The weather was frightful and continued to get worse after she walked home from having coffee with Kristi. She had plenty to occupy herself with at home. Luckily she could put off her errands until Sunday when the weather would clear. She always had something in the freezer or pantry to eat. The cupboard was never completely bare. She laughed thinking of her childhood vision of the old nursery rhyme.
With a burst of energy that surprised even Megan, she set to work, dusting, vacuuming, and washing the old linoleum floor in her kitchen. Her home was a sorry sight, but it was clean. Properties, on The Point, were outrageously expensive. In addition, the closer it was to the water the higher the property taxes. Homes like her parent's that were large and on the waterfront were worth several million dollars.
Her house was a small cottage. When Mrs. Lynch became too old to come to Maine for the summer, she offered to sell it to them. Mrs. Lynch avoided the snow and enjoyed sunny Florida. She was one of many snowbirds who populated The Point during the summer months.
What her home lacked in aesthetics it made up for in location. Megan sacrificed to live on The Point. What she hated most about cleaning was not the work, but the focus on all the flaws in her home. The hole in the wall where the winterization had never quite been finishing, the stains on the floor that no amount of scrubbing would remove, the old bathtub that even when clean always looked dirty. There was also the mindlessness of the task. Her mind would wander to places that were best left unexplored. She was a here and now person. She had learned to get along without thinking of the past or worrying about the future. If she went back, she would find herself with a head full of regrets.
The cottage was tiny comprising of a living room, a small eat-in kitchen, a front porch which would be its best asset if it wasn't about to fall in, one bathroom, and two bedrooms. One place she never allowed her mind to wander was how she would fit her twins and a third child in this house, especially as they grew. She already knew she may not fit all three in the backseat of her twelve-year-old Prius, and a car payment wasn't in her budget.
She tackled the bathroom next which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so hard to scrub the tub due to her expanding girth. A bleach mixture sprayed on and rinsed would have to do. Megan was feeling good about her accomplishments as she snacked on crackers, which she bought for Nicholas and Sophie, but always ate more than her fair share, and checked the news on her phone.
As a high school Civics and History teacher she found the need to keep up with current events. She watched varied news sources and read the newspaper. She required her students to keep up on current events. She tried to present a neutral point of view, but it was often difficult. She required kindness in her classroom, which was more than what the government leaders were portraying. She knew her students learned their views from their parents. It was strange that at an age that they were seeking independence away from their parents; they were embracing their parent's politics.
She was an exception. Her father was a corporate lawyer. He was a named partner in the biggest firm in Portland. He spent a lot of time lobbying in Augusta for big business. Meanwhile, Megan was pro public education and social services which her low-income students needed. She had students who bounced from one foster home to another while trying to stay in school. Without social services, they would have no future. Through the years, her mother refused to discuss politics, so Megan didn't know where she stood. She assumes not quite with her husband. Ironically, her father, who she disagreed with on so many levels, was the only parent currently speaking to her.
Megan was not about to rock any boats with politics this year given the fact that she was single and expecting. She assumed students were talking behind her back - they were teenagers. Every year one or two of them ended up in her position with an unexpected pregnancy. She refused to call hers unwanted. Oh well, at least she wasn't the health teacher. That would be worse, she laughed.
She decided that it was time to rinse the shower and take one, after feeling grimy from cleaning. On her weekends alone, she liked to linger under the hot water. During the week, she didn't have time in the morning. She allowed the spray to hit her back for a while as it felt sore. Dressed comfortable in leggings and an oversized tee shirt she knew she needed to start her school work.
She looked out her front windows and thought about her children, who were just across the street. It was weird having them close by, but not seeing them. She had adjusted to her weekends without them, but she still missed them something fierce. Not having the kids allowed her to tackle the fifty odd essays on an event in history and its impact today. She was well into her pile when she got a text. Seeing it was from Peter, her mind went to the twins.
Can I run over and get bunny?
Bunny! She quickly got up and went to Sophie's bed. She lifted the covers of the, she was embarrassed to admit, unmade bed and there was the pink bunny that Sophie loved. Oh her poor baby, how had she fallen asleep the night before?
She replied: Yes. Got bunny.
She watched as he sprinted across that street in the deluge. One thing about her ex-husband was he would do anything for their children including run through the rain for a prized stuffy.
Letting him in to drip on her doorstep, she held up bunny. "You should have called me last night. How did she sleep?"
"There were tears and so I let her sleep with me. She slept fine. I, on the other hand..."
"Got kicked all night." Megan finished his sentence knowing only too well what it was like to sleep with their six-year-old daughter.
She watched as Peter tucked the bunny under his coat. Before he left he asked, "Are you alright? Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine. You know how it goes. I made my bed, now I've got...."
Not that Megan ever got around to making the beds, which he was well aware of.
He cut her off. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Do you want to come over for dessert? Your friend, Kristi can pepper you with questions."
"No thanks. I'm not going out in that. Kiss the kids for me though."
"Always. See you tomorrow." He turned and stepped out onto the porch.
Megan watched him run across the street. Kristi's house looked bright and inviting. Her friend was watching out the window. Kristi wanted desperately to know more about her failed attempt at marriage. Thinking and talking about her past only brought a lot of pain and regret to the surface that was best left buried.
YOU ARE READING
Shattered Hearts (TP1)
Romance(Complete) Peter isn't prepared for the reality of another man spending the night with his ex. He should be, but his heart has never let her go. Peter, who was abandoned by his father as a young boy, will do anything for his kids. He won't stop unt...
