The Only Thing That Matters

Chapter 5

 “Do you feel any better?”  Madison asked.

 I sighed, taking in the relaxation that overcame me as the cosmetologist rubbed my aching foot. Madison had decided that I needed a pedicure to get my mind off things, off work, off Kayden, and off Blake. The woman pressed her fingers in my foot’s arch and I let out a sigh of relief.

 “I’ll take that as a yes,” Madison laughed. I turned my head to face hers, leaned back in the chair, feeling the mechanical massager run up and down my back. The woman placed my foot into the warm, bubbly water before proceeding to the next one. I leaned back into my chair as Madison grabbed a magazine off of the end table between the two pedicure chairs.

 “What color ma’am?” the woman asked as she finished with my other foot. I looked over at the end table and grabbed the bright orange I had taken from the nail polish shelf and handed it to her. She smiled, took the bottle, and started to drain the water. After, she grabbed my foot and stuck a divider between each toe and proceeded to paint my toes. Madison, leaned back, eyes closed, was also getting her toes painted, but a light pink instead. I closed my eyes and took in the soft touch of the lady’s hand.

 I was jolted awake when the woman’s fingernail tickled the bottom of my foot. I stifled a laugh, seeing as Madison was watching me the whole time.

 “You okay?” she asked. I nodded, taking her magazine from her hand, the front picture catching my interest.

 “Okay, ma’am, you’re done. If you can set your toes under the table and let them dry, you can pay afterwards,” the woman explained before packing up her things and heading to another chair. I sighed, not wanting to leave this spot. I kicked my feet around the foot tub and left the chair, heading over to the table that shined UV light from underneath. I sat down in the chair, placing my feet under the light and leaned back. It wasn’t as comfortable as the last one.

 Madison followed close behind, setting her stuff down on the table, taking a seat next to me and propping her feet up under the table. She smiled as she leaned back, opening up the magazine to the page she had left off. The familiar scent of vanilla splashed my nose.

 “Lindsay Lohan is back in rehab,” she read. I caught her eyes glance over the top of the page before she went back to her story. I smirked before grabbing a magazine for my own entertainment.

 “Did you see what was on the news?” my mother’s voice demanded through the phone. There was no hello and no questioning on how I was doing. Confused, I picked my remote and flipped on the television. I surfed through the channels before landing on the local news.

 “No, mother. What is it?” I asked, watching as the local weather plastered the screen. I sighed, taking a seat on the sofa. Kayden was with Anthony and I had the whole house to myself. I was ecstatic for yet another day of relaxation.

 “You,” she spat. I could sense the distaste. I raised my eyebrows in confusion before the breaking news flashed the television. A blurry face plastered the screen and the words “unfit mother caught with marijuana” flashed at the bottom. My mouth dropped. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.