by Eva Morian
She looked over his face and made sure he was telling the truth. There wasn’t a sag in his shoulders, he didn’t look depressed, and there was a certain light in his eyes. Instead of egging him on more, she simply nodded with a yawn, “Alright, I trust you…” Finishing, she shook her head, rubbed her cheeks, and smacked against them to wake up, “…now, did you say chocolate?” she asked breaking into a toothy grin.
Simon stood from the bed and held out his hands to help her up, “Yes. Yes, I did. I’ll share.” He toyed.
Cherish took a hold of his hands and grinned from ear to ear, “Hell yes.” She stated following him out.
While he led the way down the hall and steps to the living room, Simon broke into a smile as his mother came into view with the swings in front of her. He glanced back at Cherish and released her hand off the last step and pointed out the basket of goodies. Cherish laughed darkly as she made her way around him on the hunt for chocolate. Hefelt great and where he belonged with the people he loved. Now, more than ever, thanks to Cherish and the little loves in his heart, he wanted to find a way to juggle work with his family combined.
Chapter 10
September.
One Wednesday evening after the babies’ crossed their three-month milestone, Cherish, Simon, and said children sat in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Jr. had gained a considerable amount of weight compared to Jasmine. Though, his hair was thick and wispy along his ears, Jasmine lost most of her newborn hair and had yet to replace what little she’d lost. It was safe to say that hairbands and bright colors were the only ways these parents made sure she wasn’t mistaken for a boy. Even then, it was a tossup.
Both babies stared up at Cherish who sat in the backseat between them. Jasmine kicked her feet and sucked in breaths that vibrated her vocal chords. Jr. chewed on his pudgy fist and grunted a few times in response. Cherish, on the other hand, stared at the back of Simon’s head with a smirk on her features. Right now, she tried to talk him from a proverbial ledge. In the last months he’d grown to detest the store which was one of her main hubs and go-to in a pinch.
He continuously ratted on the fact that she insisted to buy clothes for the kids there. The store never had true sales, their staff seemed miserable and disorderly. It was always packed and filled with weird people from the customers to the staff. A shop he’d gone to once or twice a month, now turned into a weekly endeavor and Simon was at his wits end.
Cherish delighted in his over the top reactions and lived for those days, “What do you mean the meat here stinks? It does not, Simon. Oh my gosh.” She laughed placing a hand over her face.
Simon chopped his hand in the air while panting because he was adamant on not shopping at Wal-Mart today, “It smells rancid and like it’s been sprayed with chemicals. If you eat that rotten food, you’re going to poison Jr.!” he exclaimed.
Lifting a hand, she rested her knuckles against her cheek with a head tilt, “Every excuse not to go inside becomes more ridiculous than the last! I’ve told you several times that if I can get a job and save up a couple of thousand, I can get my own car. Then, you can stay home with the kids and wouldn’t have to threaten your life twice a week with me.” She joked.
Although he shifted the car into park, he didn’t take the keys out of the ignition. He grimaced at building ahead of them. In a last-ditch effort, Simon unbuckled his seat belt and turned his body towards the backseat, “Please, it would be a dream not to step into the twilight zone again.” He partly joked, but seriously hated the thought of leaving the car, “Besides, everything we get here breaks within a month or less. Come on, Cherish. Think about the kids.”
She noticed how he ignored the comment she made of working and getting a car; which was something he did often. She didn’t know if he wanted her to stay at home all day with the kids or if he didn’t want her to feel obliged paying to live with him, but she knew she had to bring income into the home. Not for him, but for herself to become more independent. That was always something she never could have; her independence.
Letting it rest, Cherish tilted her head slightly to the side as she stared into those blue hues pleading with her not to go. Oh no, he wasn’t going to get off that easy. Instead she laughed out loud, “Oh come on, it’s not that bad. You’re such a drama king! We get more meat for the money and I’m able to budget more for Jasmine’s formula! You know that stuff is about five bucks more expensive at all the other shops. It’s too hot to run in and out of this sun when we have a one size fits all stop right here.” She said pointing to the massive warehouse sized store.
