Page 33 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
She peers up at me with a curious gaze. “Is Daddy picking me up from school since he’s not taking me?”
I shake my head, locking up behind us. “No, Grandma is getting you like usual.”
“Fine,” she grumbles.
“What are you complaining about?” I ruffle her hair. “You love spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.”
“I do.” She fiddles with the strap on her Barbie lunchbox. “But I miss my dad.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck.
Dagger straight to my heart.
Spencer is a very involved father. Despite his career and constantly being busy, he always makes time for Monroe. He sees her several times a week and three weekends a month. But for her that’s still not enough, and it breaks my heart. Co-parenting isn’t easy, even when you get along. No matter what, your kid is always losing in some way.
“You can call him tonight,” I promise her.
Hopefully it’s not an empty promise. He was supposed to take her to school this morning, but texted late last night that he had to fly to Las Vegas for an interview earlier than he’d planned.
Luckily, Roe hadn’t known he was supposed to take her. Unfortunately, he has to cancel, and reschedule the days he takes her a lot, so I’ve gotten used to not telling her until I know for certain he’s showing up. I learned the hard way that I don’t like to see her disappointed.
Unlocking my car, Monroe clamors into the back and into her car seat. She complains all the time about being a big girl and not needing a car seat, but with her height and weight she’s not quite ready for a booster seat, so she’ll have to continue to suffer with her teenage dramatics. Car seat safety is non-negotiable for me.
She buckles herself in, but like always I supervise to make sure everything is strapped in correctly. I would never forgive myself if I got into an accident, or even a minor fender bender, and Monroe wasn’t properly buckled into her seat.
Starting the car up, I remove the sun shield from the window—a classic Star Wars one my sister got me after I watched the movies a couple years ago and wouldn’t shut up about how hot Harrison Ford was. I mean, even for an older man he’s still good looking. Adjusting the AC, it blows out hot air for a minute before starting to cool. Despite it being fall, it’s still in the 80s and 90s. It’s one of the things I love most about living on the coast, the weather is always warm.
The drive to Monroe’s school is a short one and I pull up in the line, letting her out of the car and waving at the aide who waits every morning to escort the kids to the door.
Pulling away from the school, I call Willa and let her know I’m on my way, and I’ll see them in about an hour and a half, maybe two thanks to traffic, at the park they picked to do their engagement photos.
When I get off from her, I turn on a podcast and listen to it as I drive to pass the time.
Pulling into the park, my fingers tap against the steering wheel with a mixture of both nerves and excitement. It’s been so longsince I got to dig out my camera and make use of it. Too long. I’ve sworn to myself for years that I would make photography more of a priority and slowly build it into a full-time career.
Hopefully one day when I graduate, I’ll be able to put my degree to use.
Finding a parking space, I slide my car into it, having to back up and try again to get my car to fit. My car might be small, but the two behemoth SUVs beside the space make parking difficult.
Yanking my phone out of the cupholder, I text my sister that I’m here. Her reply is almost instant, letting me know they’re stopping for coffee and will be there in five. She asks if I want anything and I’m not about to turn down a free coffee so I say yes.
Grabbing my cup of water, infused with strawberries and cucumbers, I slide out of the car and go around to the other side for my camera. Trekking through the park, I look around for a spot I think might be perfect for photos.
When I find it, with a pond through a halo of trees, I call Willa and tell them where to meet me.
Sitting in the grass, I wait for them to get here and find me. The sun is warm, but I’m in the shade so I don’t have to worry about getting too hot.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I smile to myself when I pull it out and find a text message from Jameson.
Jameson: Did you make it there safe?
Me: Safe and sound.
Taking a selfie, I send it to him. I’m squinting in it, my tongue sticking out slightly, and my left hand holding up two fingers.
Jameson: Beautiful.
Me: Will I see you tonight?
