daycare // hemmings

four- daddy issues

When they sat down to a lunch of Chef Boyardee and Spaghettios, Jackson smiled. "I forgot to tell you, Tobie!"

"Forgot to tell me what?" Tobie asked. Tracy was busy bouncing Jamie on her knee. Jackson and Jamie were the only two kids they had today, so it was a fairly easy Friday. Tobie wasn't complaining.

"I'm gonna be in the Soapbox Derby race in two Saturdays!"

"Soapbox Derby?" Jamie asked. She had a ring of tomato sauce around her lip, and Tobie resisted the urge to wipe it until she was totally done. "What's that?"

"You don't know what Soapbox is?" Tracy asked. "Man, Jonny and I used to do that as kids. Remember, Tobie?"

Oh, she remembered. The long hot days of watching her cousins, and eventually Tommy, too. One time, Jake puked. He had too much ice cream.

Tobie remembered when Jonny hit one of the barricades and flew over the fence, destroying his car. That was a rough day. Broken arm and nose. Tracy didn't race after that.

"Oh yeah." Tobie said. "So you're in it, bud?"

"Mhm," Jackson said. "My car has the arcade logo on it! It's green!"

"Why can't I do Soapbox, Tobie?" Jamie asked.

"You'd have to talk to Luke about that, kiddo. I can't sign you up."

"I don't think you can enter now anyways." Jackson said. "You haven't been to practice every week, and you don't have a car."

Jamie frowned. "Poop."

Jackson giggled and Tracy rolled her eyes. "We never had to go to practice every week. Just twice, I think."

"That could've been your dad, too, though." Tobie said. "Knowing him, he skipped it."

Tracy laughed. "Yeah, probably."

Jackson wiped his mouth on his arm. "I'm excited. Kody's gonna be at the race. His first public event!"

"No, I saw him at ShopRite," Jamie said.

Tracy laughed and stood up, Jackson and Jamie trailing. "Nap time?"

"After they get cleaned up," Tobie said. "They've got beards and mustaches."

"Like my grandpa!" Jackson said.

"Like Ashton!" Jamie said.

Tobie laughed and took them into the bathroom.

;

When they were asleep, Tracy and Tobie headed out to the deck, under the dripping awning. Despite the rain, it was warm out, and Tobie watched as a chipmunk ran up the gutter and onto the roof.

"I missed these guys," Tracy said. Tobie laughed.

"You didn't miss Emeline, man."

"Isn't that the bratty one?" Tracy asked. Tobie nodded, and Tracy sighed. "Glad it's Friday."

"I'm not. That means tomorrow I have to write checks for supplies." Tobie said. "And I get to do laundry, and cook for the rest of the week."

"I can cook," Tracy said. "I don't mind."

Tobie shrugged. "If you want."

Secretly, she was pumping her fists in the air. Tobie couldn't cook, but Tracy could. She inherited that from their grandmother. Tobie, unfortunately, got her dad's cooking.

"No problem. It's the least I can do."

Tobie was excited for Tracy to be staying. Being in her house alone was starting to drive her crazy. To have another person there would be great.

"Where am I gonna sleep?" Tracy asked. "You don't have a guest room."

"My bedroom works fine." Tobie said. "I've been looking for an excuse to not sleep in my bed."

"What? Why? Your bed's fine." Tracy said. Tobie snorted.

"The mattress is harder than my last boyfriend." She said. Tracy laughed. "You can have it."

Tracy shrugged. "Whatever works for you, boss."

"Don't call me boss," Tobie said, but she was laughing.

She missed Tracy.

There was a knock on the sliding glass door, and Tobie jumped. She turned around and saw Michael's face, with Luke, Ashton, and a guy who looked Asian.

Tobie opened the door and they came through. Luke handed her her planning book and she smiled at him as a thanks. Once Tracy closed the door and everyone was sat on wet chairs, Tobie looked at Michael. "You could've come around back."

"We figured we'd make your life difficult," the Asian guy said. "I'm Calum, by the way."

Tobie stuck out her hand and they shook. "Tobie Evans."

"I'm Tracy," her cousin said. "So, um, hi."

"You're the one Jamie likes," Luke said. Tobie cleared her throat dramatically.

"I'm right here!"

Luke laughed and waved his hand dismissively. Ashton clapped his hands. "Let's get down to official business."

"Busy-ness," Michael said, nudging Calum. Calum rolled his eyes.

"Okay," Tobie said. She checked the book for Jamie's contact. "I have Luke and Jeremy down. Who wants to go next?"

Ashton went, then Calum, then Michael. She wrote down their names, how to reach them, and they set up a schedule for picking up and dropping off Jamie, which was pretty easy.

"Luke's kid," Michael said. Calum nodded.

"Yeah, Hemmo, you take care of that," Ashton said, laughing. "I'll pick her up if you physically cannot make it."

"If you're taking a dump, for example," Calum said. "Then we won't go. But if you're just peeing, grab a cup and go boy."

"There's not a set time you have to be here," Tobie said, but she was laughing. Luke was beet red. "If you have to pee, go pee. If you have to take a shit, take a shit. Just don't leave her overnight."

Luke laughed nervously, then finally said, "Can we take Jeremy off the list?"

Tobie's smile quickly faded. "Hm?"

"Can we take her dad off the emergency contact list?" He wasn't looking at anybody else but Tobie, and there was no humor there. He wanted him off that list.

"Oooh, Luke's got Daddy Issues." Michael said, but Luke kicked him in the shin.

"I don't think it's a legal law to have Jeremy on the list, but I'll look it up and tell you tomorrow, okay?" Tobie said, nudging Luke's foot. Luke looked up at her and smiled, nodding slightly.

Tracy clapped her hands. "Now that that's settled."

They all sat there.

"So, um-", Luke started, but Michael interrupted.

"Do you guys have food left?" He asked.

"Of course we do," Tobie said. She stood up, walked over to the door, but on the way gave Luke a pat on the shoulder.

She wanted Jeremy off that list, too.