The Bartender

11

"Aunt Ronnie! I want my green hair tie!"

"Honey, the dress code for your rehearsal is purple, green will just mess up the color scheme and that would just upset your dance teacher." I took a quick sip of my coffee and spun to the sink and spat it out instantly. "Fish sticks!" I cussed, "Why is this still piping hot?"

The house phone rang and I hastily dropped my ceramic mug on the kitchen island, rolling up the last few floor plans that I had been busy marking up the night before I head to my big meeting and first day of work since, you know...my sister.

"Does no one have common courtesy anymore? It's 7 for crying out loud." I groaned and turned around, making a beeline for the house phone but not realizing there were a bunch of pink Legos of all sizes scattered on the ground. I stepped on a couple and immediately saw the whole galaxy altogether. "MOTHERFUC—"

"Aunt Ronnie, it's grandma calling." Max turned around with the phone in hand, still clad in my sweater she insisted on wearing the night before she climbed into bed with me. "Grandma?" I repeated. "I believe that's what I said." She grinned.

"Oh honey, don't you get smart mouthed with me. You ought to stop picking up everything Uncle Judah says." I warned.

"Uncle Judah!" Max shrieked as the main door opened and in came Judah wearing a coat and holding a large bag of groceries in one hand while the other held Max's soft toy rabbit she probably left in his car the night before. "Speak of the devil, you're early...hello, yes mom? It's nice to finally hear from you."

"Max, you're supposed to get ready for your first day back at school." Judah said, dropping the bag of groceries on the kitchen island just as Max pounced on him for a hug. "But I wanted to wait for you until you got here!" the little one said indignantly, wrapping her tiny arms around the man's large frame, clearly enjoying the one adult who was willing to give her his undivided attention.

"Ronnie." Judah greeted.

"Bacon hater." I answered, still narrowing my eyes at him. Why? Okay so last night we had a little spat in the car when Max was sleeping. What about? Well, we were deciding that there were certain shows Max should not watch. He said no more Peppa pig for Max but I argued why not? Because it was an animal's show, he told me that I clearly do not pay close attention to the dialogues exchanged between the piglet and her mother.

'The pig's impertinent, stubborn and selfish!' I remember Judah arguing. 'She thinks she can get what she wants by being smart-mouthed'

He told me I was very much like Peppa the Pig and I sulked the whole way home.

"Yes mother, it's her first day back at school and no I do not have time to chat, I need to get to work and Judah here will be taking Max to school so you need not to worry." I reassured her, eager to get off the phone to get myself ready for the day.

"Max, you haven't brushed your teeth yet, have you?" I heard Judah say, jogging up the stairs with a toddler giggling her head off. "Everything's going great mom." I finally said, sighing quietly. I was telling the truth, everything was going surprisingly smooth and it got me a little unsettled. "I hope things will turn out well for you too. I really have to go, I'll call soon."

The call ended, and that was the first time I heard from my mother in a month. Jackie has done an excellent job watching over my mother and I was forever grateful to her because I knew I was not in the best position to take care of a grieving elderly person and a 3-year-old who's constantly vying for my attention, not to mention, following up on the project I was tasked to lead. It was all too much for two hands.