Read Online The Cat That Went to Homecoming by Julie Otzelberger - Free Book Online

face.
    “You’re wondering where the printer came
from,” she stated matter-of-factly.
    I nodded in agreement.
    “I bought it for you,” she said.
    “How could you afford it?” I asked.
    She finished applying the ointment and sat in
the chair next to me. “There are two issues I never discuss with
you, child support and your father. I don’t want to do anything or
say anything to impact your impression of him.”
    “He has not come to visit me or called me in
over three years! He has damaged my impression of him on his own.
There is nothing you could say that would make it worse,” I barked
back at her.
    “Well nevertheless, there has been a change
that is going to positively affect our living situation, and I feel
that you have the right to know what is going on.
    “The state has found your father, and I am
finally receiving child support.” She went on. “He and I have to
appear in court next week. I think he may want to see you while
he’s here.” She looked nervous and I must have looked apprehensive
because she said, “Ellen, our divorce had nothing to do with you.
After it was all said and done, he moved to Ohio and began a new
life. I’m certain that he never meant to detach himself from you.
Time has a way of getting away from a person, and sometimes a year
or two can go by without a person realizing it.”
    “Did you speak to him? Is that what he said?
Time got away from him?” I was angry. I could understand a person
becoming so absorbed in their life that some time goes by, but when
a holiday like Christmas comes around, or a birthday, wouldn’t that
jolt a person back to reality?
    I stood up and pushed the chair back into
place. Hershey was rubbing my legs and flopped onto my feet. I
squatted down to pet my boy and give his chin a rub. “I won’t be
seeing my dad when he comes to town. I have other plans. Please
excuse me, Mom, but I need some time alone.”
    I left the kitchen and headed for my bedroom.
Hershey raced me to the room and he naturally won. He was lying
across the foot of my bed when I entered and I quietly shut the
door. I was upset, but slamming the door shut was not going to make
me feel any better, plus it would just frighten Hershey if I did.
It wasn’t Mom’s fault my dad was such an ass. It wasn’t my fault,
either.
    I had to absorb the information my mom just
shared with me. My dad had not paid any child support since he
left! That felt like a slap in the face. Why wasn’t I important
enough to him? I understood the purpose of child support. It was
money the non-custodial parent paid towards the living expenses of
their child for food, clothing, and shelter. My mom was not the
kind of person who would squander support money on herself. She was
a hard-working, dedicated woman.
    As I passed my vanity, I caught my reflection
in the mirror and stopped. The abrasion on my face was red and
shiny from the ointment. I looked like the Phantom of the Opera
wearing a red satin mask. I leaned in close to the mirror and
looked myself in the eyes.
    “It’s time to change your life around,
Ellen,” I said out loud to my reflection. “Are you ready?” Hershey
was suddenly on the vanity rubbing up against me, purring.
    “Are we ready Hersh?” I asked him. His
response was a head butt against the good side of my face.
     

 
    Chapter
Twelve
     
    Mom allowed me to turn our spare bedroom into
an office for myself since it was only being used for storage. Mom
had bought me an inexpensive ready-to-assemble desk at Wal-Mart, so
we set up my workspace. My application had been sent to Pet
Partners and it would be a few weeks before I heard anything from
them, but in the meantime, I was getting ready to start my new
phase in life.
    We worked together going through all the junk
in the room, my old toys, holiday decorations, and clothing that we
had outgrown. I found a swimsuit that had belonged to my mom some
years ago, a sassy little red one-piece.
    “Mom, can I try this on?” I