“But they play baby stuff,” I whine while stomping my foot and crossing my arms. “Cora is not like Emma and Becca.”
Daddy laughs at my irritation; if only he knew he was the one I was irritated with. Adults can be so hard-headed.
“They’re still little, buddy. We can discuss a tree house in a couple of years, okay?”
I blow out a puff of air and lower my arms, fist tight at my side. There will be no discussing this when I’m older. I’m getting my tree house one way or another. “Fine,” I say before spinning on my heals and leaving the office. Daddy’s fingers dancing across the keys, clink, pink, clink, and then a curse word. Such a—what’s the word Mommy uses, a hipo…hipocritamous? Yeah, hipocritamouses both him and Mommy. They use adult words when they get mad, but I’m told to be nice when the twins frustrate me. Sometimes I wish they were boys and not girls, then I could wrestle them like I do Daddy and maybe, accidentally, take my frustration out on them.
I shake my head against my daydream. Focus Jax. The plan’s still a wonderful plan, I just messed up the execution. Daddy may be the soft parent, but I know how to play Mommy like a fiddle. I’m her little man, all I need to do is bat my dark brown puppy dog eyes, and she is like putty in my hand; unless I wake the twins, there’s no coming back from that.
I quietly stroll through the house in search of Mommy, planning my attack. I’ll have to change my reason behind wanting a tree house to something less elaborate and thought out. I don’t want all the questions that came from Daddy again. I’ll just tell her it’s for me and my friends so we can play imagination and the twins won’t be able to bother us. You know, an answer that sounds more like something a five, almost six, year-old would come up with.
I search the whole house before finding her out in the garden. “Mommy! Mommy!” I shout to get her attention but stop once I notice the cleaning company at Cora’s house. My heartbeat quickens. If the cleaning company is there, then that means Cora will be home soon.
I know most five-year-old boys are playing with cars and trucks and dinosaurs and starting sports, not wanting to play with a baby, but Cora’s different. Gram told me I would love her forever and I always want to make sure she’s happy. I missed her more than words can describe.
“Jax!” Mommy’s voice pulls me from my second daydream of the day. “Hey little bud. Want to help me pull carrots?”
“Do I have too?”
“Do you want to eat dinner?”
I scowl at Mommy; Daddy is the one that cooks. Mommy’s food tastes the worst.
“Fine,” I mumble under my breath. She shows me how to pull the carrot up at the root. I struggle with my first one and eventually pull so hard I land on my butt on the gravel walkway, carrot still in the ground. I give up and take my shot. “Mommy, can I have a tree house?”
“A tree house huh?” Daddy started this conversation the same way, I’m worried, but I need to stay calm, just like I know how to play her, she can read me like a book.
She stops with the collecting and seems to at least be thinking about it, unlike my good for nothing Daddy. I want to grin, but I bite the inside of my cheek to keep a straight face.
“You know what?”
Yes! This is it. Please say yes, Mommy. Please say yes.
“Let me talk to your daddy, but I think you’re old enough for a tree house. I know you don’t really have your own space with the twins all over the house. You and Jace could play in it instead of staying in your room to escape your sisters. We could turn it into a little man cave for you.”
My own space. I want to hit my head with my hand. I should have gone that route with Daddy. Excitement vibrates through me, my feet feel as though they are tied to pogo sticks as I jump around, making sure to give her a big kiss and a super big bear hug. I cannot lay anything on too thickly right now, I need for this to work. “Thanks Mommy! You’re the bestest Mommy EVER!”
She laughs as she falls back into the dirt. “I said we’ll talk about it. That doesn’t mean it’s a yes Jackson.”
Yes, it does. “I know,” I giggle to myself. She’s so silly. “When will Cora be here?”
“Aunt Presley said they will be here on Friday sometime. You can see her after I pick you up from kindergarten. Now go inside and wash up. Want to help me with dinner?”
I give her a sideways glance. Mommy burns hot dogs…and they’re cooked in water, how is that even possible.
