby's soft kiss off her hand. She could still feel the warmth of his lips weeks later. Of course he had been a virtual ghost since the ballet. Sandra decided that he let the alcohol speak for him and was now embarrassed by what he had said to her.
Mike, in the meantime, had taken to following Sandra around like a lost puppy. It was becoming annoying. The only benefit was that he was actually around to help her out with Daniel. Daniel had grown into a little toddler and was wreaking havoc on her nerves pulling town books off the shelves that would inevitably land on his head sending him into hysterics. He had also begun running off without any warning towards a dog or cat or squerell running across the road. She feared everyday that he would run right into traffic. Thankfully there wasn't much traffic in their area, not like in the city, but it would only take one car and poor timing to cause a disaster. It was safer to bring him to an indoor playground like Monkey Mountain where everything was soft and safe and colorful and fun.
Mike was waiting at the door with his shoes on. "Do you mind if I tag along?" he asked.
Sandra rolled her eyes, but it wasn't in her nature to be cruel. "Sure. Why not?"
"Thanks," Mike said, "I'll buy you a latte on the way.
That sounded nice to Sandra and they all piled into the car for a little family outing. "Maybe today we'll talk about it." Sandra thought sipping her latte. Was she ready to have that conversation? It was so mature, so serious, so depressing to talk about how he had cheated on her and how she planned to move out of his house and into an apartment once she had the money saved. He was being so sweet and so attentive. If only he had been that way before, it would have been easier somehow to accept.
She could feel Mike glancing at her from the driver's seat. She avoided his eyes as she turned to check on Daniel in the back seat.
"Hi Mommy." Daniel waved and smiled, milk dripping down his chin. He was very proud to be drinking from a straw out of the small carton of milk from Starbucks.
Monkey Mountain was a large indoor playground with silly music playing over the speakers. Songs that Sandra was surprised to recognize from television - her metemorphis into motherhood was complete - she now knew all the words to every Barney song. It was slightly disturbing.
Daniel wiggled out of her arm running toward the ball pit swan diving into it. He came up crying because he hit his head on the bottom. Not surprising to Sandra. Mike took a step forward and Sandra stopped him by the arm. "You're okay honey!" She called to Daniel. "Look - there's a rope ladder." She pointed at the rope ladder leading to a maze of bridges and slides just above the ball pit. Daniel stopped crying immediately and started making his way through the red, yellow, and blue balls toward it.
"He's fine, it's more his ego that was hurt than anything." Sandra commented and then added, "He is a male after all," and laughed to herself.
Mike gave her an uneasy look and followed her to the parent sitting area. The chairs were big enough for them to sit in but the Monkey Mountain theme was never ending. The chairs were shaped like animals, hers a giraffe and Mike's an elephant, both complete with a tail hanging from the backside. The music quickly became obnoxious as they silently watched Daniel scurry about the playground, fall, cry, and then continue on.
"Mike. I've been seriously considering moving out with Daniel for a long time now." She didn't look at him. She knew that if she did, she would change her mind. Mike remained silent and so she continued, "I've almost got enough saved for first and last deposit. I'm going to move close to your Mom so she can continue to help me out with Daniel and so that Daniel won't be too far from you, just in the next city over."
"You're not even going to try?" Mike asked. His voice was shaky and low.
"Tyr? I've been trying since the day I got pregnant. Listen. You never asked to be a father and never asked to have all this responsibility of supporting us both. I have a job now and I can take care of Daniel and myself."
"I'll still help you out." Mike said a little too easily defeated in Sandra's opinion.
"You'll have to pay child support I guess." Sandra felt tears stinging her eyes and went to collect Daniel and go back home.
Post Comment | View Comments
