Page 6 of Rooster

“Well, that’s stupid,” Nathan huffed. “I don’t even see why we gotta go. He’s never even there. He’s either hunting or playing golf or off on some work thing, and we’re stuck with his stupid girlfriend.”

“Fiancé.”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “She sucks... She smells funny and can’t even make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich right.”

“What?”

“She just slaps everything on there. Doesn’t even cut it in half or take off the crust. It’s gross, and so is she.” Nathan sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a bowl of cereal as he continued, “I don’t want to be there with her, and neither does Sam.”

I understood his frustration. In fact, I felt the same, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. It was Chad’s weekend, and, like it or not, they had to go. It didn’t make it any less frustrating. He rarely spent time with the kids when we were together, but during the divorce, he did his best to portray ‘father of the year’ and pleaded for every other weekend and various holidays and summer break.

I wanted the kids to have a relationship with their father, so I agreed. At the time, I had no way of knowing that he would pawn them off on Crissy—his personal secretary and new girlfriend. It infuriated me, but there was little I could do. The courts had granted him every other weekend, and I had no choice but to comply.

I wished I had some great words of wisdom for my precious son, but there were none to give. “I’m sorry, honey, but there’s not much I can do about that.”

“I wish he’d get hit by a bus.”

“Nathan,” I fussed. “Don’t say things like that.”

“Well, I do.” He gave me a disgruntled shrug. “He’s the worst.”

“Maybe so, but he loves you and wants to spend some time with you.” I feigned a smile as I suggested, “Maybe you could get him to take you shopping, and you could look for a new pair of jeans to replace the ones with the ripped pocket.”

“Maybe.”

“And you’ve been saying you needed a pair of new boots. Your sister could use a new pair, too.”

“New pair of what?” Samantha asked as she strolled into the kitchen.

“Boots and any other clothes you might need. I was thinking your dad could take you to do some shopping.” I’d already spent a small fortune on their back-to-school clothes. It was only fair for Chad to pitch in with their fall clothes, so I told her, “You really need a jacket and maybe a couple of new hoodies, too.”

“I don’t like shopping with Dad,” Samantha whined. “He’s always fussin’ about how much stuff costs.”

“Well, things are expensive these days, especially when you’re buying for two growing kids.” I poured them each a glass of juice and carried it over to the table. “Regardless, it will give you a chance to spend some time with him.”

Neither of them responded. They just gave me one of their ‘whatever you say, Mom’ looks and started eating their breakfast. I watched them for a moment and couldn’t help but smile. They’d grown up so fast. Nathan was twelve and was growing taller by the second. He had a long, lean frame and a boyish charm that came and went depending on the day of the week.

He and his sister both had thick, curly chestnut-brown hair and the cutest little freckles on the bridge of their noses. Samantha had just turned eleven and had a similar slim build to her brother, albeit a good bit shorter, and her bright, inquisitive eyes were a shade lighter, revealing an innocence that matched her age. They were my heart and soul, and I couldn’t imagine loving them more.

I thought it might help for them to have something to look forward to, so I suggested, “We could grill out on Sunday when you get home and have a movie night?”

“Yeah, that’d be good.” Nathan stood and carried his bowl to the sink. “Hurry up, turd-head, or we’re gonna miss the bus.”

Samantha sighed dramatically, rolled her eyes, and grumbled as she picked up her bowl of cereal and took it over to the sink. “Today is going to be a long day.”

“But it’s Friday.” I stepped over to her and kissed her on the forehead. “You have a whole weekend to look forward to.”

“Yeah, I guess.” She forced a smile and started out of the kitchen. “I love you, Momma.”

“Love you, too, sweetie.”

Samantha grabbed her backpack from the floor and then darted outside to catch up with her brother. Once they’d gotten on the bus, I rushed to my bedroom and changed clothes. It was going to be a busy day at the salon, so I decided to wear my favorite pair of joggers and my tennis shoes. I took a second to fix my hair and makeup before darting out the door.

After a quick stop for coffee, I pulled into the salon’s parking lot and headed towards the building. I unlocked the door, and as soon as I stepped inside, I was hit with the familiar scent of lavender mixed with vanilla. I inhaled a deep breath as I closed the door and made my way over to my station.

There wasn’t much to the place, but it was mine and I was pleased with the latest renovations. Where it was once cold and modern, it now had a rustic charm with comfy sofas, cedar beams across the ceiling, and large, welcoming windows that let the light filter through.

I loved all the earthy tones, exposed wood, and vintage barber chairs, but most of all, I loved the fact that my best friends, Keeley and Ryan, worked there with me. We’d met at cosmetology school, and even though they were both much younger, we’d hit it off from the very start.

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