Chapter Two
Elle awoke to the sound of her alarm clock beeping. She sat up in her bed, still tired but it was manageable this time, unlike most days when she had to work. It was a Sunday, so that meant just one more day of relaxation. The sun was high in the sky already, making her squint as she tried to escape the near-blinding light.
With her tired body, she got out of bed and retrieved her boots that she only wore at home. Once she slipped them on, she picked up the clothes she’d worn the previous day. The pungent smell of smoke was radiating off them, making her stomach churn. She threw them in the hamper along with everything else and proceeded to the kitchen to make herself a late breakfast.
As she swallowed her final bite of cereal, a loud knock erupted through the silence. She groaned and stood up from the table as she sighed. Another impatient knock sounded through the kitchen. When she opened it, Emma stood there, holding Skylar’s car seat in one hand and the diaper bag on her shoulder.
Just great, she sarcastically thought to herself.
“What in the hell do want at nine in the morning?” Elle asked, only concerned about Skylar.
“Carlos left me,” She said, obviously craving the sympathy she would never get from Elle.
Wonder why, Another sarcastic thought popped up in Elle’s brain.
Elle continued to stare at Emma, praying in her mind that she would not ask her for a favor. She would if what had happened the previous day didn’t happen. But it did.
“And your point is?” Elle was being totally bitter on purpose.
“He went to his parents’ house. I’m going over there to give him a piece of my mind,” she said pathetically, making Elle silently laugh.
“Good to know,” Elle began to close the door, but Emma stopped it with her foot.
Elle rolled her eyes and opened the door again, aggravated. She wasn’t in the mood to hear about her and Carlos, the fact that he left, or anything else that she had to speak.
“I need you to watch Skylar. His parents don’t like her very much,” Emma handed Elle the car seat, not even bothering to ask.
Elle looked down at Skylar, smiling at her and she gladly returned it. Even though she and Emma were in a pitiful fight, she couldn’t look at Skylar’s sweet, innocent face and refuse. It was just too hard.
“Fine, but I’m doing it for her, not you,” She said and Emma nodded, handing her Skylar’s bag.
She slammed the door in Emma’s face and walked back over to the coffee table, placing the car seat on top. Skylar didn’t even notice that her mother had left her, and she probably didn’t even care. She was busy playing with her feet, trying to take her thin socks off.