“Jax, I can see your thoughts,” she sounds perturbed, and that’s my sign to skedaddle; I’ve got to keep her happy for this to work.
“I love cooking with you Mommy.” I give her my best smile and bat my lashes just the right way until she softens, pulling me next to her side as we walk up the hill together.
My eyes stay glued to Cora’s house. Today is Tuesday. I know that because I have music on Tuesdays in school and then I have soccer practice after school is done.
Daddy wants me to play football, but Mommy told him no; so he settled for soccer. I don’t really like it though. I really love my music class, and my teacher gives me guitar lessons after school on Thursdays, he’s been teaching me to play “Twinkle Twinkle”; maybe if I’m good enough, I can play it for Cora as her Christmas present, it’s her favorite song.
* * *
– Friday at School –
“Jax!” Jace runs over to me on the playground. He’s in one class, and I’m in another, but we get to play together during gym and recess, the two greatest parts of my day, he’s my best friend, when Cora’s not around. “Guess what! My mom said you get to come play today after school. Isn’t that great!”
My eyes go wide at his announcement. No! No, that’s not great! Cora will be home and I haven’t seen her in months. This is the worst thing on the planet!
“My mom talked to your mom last night. You get to ride the bus home with me today. We’re gonna have so much fun.”
Fun. Right. The kind of fun my parents want me to have. Fun with other kids my age. I try to hide my disappointment. “Cool, can we play monster trucks?”
“Yea! I’m the red one! My dad even built a cool monster truck obstacle course in the backyard. We can add water and make things all muddy! Hey! Maybe you can even spend the night!”
Jace’s excitement is off the charts. I’m gonna need the dude to dial it back a lot.
“Umm, my mom says she has to have a three-day notice for sleepovers.” That’s a lie. I know Mom would let me spend the night in a heartbeat, but Cora’s home and I’m not missing my chance to see her tonight.
It’s hard being me. Sometimes I feel like someone cut me right down the middle. One half of me belongs to Cora, while the other half is just, well, me. The kindergarten boy that has two ornery sisters, who likes climbing, swinging, and playing trucks in the mud. The days leading up to Cora’s return and then a few days after she leaves are always the hardest. I’m torn between my two parts. Hopefully, when I’m older, I won't have to choose between the two.
When the bell rings at the end of the day, I follow Jace out to the bus zone. It’s crowded with other bus riders and I get lost in a sea of big kids. I try to follow Jace but end up stuck behind a group for fifth graders.
“Jax! Come on.” Jace is standing on the bus’s steps waving to me. The kids part and I run to the bus I’m supposed to be on, my backpack sloshing side to side across my back. I climb on just before the driver closes the doors and we take our seat all the way in the back.
I love riding the bus, but usually Mom always picks me up from school. Bus rides feel like an adventure. Jace and I pretend we’re astronauts getting ready to go into space or army guys on a top-secret mission.
The ride is long and when we arrive at the bus stop Jace’s mom is waiting for us on the corner. “Hey boys. How was school?”
“The best Mom.”
“Thank you for having me over, Mrs. May.” Jace’s mom smiles at me and takes our hand before we cross the street.
Jace tells his mom all about school and everythi
ng we did today. I walk in silence, wondering if Cora has made it home yet. Wondering when I’m getting picked up, and when I will finally get to see my special baby again.
We play for several hours, but each time we run through the kitchen I note the time. 4:30, 5:15, 5:45. The minutes tick by and my worry increases that I won't get to see her tonight. I don’t understand why mommy would do this to me.
“Hey, you two, what do you want for dinner?” Mrs. May’s question catches me off guard.
“I’m…I’m staying for dinner?” I hope I hid the slight quiver in my voice.
“Yep. Your mom called and said she was running a little behind. She should be here by seven, though.”
The quiver scratches my throat. I don’t like this. “Oh. Okay.” After seven comes seven-thirty; my bedtime. I’m not going to see Cora tonight. I want to cry, but I don’t want Jace to make fun of me.
“Hey mom! Could Jax spend the night tonight?” Jace’s outburst is a sharp stab to my already bleeding heart.
