Cheryl, the coffee from the napkin dripping onto the floor. “It’s too early for this shit. I can’t take it.”
Cheryl sighed and came out from behind the counter then went over to Larry and helped the kid up from his chair. “It’s alright, baby,” she said, as she grabbed a fresh wad of napkins and started wiping coffee from the kid’s jean shorts. “It’s going to be okay. Mommy’s here now. Mommy’s here, baby.”
Dave snarled and pushed himself up from the table then took the wet ball of napkins over to the trashcan. “And you want another one of those?” he said, motioning to Larry, who had his face buried against his mother’s belly. “Are you out of your damn mind?”
“If you’d just give me a hand once in a while, we wouldn’t have to go through this every morning. I have to do everything around here.”
Dave laughed as he opened the trashcan and tossed the dripping ball of napkins into the bag. “Oh please, don’t give me that bullshit. I do plenty around here.”
“Oh really? Then why is it that whenever I come home, Larry’s not in bed, the kitchen is a disaster, and you’re passed out in your underwear on the god damn couch?”
“I was not passed out.”
“I couldn’t even get you up last night. You were out cold.”
“I told you, Cheryl, it’s the medication. It makes me drowsy.”
“Yeah right. You expect me to believe that? You think I don’t know what you’re up to? You have a history with this shit, Dave. You’re sick. You need help. Rehab, something, anything.”
Dave laughed and took a step backward, looking at Cheryl as if she was insane. “Rehab? Are you kidding me? I don’t need rehab. I’m not some bum living under a bridge. I can quit whenever the hell I want.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“Why should I? It’s all I have now. I can’t run. I can’t compete.”
“There are more important things than your running career, Dave.”
“Like what?”
“Like your children! Jesus, are you so busy feeling sorry for yourself that you forgot about your own kids? Don’t you even love them anymore?”
“What the hell kind of question is that? Of course, I love them. I love them more than anything in this whole godforsaken world.”
“Do you love them more than you love your dope?”
“What?”
“It’s a simple question, Dave. Do you love them more than you love your dope? Because if you spent as much time with your kids as you do getting high then we wouldn’t—”
“I spend plenty of time with those kids.”
“Oh really? When was the last time you helped Megan with her homework? And what about Mary? I mean, where were you last week? You knew how important that meet was to her. She finally did a full back tuck in her floor routine and you weren’t even there to see it. You used to love being with your children, but now we don’t even see you. You spend all your time out driving around doing God knows what.”
“I don’t have time to listen to this shit. I have to get to school. I’m gonna be late.”
Dave turned away and walked back to the kitchen table, picked up the newspaper and wedged it underneath his arm. He hobbled towards the front foyer, his bad leg dragging behind him like a ball and chain. But Cheryl wasn’t finished and came marching in after him, her bare feet slapping against the marble floor.
“Yeah, keep running,” she said. “Keep running away to your dope and see what happens. See what happens, Dave. This might be the last time you ever get to see your son again. Have you thought about that? Has that thought ever crept into your sick head?”
Dave rolled his eyes as he zipped up his green and gold jacket then bent over and scooped his blue gym bag off of the floor. “Cheryl, I told you, I don’t have time for this. I got a million things to do before our match tonight. I can’t stand here with you all morning and argue.” He stood up and slung the bag over his shoulder then turned away from her and walked
Cheryl sighed and came out from behind the counter then went over to Larry and helped the kid up from his chair. “It’s alright, baby,” she said, as she grabbed a fresh wad of napkins and started wiping coffee from the kid’s jean shorts. “It’s going to be okay. Mommy’s here now. Mommy’s here, baby.”
Dave snarled and pushed himself up from the table then took the wet ball of napkins over to the trashcan. “And you want another one of those?” he said, motioning to Larry, who had his face buried against his mother’s belly. “Are you out of your damn mind?”
“If you’d just give me a hand once in a while, we wouldn’t have to go through this every morning. I have to do everything around here.”
Dave laughed as he opened the trashcan and tossed the dripping ball of napkins into the bag. “Oh please, don’t give me that bullshit. I do plenty around here.”
“Oh really? Then why is it that whenever I come home, Larry’s not in bed, the kitchen is a disaster, and you’re passed out in your underwear on the god damn couch?”
“I was not passed out.”
“I couldn’t even get you up last night. You were out cold.”
“I told you, Cheryl, it’s the medication. It makes me drowsy.”
“Yeah right. You expect me to believe that? You think I don’t know what you’re up to? You have a history with this shit, Dave. You’re sick. You need help. Rehab, something, anything.”
Dave laughed and took a step backward, looking at Cheryl as if she was insane. “Rehab? Are you kidding me? I don’t need rehab. I’m not some bum living under a bridge. I can quit whenever the hell I want.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“Why should I? It’s all I have now. I can’t run. I can’t compete.”
“There are more important things than your running career, Dave.”
“Like what?”
“Like your children! Jesus, are you so busy feeling sorry for yourself that you forgot about your own kids? Don’t you even love them anymore?”
“What the hell kind of question is that? Of course, I love them. I love them more than anything in this whole godforsaken world.”
“Do you love them more than you love your dope?”
“What?”
“It’s a simple question, Dave. Do you love them more than you love your dope? Because if you spent as much time with your kids as you do getting high then we wouldn’t—”
“I spend plenty of time with those kids.”
“Oh really? When was the last time you helped Megan with her homework? And what about Mary? I mean, where were you last week? You knew how important that meet was to her. She finally did a full back tuck in her floor routine and you weren’t even there to see it. You used to love being with your children, but now we don’t even see you. You spend all your time out driving around doing God knows what.”
“I don’t have time to listen to this shit. I have to get to school. I’m gonna be late.”
Dave turned away and walked back to the kitchen table, picked up the newspaper and wedged it underneath his arm. He hobbled towards the front foyer, his bad leg dragging behind him like a ball and chain. But Cheryl wasn’t finished and came marching in after him, her bare feet slapping against the marble floor.
“Yeah, keep running,” she said. “Keep running away to your dope and see what happens. See what happens, Dave. This might be the last time you ever get to see your son again. Have you thought about that? Has that thought ever crept into your sick head?”
Dave rolled his eyes as he zipped up his green and gold jacket then bent over and scooped his blue gym bag off of the floor. “Cheryl, I told you, I don’t have time for this. I got a million things to do before our match tonight. I can’t stand here with you all morning and argue.” He stood up and slung the bag over his shoulder then turned away from her and walked
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