Page 21 of The Family Man

We all gawk as our sister enters. Unlike days before, she looks like she is back to her old self. She is even smiling, and she’s happy.

“Sorry I am late. I got caught at work,” Rosey says, wetting her lips. Something was up!

“Rosey? You look . . . I don’t know,” Cassia assesses her slowly, she taps her lips and squints.

“Can I say it, without you guys cringing?” Anise says as she rocks back and forth on her heels.

“Nah, I will, you got a shot of the D. Like good D.” I laugh as Anise gives me a side hug.

“No I didn’t. I—” Rosemary stumbles over her words.

“Whose car was that you got out of?” I need to know. I also want Cassia and Anise to focus on someone else.

Anise and Cassia scan around for a car, but it has already gone.

“A friend. Leave it at that. What were you three talking about?” Rosemary tries to gloss over talking about herself, but Cassia wasn’t having it.”

“Nah, sis, who is your ‘friend’?”

“A friend! Now leave it.” When Rosey says stop, we all do.

I know we will hear about him in time, I guess she is just not ready.

“Sage and the neighbor are going out!” Anise exclaims, she grabs on the Rosey arm and leans in with excitement. A buzzing comes from Rosemary’s bag, Anise moves away and looks at Rosemary.

“Really? When did all of this go down?” Rosemary digs in her bag and pulls out her phone. She smiles and we all watch her.

“No really spill. Ro Ro!” Anise couldn’t contain herself.

“In time, I promise. Our focus is on Sage, now tell me how we can help?” That’s why my sisters are awesome.

We walk out of the yoga studio together, while Anise and Cassia fill her in.

* * *

ZAC

My daughter is acting different. Before she acted like she would give me a chance to be a great dad. Now it’s like I don’t exist. I don’t like it. As she walked past me on the stairs this morning she murmured good morning and then she ignored me all day. My son of course follows her lead. I think about my next move as I make them both dinner. Daire should be here in fifteen minutes, and then they will both be filled with life.

Now they are both in the playroom at the front. Maybe a date with my neighbor was a bad idea. I should be spending more time with them. But God damn it’s hard to spend time with two people that don’t like you.

I drag my hand over my face. Parenthood is hard. Becoming a single parent without a clue, that is a whole different story. I have downloaded so many parenting books to my phone.

The Joys of Parenting,You Can Do It Daddy,Here We Go Daddyedition, that’s just a few books that are now on my phone.

I didn’t come into this thinking I wanted to be a dad. Now that I’m here, I only want the best for them.

My daughter has broken a vase, overstuffed the toilet, written on the walls, all in one week. Thankfully Mishka loves them, and they her.

Poppy is in the playroom with her brother. I hear Daire’s car pull up. Opening the fridge I take out their snacks and boxes of juice.

The door opens and Daire walks in. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Uncle Daire!” Poppy screams. Daire bends and catches her, and Nikhil in his arms and lifts them up. Poppy grabs his cheeks between her hands.

“How have you two gremlins been?” Daire asks as he walks into the kitchen.

“Uncle Daire, what’s a grewmlin?” Poppy asks.

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