Page 7 of Small-Town Secrets
"I want Skittles!" Tyler demanded.
"Okay, you can have Skittles. Go put on your jacket."
Tyler jumped from the couch and raced past me. At least he was easily distracted.
"What about you?" I asked Chris.
He jabbed the buttons of his Gameboy, which he knew he was not allowed to bring to the park. "Five more minutes!"
"Every minute you're making me wait now is a minute you're going to bed earlier tonight."
Chris looked up at that, but only for a second. "I can play in bed."
"No, you cannot. Bedtime is for sleeping. Give me that." I took the Gameboy from my son to cut the discussion short. Arguing with Chris was tiring. He had his own opinion about everything and it was always firm. He got that from his dad. Not me. But hisotherbirth parent.
My son's eyes narrowed as if he was about to demand his toy back, but instead, after a tense moment, he got up and went to join his brother by the coat rack. I exhaled, feeling the exhaustion of a stressful week in my bones.
Just as I was about to put on my own jacket, though, the cheap smart phone my friend Raphael had gifted me vibrated in my pocket. I'd received a new email from the boys' school. What, another update about the lunch menu? It had to be either that or another email asking parents to volunteer at X or Y event and or charity drive. Like I had time for that.
I tapped to open the email anyway—and I was pleasantly surprised.
"Hey, kids," I said, trying to get the twins' attention. They both looked at me with curious expressions, Tyler in the middle of putting his left boot on his right foot in his hurry to leave the house. I was going to have to fix that for him before we left.
Honestly I was surprised he'd managed to jam his foot in the wrong boot at all. They were both growing out of their shoes at an alarming rate. But never mind that now. I had good news. "The school found a substitute teacher for your karate lessons starting next week."
"Really?" Tyler stopped fiddling with his shoe laces and jumped up and down for joy, buzzing with excitement.
"What about Henderson sensei?" Chris asked with wide eyes.
"I don't know. They didn't say, but he'll probably be back in a little bit too. I'm sure whoever is filling in for him will be just as great."
And I would get a few hours to myself to clean up around the house.
Finally I was getting the break I needed.
Or so I thought.
4
Aaron
Today wasthe day that I would start instructing my niece's karate class. I was almost ready to head out. Almost. There was something that I had to do first.
"C'mon, Bailey, you ready to go back home?" I scratched the Labrador-Pitbull lady I was hosting behind her left ear as I attached her leash to her collar. Bailey was my neighbor's dog, and I'djustheard my neighbor come home five minutes ago. I knew he'd be over to get her any time now, but as I was in a bit of a hurry myself—and I hadn't told him why yet—I figured I might as well walk her the short distance to his front door.
Sarge barked at me when he saw that I was about to take Bailey out. "Wanna come too, buddy?" I asked him.
He ran a loop once around my legs as if that was all the answer I needed.
"Alright," I said with a laugh. "Stay close."
Bailey’s leash firmly in hand, I opened the front door and both of the dogs charged out. Bailey headed straight for her owner's driveway. She knew exactly wherehomewas, and she was the most loyal dog I'd ever met—and that was saying something. Her owner left her with me only when he got stuck working 48h shifts, but honestly, I would have taken this lovely dog in any day.
Bailey barked as we approached my neighbor's door, so it only took a few more seconds for my friend to poke his head out.
"Aaron? Thanks for bringing Bailey by!" Jake knelt down to give his dog a hug.
"She looks glad to be home," I pointed out.
