Page 61 of Enough
“It’s addition problems. You poor wittle girl. It’s so hard,” Kale responds with a pouty face. I know he’s goading her to fight.
“It is hard! Stop being so mean!” Marlow yells.
“Kale, that’s enough. How about apple slices and peanut butter?” I ask them.
“That sounds good. Can I go out and play basketball?” Kale asks.
“I thought you wanted a snack.”
“I mean after.”
I nod my head. “Don’t forget, Grandma Kay is coming over tonight.”
“Are you going to take me to soccer tomorrow or is Daddy?”Marlow asks. Her brows crease with concern.
“Dad. Why?”
“I want you to take me.”
“Why?” I repeat.
“Dad just sits on his phone the whole time or he brings Krista and they stare at each other. He never watches me like you do.”
I feel guilt in my chest. Marlow always practices on nights Mike has the kids, and I have yet to be at a practice since the new season began two weeks ago. “I’m sorry, baby. I promise I’ll be at your first game this Saturday, okay?”
She sighs heavily and slumps into the chair at the kitchen table. I finish cutting apple slices and grab the peanut butter from the cabinet. I wonder if there’s more to her sadness. Kale seizes his apple and peanut butter from me and charges into the family room to grab the remote. “Eat at the coffee table, Kale, and please don’t feed Roscoe!”
He rolls his eyes, and although I want to say something, I let it go and refocus on Marlow. “What’s going on?” I ask as I sit down and slide her snack toward her.
She shrugs and bites into an apple.
“You had practice last night, right? Tell me all about it.”
Her lips curl up slightly. “Do you remember me telling you that sometimes Coach Dawson’s friend stops by to help out?”
I search my memory. Then I remember how she tried to do a fancy foot move in the foyer last week and I got mad she had the ball in the house. “Is he the one who taught you the ball-handling stuff?”
She smiles. “Yeah. He’s really cool. I practiced all week and I wanted to show him yesterday, but he couldn’t make it topractice.”
Her little eyes fall to her apples and I feel bad for her. She’s been working really hard on her moves. “Hey, after your snack, how about we go outside and kick the ball around a bit? I’d love to see what you can do.”
Her eyes brighten immediately then her shoulders fall again. “I have homework.”
I cringe and glance at the clock then to the clouds outside. It looks like it might rain. “How about this? Just this one time, we go outside for thirty minutes then come back in to do homework.”
“Really?” She bounces in her seat.
“Yes, but you have to focus really hard when we come in. I have to make dinner and I work tonight, okay?”
As she shoves her last apple into her mouth and runs to get her shoes, I hear my phone vibrate on the counter. I reach to see who’s texting. It’s Gwen. She wants to know if I heard from Nick. My heart starts to race as Marlow charges into the kitchen. I completely forgot to call him back. I decide maybe I should just do it. What do I have to lose?
“Ready?” she asks.
I pause with my phone in my hand. I really want to hear his voice again. At least, I think I do.
“Mom?” she asks expectantly.
Kids first,I tell myself as I place it back onto the counter and happily skip with Marlow into our backyard.
