Picking Up The Pieces
By: Stacy Leonhardt Gravely & Nichole Harrison
© All Rights Reserved - 2010
4.
When the girls and I came home yesterday I delivered the wonderful news that I had indeed landed a job. Mom was delighted, but my dad did nothing more than huff from his recliner, refusing to look me in the eye and congratulate me. It was clear that nothing I did was going to make him happy until I was out of his house again. I wondered how our relationship had gone south so suddenly. As a little girl my dad loved spending time with me, but just as if someone flipped a switch our relationship changed when I became a teenager. Even though that was yesterday, I still can't fathom what happened between us that caused this large rift between us.
I glanced at the clock it was nearly three in the afternoon. The girls were sitting in the living room watching cartoons. I started gathering outfits for them to wear to Krista's, then decided to take a quick shower while they were entranced with the television. Once out I slipped into a comfortable pair of capri shorts and a black tank top. Not wanting to deal with frizzy hair, I tugged back my wet locks into a ponytail.
Chaz showed up right at four, pulling into the drive way with his BMW. I was almost afraid to put my children in it as to not dirty it up. Jumping out of the car Chaz jogged up to the door with his casual smile pasted across his face. "Hey there beautiful."
I rolled my eyes and opened the screen door allowing him to enter the house. "How's it going?" I asked as he eye balled the house that we all practically grew up in.
"Good, you?"
"I'm ready to get my own place, to be honest." I bluntly answered as I walked into the living room to get the girls. "Girls, come on." Riley and Sommer ran to the door slipping on their flip flops and looking up at Chaz.
"Who are you?" Sommer asked a bit more rudely than I care to admit.
"SOMMER! That isn't how you talk to adults and you know that. Now apologize!" I snapped at her shaking my head at her blatant attitude to any other male that isn't her father.
"Sorry." She mumbled looking down at her feet.
"It's okay, cutie. I'm Chaz, your mommy and I have been friends since we were about your age." Chaz looked up and smiled at me. He was clearly great with kids just reminding me to later ask him why he wasn't settled down with a couple himself.
"Let's get going, I'm sure Krista will be calling any minute wondering where we are." I began shooing the girls out the door while Chaz led the way to the car. I retrieved Riley's booster seat and strapped her in for the ride.
The ride over was fairly quiet, Chaz asked the girls what they thought of the town. Sommer of course voiced her distaste of being away from her daddy, still not understanding why he couldn't come visit when he wasn't working. This only caused Chaz to eye ball me carefully, letting out a heavy sigh I prayed he got the idea that I didn't feel like talking about it in front of the girls.
We pulled up out front of a tiny country house, Krista's car was parked out front. It was indeed tiny, but she probably had no problem with that since it was just her and Lily. Instead of knocking, Chaz waltzed in like he owned the place and loudly announced our arrival only to have a stumbling little girl come running towards him squealing loudly.
"Lily, my girl!" Her laughter became shrill as she squealed with delight. "Where's momma?" Lily pointed to a back bedroom.
"I'll get her." I pushed Chaz back and walked back to the open bedroom door. "Hey, Kris?"