“I would need to call his mom and check with her first, but I don’t see—”
“I can’t!” I shout out. This was getting to be too much. There was only so much a man could take, and I was about to lose it. “I have a soccer game in the morning.” I muster out.
“Oh man,” Jace bends his arm like a J and swings it in front of him, “Talk about a big bummer.”
“Well, maybe another time then.” Jace’s mom tries to soften the blow I’ve just dealt.
Another time. Yea. Like after Christmas. Cora always goes away in January. She always comes back right before Halloween and then leaves after New Year’s.
“Well, I’ll order pizza and we’ll eat in a little bit. You boys make sure the playroom is picked up before dinner.”
“Yes ma’am,” I say as she turns around and leaves the playroom. I look around the room to find toys scattered everywhere, I don’t remember playing with half of this stuff. Jace has no intention of cleaning up as he continues to pull out basket after basket of different race cars and track accessories.
Mom was always telling us to clean up our toys, she did not like messes and would probably drop dead on the spot if she could see this room right now. Daddy always told me to use my best manners when I was over at a friend’s house and to listen to their parents. I was no longer in the mood to play, so despite Jace throwing things around like a lunatic gorilla, I started picking up the playroom. At least this way I wouldn’t have to pretend to have fun and I could blame my sour disposition on the fact I was cleaning while my so-called best friend continued to make a mess.
I’m quiet during dinner, while Jace’s family talks about their day. I speak when spoken to, but that’s it.
Eventually the doorbell rings and I hear Mommy’s voice outside. Freedom. Sweet, sweet, freedom, but it’s dark outside and the minutes continue to tick away while the two grown-ups talk, 7:10. I put my backpack on and go to stand by Mommy, swinging her hand and attempting to pull her to the car.
“Thank you so much for letting him come and play, May.”
“Oh, it’s no problem. He is always the little gentleman when he’s here. I’m hoping some of his good manners rub off on Jace one day.” They laugh, but I don’t see what’s so funny.
She musses my hair, “You ready little man?”
“Ugh! Finally! Yes!” I know instantly I’m in trouble, but if I was unsure about it, the look on her face clears up any misunderstandings I might have.
“Oh no! I hope he had fun today.”
“I’m sure he did. He’s probably just anxious to get home. Presley and Robert came back today, and he just loves little Cora.”
The way she says loves makes it sound like my feeling for her are something to be joked at. She may be mad at me, but I’m just as equally mad at her.
“Ewww,” Jace points at me and starts laughing. “You like a girl? Girls have cooties.”
Mrs. May tries to get him to stop teasing me, but let’s be honest, she has no control over her son, I’m five and can already tell he’s going to be a menace to society when he grows up.
“Is she your girlfriend? Jax has a girlfriend! Jax has a girlfriend!” he sings.
“I do not!” I shout back at him. Pivoting on my heals and running to the car before I start to cry. Mommy’s click clack shoes can be heard behind me. I don’t want to deal with her either. I just want to go home. My life is over.
“Jackson!” she scolds me. “That is not the way we treat our friends. You didn’t even say thank you to May for letting you come play today.”
“I didn’t want to come play in the first place!” I yell back at her. “You knew I wanted to see Cora, and you made me come play! You’re the worst Mommy ever!”
I pull open the car door and climb inside, slamming the door to the best of my abilities.
I can tell Mommy is sad, but I’m mad. I don’t want to talk to her at all.
We don’t talk the whole way home. I catch her glimpsing at me in the rear-view mirror, but I just turn my head, she doesn’t get to look at me. I’m mad that she made me go play at Jace’s, but then I’m mad that she didn’t even try to cheer me up on the drive home. She didn’t even ask me about my day at school.
We turn down the long gravel driveway, my eyes focus on Cora’s house. Uncle Robert’s truck is parked out front. They’re back.
Mommy pulls into the garage and turns off the car. She doesn’t reach behind her like usual to undo my buckle. She just gets out. Leaving me alone in the car as I start to panic.
