walked right over to her and crouched down. She tried her best not to leave her eyes on them too long. She put her phone down in the grass and looked toward the kids.
“I was getting off the phone, anyway. I see you are either very skeptical I can watch them or this was also your time for recess. Speaking of children, where is your date?”
“Ouch,” he said, grimacing. “She’s hardly a child. And for your information, she works a late shift at the hospital today. Did you know they let fifteen-year-olds give shots and take blood now?”
Game on.
“So, she gets her driver’s license next year? It was good of you to drive her, then.”
Ben looked ahead, smiling. He always said he could never win a match of wits with her. “No. Mason told me you were bringing them here and I just wanted to bring their toys. You know, the ones they usually bring, but you might have forgotten some because you were too busy packing your cell phone?”
Elise figured she’d stop before the digging went ‘history deep,’ somewhere she never visited, and certainly would never invite Ben.
“Touché.”
She began replacing the bald spots with the grass she’d just pulled out while she was on the phone with Kelly. Was he going to stay the whole time or what? Meditation was not performed that morning to prepare her for this. She rolled her head around on her shoulders. They had never had a problem in the past with discomfort of being together. But then again, they usually filled the silence with some form of touch.
“Well, I guess I’ll take advantage of this unscheduled visit and go play with them. Do you mind?” He stood up and looked down at her. His very presence was killing her. Slowly unhinging all her doors of defenses, opening up the wounds of her past regrets.
“Not at all.”
She watched him as he ran toward them. What an awesome dad. He sat on the dirt and drove Mason’s dump truck back and forth, loading Faith’s dolls and taking them for rides. Elise’s eyes grew heavy watching them. The sun draped a blanket of warmth on her and the ground beckoned her to become more comfortable. She laid back and stared up into the millions of branches in the tree. Before she got to number twenty, she was asleep.
First her nose itched, then her ear. She swatted them both and then heard uncontrollable giggling. She jumped, freaked out about where she was and if it was nighttime yet. It had only been fifteen minutes, but she had slipped into a wonderful slumber. After all, she was still missing a few hours of sleep from the time change of the night before.
“Mason, stop,” Ben said authoritatively to the little boy who was stirring a blade of grass in his aunt’s ear.
Elise sat up, dazed and confused. But most of all, completely embarrassed. “Oh, shit. Did I fall asleep?”
“Shit,” laughed Faith.
“Don’t say that, Faith,” Ben said with popping eyes at Elise.
“Oh, shit.” Elise just didn’t get when to stop the expletives. “I’m sorry.” She put her hand over Faith’s mouth. “Don’t say that, honey. It’s an ugly word. How long was I asleep, anyway?”
“Not long, but the kids don’t have sun screen on and I’m afraid they’re going to get burned if they stay out.” Ben extended his hand to help her up. Two awkward seconds passed as she thought about the consequences of touching him. She gave into the argument in her head and accepted. Skin to skin. Contact was made. Not a good idea.
He pulled her within inches of him. She quickly stepped backward, her oxygen level dangerously low. Fog swirled in her head, and she braced her hand against the tree. Mason handed her the phone she’d left on the ground.
“Thank you, Mason. Well, then are you all ready to go home?” What child wants to leave a play yard? She must’ve missed the memo on the sun’s UV rays and little people.
“Daddy said we can go for ice cream.”
Faith clapped her hands, smiling from ear to ear. Elise froze from the
“I was getting off the phone, anyway. I see you are either very skeptical I can watch them or this was also your time for recess. Speaking of children, where is your date?”
“Ouch,” he said, grimacing. “She’s hardly a child. And for your information, she works a late shift at the hospital today. Did you know they let fifteen-year-olds give shots and take blood now?”
Game on.
“So, she gets her driver’s license next year? It was good of you to drive her, then.”
Ben looked ahead, smiling. He always said he could never win a match of wits with her. “No. Mason told me you were bringing them here and I just wanted to bring their toys. You know, the ones they usually bring, but you might have forgotten some because you were too busy packing your cell phone?”
Elise figured she’d stop before the digging went ‘history deep,’ somewhere she never visited, and certainly would never invite Ben.
“Touché.”
She began replacing the bald spots with the grass she’d just pulled out while she was on the phone with Kelly. Was he going to stay the whole time or what? Meditation was not performed that morning to prepare her for this. She rolled her head around on her shoulders. They had never had a problem in the past with discomfort of being together. But then again, they usually filled the silence with some form of touch.
“Well, I guess I’ll take advantage of this unscheduled visit and go play with them. Do you mind?” He stood up and looked down at her. His very presence was killing her. Slowly unhinging all her doors of defenses, opening up the wounds of her past regrets.
“Not at all.”
She watched him as he ran toward them. What an awesome dad. He sat on the dirt and drove Mason’s dump truck back and forth, loading Faith’s dolls and taking them for rides. Elise’s eyes grew heavy watching them. The sun draped a blanket of warmth on her and the ground beckoned her to become more comfortable. She laid back and stared up into the millions of branches in the tree. Before she got to number twenty, she was asleep.
First her nose itched, then her ear. She swatted them both and then heard uncontrollable giggling. She jumped, freaked out about where she was and if it was nighttime yet. It had only been fifteen minutes, but she had slipped into a wonderful slumber. After all, she was still missing a few hours of sleep from the time change of the night before.
“Mason, stop,” Ben said authoritatively to the little boy who was stirring a blade of grass in his aunt’s ear.
Elise sat up, dazed and confused. But most of all, completely embarrassed. “Oh, shit. Did I fall asleep?”
“Shit,” laughed Faith.
“Don’t say that, Faith,” Ben said with popping eyes at Elise.
“Oh, shit.” Elise just didn’t get when to stop the expletives. “I’m sorry.” She put her hand over Faith’s mouth. “Don’t say that, honey. It’s an ugly word. How long was I asleep, anyway?”
“Not long, but the kids don’t have sun screen on and I’m afraid they’re going to get burned if they stay out.” Ben extended his hand to help her up. Two awkward seconds passed as she thought about the consequences of touching him. She gave into the argument in her head and accepted. Skin to skin. Contact was made. Not a good idea.
He pulled her within inches of him. She quickly stepped backward, her oxygen level dangerously low. Fog swirled in her head, and she braced her hand against the tree. Mason handed her the phone she’d left on the ground.
“Thank you, Mason. Well, then are you all ready to go home?” What child wants to leave a play yard? She must’ve missed the memo on the sun’s UV rays and little people.
“Daddy said we can go for ice cream.”
Faith clapped her hands, smiling from ear to ear. Elise froze from the
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