Read Online Mid Life Love: At Last by Whitney Gracia Williams - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Whitney Gracia Williams
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curled into a ball. “How can you expect me to sign paperwork when she’s back there screaming her lungs out? Get the hell out of my face.”
I realized that I was going to have to pull out one of her old checkbooks again and forge her signature. I was also going to have to come up with one hell of an excuse because I knew she wouldn’t show up for Hayley’s first day of school.
She never did anything for Hayley.
Before I could make it down the hall, a beer can hit me square in the back. I turned around and saw my father taking a seat on the couch next to my mom.
“There’s more of that in the fridge boy,” he said. “If you can’t get her to shut up, just give her some of that and she’ll be out in twenty minutes. It worked like a charm yesterday.”
I stared at the two of them for half a second, wishing that I would wake up from this nightmare any second, that they would go back to being who they used to be; but I knew it wouldn’t happen. They’d been this way for the past couple years and there was no going back.
Untwisting the doorknob to my bedroom, I slipped inside and saw Hayley hugging a pillow to her chest, rocking back and forth. She hadn’t noticed that I’d stepped in and she was still crying, screaming. “Let me out please, Mommy! Let me out please !”
At four years old, she was a lot smaller than other kids her age, and even though she was the spitting image of my mother, she was the only person in my family who had blond hair. She hadn’t always cried so much, but that was back when she actually got attention from my parents. As soon as she turned three, their interests went elsewhere and she cried for their attention all the time.
“Stop crying, Hayley.” I walked over and scooped her into my arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“Johnnie?” She looked up at me in tears. “You left me ...”
“I’m sorry.” I patted her on the back. “I had to go to school, but I’m here now.”
“But you go to school every day ... Why ?”
I sighed and held her close, consoling her until she stopped sobbing. I looked behind me and noticed that she hadn’t wet the bed today—a good thing because I hadn’t stolen any quarters this week and I didn’t feel like walking to the Laundromat in the rain.
When I was sure she was okay, I rummaged through my backpack and pulled out what I’d saved from my school lunch: Two apples, smashed macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and a turkey sandwich—practically a gourmet meal for us.
“I got you something special today.” I handed her the last Ziploc bag—something I’d stolen from my math teacher, and she squealed and emptied it onto the bed.
“ Strawberries !” She grabbed a handful and stuffed them into her mouth.
“Slow down. One at a time before you choke.” I waited until she withdrew three of them from her jaw. “Did you watch anything good on TV today?”
“Sesame Street...But I’seen it before. I knew all the songs! Cookie Monster played the drums!”
“That sounds great. Which song was your fav—”
“Thank fuck you got her to shut up!” My father barged into the room. “That girl isn’t going to have a voice by the time she’s ten if she keeps crying like that. Have you seen my car keys?”
“They’re on the TV out there.”
“Right. Well, me and your mom are going out to get some pizza.”
“ Pizza ?” Hayley’s eyes lit up and she clapped. “Pizza!”
He nodded and bent down to pinch her cheek. “What type of pizza do you want, Hales?”
“Pepperoni! And cheese!”
“Okay. That’s exactly what we’ll get. Jonathan, what type do you want?”
I didn’t answer. I just shook my head.
“Okay, well I hope you like pepperoni and cheese because that’s what Hayley wants and that’s what we’re getting.”
“Ooohhh!” Hayley was still clapping. “I can’t wait! I can’t wait! Can I come with you and mommy, daddy? Can I help pick up the pizza? Please?”
His thin smile faded and he
I realized that I was going to have to pull out one of her old checkbooks again and forge her signature. I was also going to have to come up with one hell of an excuse because I knew she wouldn’t show up for Hayley’s first day of school.
She never did anything for Hayley.
Before I could make it down the hall, a beer can hit me square in the back. I turned around and saw my father taking a seat on the couch next to my mom.
“There’s more of that in the fridge boy,” he said. “If you can’t get her to shut up, just give her some of that and she’ll be out in twenty minutes. It worked like a charm yesterday.”
I stared at the two of them for half a second, wishing that I would wake up from this nightmare any second, that they would go back to being who they used to be; but I knew it wouldn’t happen. They’d been this way for the past couple years and there was no going back.
Untwisting the doorknob to my bedroom, I slipped inside and saw Hayley hugging a pillow to her chest, rocking back and forth. She hadn’t noticed that I’d stepped in and she was still crying, screaming. “Let me out please, Mommy! Let me out please !”
At four years old, she was a lot smaller than other kids her age, and even though she was the spitting image of my mother, she was the only person in my family who had blond hair. She hadn’t always cried so much, but that was back when she actually got attention from my parents. As soon as she turned three, their interests went elsewhere and she cried for their attention all the time.
“Stop crying, Hayley.” I walked over and scooped her into my arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“Johnnie?” She looked up at me in tears. “You left me ...”
“I’m sorry.” I patted her on the back. “I had to go to school, but I’m here now.”
“But you go to school every day ... Why ?”
I sighed and held her close, consoling her until she stopped sobbing. I looked behind me and noticed that she hadn’t wet the bed today—a good thing because I hadn’t stolen any quarters this week and I didn’t feel like walking to the Laundromat in the rain.
When I was sure she was okay, I rummaged through my backpack and pulled out what I’d saved from my school lunch: Two apples, smashed macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and a turkey sandwich—practically a gourmet meal for us.
“I got you something special today.” I handed her the last Ziploc bag—something I’d stolen from my math teacher, and she squealed and emptied it onto the bed.
“ Strawberries !” She grabbed a handful and stuffed them into her mouth.
“Slow down. One at a time before you choke.” I waited until she withdrew three of them from her jaw. “Did you watch anything good on TV today?”
“Sesame Street...But I’seen it before. I knew all the songs! Cookie Monster played the drums!”
“That sounds great. Which song was your fav—”
“Thank fuck you got her to shut up!” My father barged into the room. “That girl isn’t going to have a voice by the time she’s ten if she keeps crying like that. Have you seen my car keys?”
“They’re on the TV out there.”
“Right. Well, me and your mom are going out to get some pizza.”
“ Pizza ?” Hayley’s eyes lit up and she clapped. “Pizza!”
He nodded and bent down to pinch her cheek. “What type of pizza do you want, Hales?”
“Pepperoni! And cheese!”
“Okay. That’s exactly what we’ll get. Jonathan, what type do you want?”
I didn’t answer. I just shook my head.
“Okay, well I hope you like pepperoni and cheese because that’s what Hayley wants and that’s what we’re getting.”
“Ooohhh!” Hayley was still clapping. “I can’t wait! I can’t wait! Can I come with you and mommy, daddy? Can I help pick up the pizza? Please?”
His thin smile faded and he
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