feeling of general
stress. So, in a way, it told me what I already knew. Ugh.
After
a quick shower and a rush through of my usual hair and make-up routine, I
tucked my straight dark hair behind my ears and called it good. Congratulating
myself for setting out clothes the night before, I slipped on a pair of
charcoal dress pants with a skinny red pinstripe and a V-neck sleeveless blouse
the color of a poppy. I paired this with some very low heeled open-toed shoes
in a matching color. Even Fiona would approve.
I
went to wake Rocco but found his bed empty, firetruck sheets in a rumpled mess
and pillow missing. After a search of the living room and kitchen I checked the
only other possible place.
Yep.
There he was, snuggled up next to my brother, firetruck pillow cradling his
head and all of Gavin’s covers bundled around him. My brother lay next to him,
curled in the fetal position with no covers but, thankfully, some boxer briefs
to protect my eyes from the bleach bath they would have needed had things gone
differently.
“Your
son stole my covers,” grumbled Gavin in a sleepy murmur.
I
smiled – only because my kid is cute, not because I enjoy my brother’s pain –
and went over to the bed to get Rocco.
“Hey
buddy.” I rubbed up and down his back. “Time to wake up.” His sleepy eyes
blinked repeatedly as he rolled to his back and stretched his arms above his
head. “Did you decide to hang with Uncle Gavin last night?”
“Yeah,”
he said around a yawn, “but he farts in his sleep.”
Suddenly
wide awake, Gavin interjected, “I do not!”
“Do
too.”
“Do
not! And you steal all the covers!”
Again,
why doesn’t my son want to play with other five-year-olds? He clearly lives
with one already so it should be a no-brainer.
“Okay,
okay, let’s get up and leave Uncle Gavin to himself,” I urged Rocco out of bed.
“What
time is it anyway?” Gavin asked.
“It’s
only ten after seven. I had to get up early because I have something to do
before work.” I walked toward his door.
“Crap.
Too early,” he muttered, but I suddenly had an idea.
“Hey,
since you’re already awake, would you mind getting Rocco ready and giving him
some breakfast? What time do you leave for work?”
“I’m
working at the site up the street this morning. I don’t need to be there ‘til
eight. I was going to take advantage and sleep in,” he said pointedly. “Why
do you need me to take care of Rock? Where are you going?”
Hmm,
how should I handle this one? I didn’t really want to tell Gavin that I was
going to help some neighbors give his new company a hard time, but I didn’t
want to lie either. “Remember that lady who came by the other day with her kid?
She wanted me to help her out with something this morning. I’ll be back in
plenty of time for you to make it to work.” Vague, let’s stick with that.
“Okay,
I guess. Just give me ten more minutes of snooze time, Rock, and I’ll get you
some breakfast.” Gavin laid his head back on his pillow and covered his eyes
with his arm.
Knowing
that Rocco can’t tell time and Gavin, like me, possesses no internal alarm
clock, I set a buzzer for ten minutes and turned the TV on to cartoons. “When
that buzzer goes off, go get Uncle Gavin and tell him it’s time to wake up. If
he doesn’t get up tell him that I will erase all of his college women’s volleyball
recordings from the DVR,” I told Rocco as he settled in on the couch. I may as
well have been talking to myself. I paused the show and tried to block his
view. “Tell him your clothes are lying on my bed, okay? I just need to run up
the street for a few minutes but I’ll be back in time to take you to school.” I
got a nod but his eyes never left the TV. I un-paused it and hoped for the
best.
Wanting
to stay in Charlotte’s good graces but get this over with as soon as possible,
I grabbed my cell phone and slipped out the side door, heading quickly toward
the sidewalk. As I approached
stress. So, in a way, it told me what I already knew. Ugh.
After
a quick shower and a rush through of my usual hair and make-up routine, I
tucked my straight dark hair behind my ears and called it good. Congratulating
myself for setting out clothes the night before, I slipped on a pair of
charcoal dress pants with a skinny red pinstripe and a V-neck sleeveless blouse
the color of a poppy. I paired this with some very low heeled open-toed shoes
in a matching color. Even Fiona would approve.
I
went to wake Rocco but found his bed empty, firetruck sheets in a rumpled mess
and pillow missing. After a search of the living room and kitchen I checked the
only other possible place.
Yep.
There he was, snuggled up next to my brother, firetruck pillow cradling his
head and all of Gavin’s covers bundled around him. My brother lay next to him,
curled in the fetal position with no covers but, thankfully, some boxer briefs
to protect my eyes from the bleach bath they would have needed had things gone
differently.
“Your
son stole my covers,” grumbled Gavin in a sleepy murmur.
I
smiled – only because my kid is cute, not because I enjoy my brother’s pain –
and went over to the bed to get Rocco.
“Hey
buddy.” I rubbed up and down his back. “Time to wake up.” His sleepy eyes
blinked repeatedly as he rolled to his back and stretched his arms above his
head. “Did you decide to hang with Uncle Gavin last night?”
“Yeah,”
he said around a yawn, “but he farts in his sleep.”
Suddenly
wide awake, Gavin interjected, “I do not!”
“Do
too.”
“Do
not! And you steal all the covers!”
Again,
why doesn’t my son want to play with other five-year-olds? He clearly lives
with one already so it should be a no-brainer.
“Okay,
okay, let’s get up and leave Uncle Gavin to himself,” I urged Rocco out of bed.
“What
time is it anyway?” Gavin asked.
“It’s
only ten after seven. I had to get up early because I have something to do
before work.” I walked toward his door.
“Crap.
Too early,” he muttered, but I suddenly had an idea.
“Hey,
since you’re already awake, would you mind getting Rocco ready and giving him
some breakfast? What time do you leave for work?”
“I’m
working at the site up the street this morning. I don’t need to be there ‘til
eight. I was going to take advantage and sleep in,” he said pointedly. “Why
do you need me to take care of Rock? Where are you going?”
Hmm,
how should I handle this one? I didn’t really want to tell Gavin that I was
going to help some neighbors give his new company a hard time, but I didn’t
want to lie either. “Remember that lady who came by the other day with her kid?
She wanted me to help her out with something this morning. I’ll be back in
plenty of time for you to make it to work.” Vague, let’s stick with that.
“Okay,
I guess. Just give me ten more minutes of snooze time, Rock, and I’ll get you
some breakfast.” Gavin laid his head back on his pillow and covered his eyes
with his arm.
Knowing
that Rocco can’t tell time and Gavin, like me, possesses no internal alarm
clock, I set a buzzer for ten minutes and turned the TV on to cartoons. “When
that buzzer goes off, go get Uncle Gavin and tell him it’s time to wake up. If
he doesn’t get up tell him that I will erase all of his college women’s volleyball
recordings from the DVR,” I told Rocco as he settled in on the couch. I may as
well have been talking to myself. I paused the show and tried to block his
view. “Tell him your clothes are lying on my bed, okay? I just need to run up
the street for a few minutes but I’ll be back in time to take you to school.” I
got a nod but his eyes never left the TV. I un-paused it and hoped for the
best.
Wanting
to stay in Charlotte’s good graces but get this over with as soon as possible,
I grabbed my cell phone and slipped out the side door, heading quickly toward
the sidewalk. As I approached
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