Where is she going? Why didn’t she undo my buckle? Is she gonna make me sleep in the car? It’s dark in the garage and there are spiders. Am I spider food?
“Don’t leave me mommy!” I yell at the top of my lungs, just before I cry again, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
My door opens. Mommy’s eyes look red and she wraps her arms around me, squeezing me until I can't breathe, like a snake does to an animal it wants to eat. We learned about snakes in school this week. I’m gonna ask Daddy if we can have one, Mommy will say no.
“I’m so sorry Jax.” Wait, why’s she saying sorry to me? “I know how much you were looking forward to seeing Cora.” I nod my head into her neck. Her hair smells like cookies; she must have gone to the bakery today.
She unlocks my buckle and backs away from me. My fingers brush against her wet cheeks, following the trail her tears have created. “Why don’t you and I walk over and see if Cora is still awake? Would you like that?”
I nod my head as fast as it will go, before wrapping my arms tightly around her neck. “Thank you, thank you, Mommy.” Pulling me tighter against her, her hand rest against the back of my head as she helps me out of the car, kissing my cheek before setting me firmly on the ground. “I love you mommy.”
“I know you do, bud.”
I return her kiss and take off sprinting across the field to Cora’s house. Superman has nothing on my speed and in just a few seconds I’m standing on the front porch frantically waving and calling out to Mommy to hurry up. The door clicks open behind me and I almost fall on my butt, tripping over my own feet as I turn around to find Uncle Robert. The soft glow of the lights behind him make him look like the Hulk as he fills the doorway, he’s so much bigger than my daddy.
“Hey buddy. I thought I heard you out here.”
“Uncle Robert!” I jump into his arms and give him a big hug. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too, bud. Oh you give the best hugs, you know that?”
I lean back so I can look him in the eye, “That’s what they say!” Uncle Robert is great with chitchat, in fact I think most adults are, but I don’t have time for his shenanigans. “Where’s Cora?” His eyes glance over my shoulder as mom steps onto the porch. I don’t need to look back at her, her shoes give her away, she would be a terrible spy.
“Aunt Presley is putting her down to sleep. But…if you’re really quiet, I bet she would let you see her real quick.”
I squ
irm to get out of his arms. The man takes too long. Doesn’t he know he’s wasting valuable seconds by keeping me held captive? Eventually I break free and run up the stairs to Cora’s room and crack the door just enough to peak in.
Mommy had spent the last few weeks turning Cora’s baby room into a little girl room. I liked being in here with her when she worked. I felt closer to her. The crib was replaced with a white-framed bed, the pink walls were still there, and now there were ruffles everywhere. It was perfect for my little princess.
“Come in Jax.” Aunty Presley’s voice was just above a whisper. I kick off my shoes and tiptoe over to the bed. Cora’s eyes are just about closed shut, but a creek in the wood floor opens them to almond slits. Mommy told me there was a chance she wouldn’t remember me. She’s little, and little kids don’t remember much. The twins forget to pee in the potty all the time.
“Wax!”
She stretches her little arms out to me, and I climb on her bed. Silly Mommy, I knew she wouldn’t forget me.
“Cora,” I say sternly; Aunty Presley giggles and I shoot her a glare; she tries to hide her smile behind her hands, but I can still see it. “It’s time for sleep sweet baby.” I say as I take a seat next to her in bed, she snuggles next to me and I begin to play with her curly hair. I love how bouncy it is. I pull a curl straight and it bounces back; bing, bing. “Hey, do you want to come to my soccer game tomorrow?”
She nods her head and looks at Aunty P. “Swoccer. Mommy?”
“Yes sweetie. But you need to go to sleep now. You’ve had a long day.”
“I can put her to sleep Aunty Presley if you want to go see Mommy. She walked over with me.”
Aunt Presley nods and makes her way across the room. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, okay?”
I nod and Cora shifts her head onto my lap as I continue to play with her bouncy curls.
It takes two “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and she is sound asleep. I bend down and kiss her little head, happy to have her back home finally. “Good night Cora” I whisper in her ear and she squeezes my leg.
Tag Fight For Me Page 14