Simon rubbed along the side of his face and groaned, “I’ll drive you to any store, any place, anywhere but not Wal-Mart.” He said. Catching himself, he then pointed at her and narrowed his blue hues, “Except Ross and Goodwill.” He added.
Cherish faked her appalment as she pressed a hand to her chest and leaned back against the cushion, “You're so ridiculous! Don't talk about my go-to stores!”
Simon scoffed out a laugh while he ran his fingers through his hair, “Go-to stores? Now who is the ridiculous one? I’m all for saving money, trust me, but you save by buying items that last. Shopping at places that give you real sales and deals. Not stupid rollbacks and their old prices in different shops. There’s a reason that stuff gets sent to those stores, Cherish.”
Not wanting to listen, she placed her fingers in her ears and shook her head from one side to the other. Though she could hear him, she waited until he had finished before lowering her hands with a grin, “Come on before the babies get antsy! It won’t be so bad, we can be in and out. I’ll make it up to you.” She said trying to assuage him.
Simon opened his door and stepped one foot out, “How? How are you going to do that?” he asked cutting off the engine. Getting out of the car, which signified his surrender, he held his fists over his head and shook them at God. Cherish laughed a bit before she leaned over and opened one of the doors. Simon opened the trunk and pulled the double stroller out. With the stubble on his face and the casual wear, he looked far from the professional man he usually was with his soured expression. If these people didn’t care what they looked like when they shopped, why should he waste his good clothes there?
Cherish waited for Simon to grab Jr.’s car seat before she climbed over the base and pulled down her jean shorts. Shutting the door behind her, she went around to the other side and lifted Jasmine's, "Uh. Okay, how about this. Whatever meal you want, I'll make it. PLUS, you won't have to change Jr.'s morning diapers for a week. Better?" She asked with her hands on her hips.
Simon took Jasmine’s seat, locked her in with Jr. and pushed the stroller up to “weirdos paradise”. Cherish followed him through the long path towards the double doors as he cut her with a side-eye, “You have yourself a deal.” He muttered holding his hand out at his side to shake mid-step while they crossed the threshold into proverbial hell. The smell alone had put him off, along with the constant beeps, the interior, and the heat.
Taking his hand with a shake, Cherish wore a sneaky smirk on her features. She didn't say anything about his evening and midnight changes when he had a very active eating day. With how big Jr. was becoming, she knew he would have quite a few nights to look forward to.
Cherish went for a cart and strolled along Simon's left side. Emptying onto the General Merchandise side, there was a display of cheap televisions on their left and pharmacy on their right, "So where should we stop first?" She asked.
Simon’s expression was straight, the same rigidity in his posture, as he looked down at his side and met her gaze, “The exit.” He answered without skipping a beat. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. He surely was delivering with the bitter resentment and she loved it.
Passing by the pharmacy, she slowed down while Simon made his way towards the baby formula she was so intent to buy. Cherish watched him walk ahead, but the flashing pictures on the nice, sleek televisions caught her attention almost immediately. This always happened. Even though Cherish wo
uld say they’d be quick, that was never the case in this woman’s DNA. She had coding somewhere in her brain where quick was translated to “no more than two hours”.
As soon as Simon was about to around the corner and start his trek for the opposite side of the store, he heard Cherish’s infamous word; one he hoped he wouldn’t hear until they were at least halfway through the store, “Wait.”
Simon’s back tensed up visibly before he rigidly turned to face her while she gawked at the screens. This wasn’t going to end well.
She stopped in front of one of the smaller televisions for less than two-hundred dollars. The price, in her mind, was hard to beat and she leaned over to inspect it better. Looking over at Simon as he begrudgingly made his way over, Cherish then straightened and pointed to the television, “I was thinking that maybe we should get a TV in the bedroom. So, when I’m feeding Jr. I have something to watch while he drains my life force.” She stated looking down at Jr.’s pudgy face and leaning in closer to him, “Isn’t that right? You take it all, don’t you?” she asked with a grin.
Seeing her face and smile caused the little boy to kick his feet while he grunted and smiled at her. Cherish ran her fingers along his forehead and down his rounded cheek before she returned her attention to Simon.
Hearing her out, Simon nodded his head in approval at first because he agreed it would be nice to have a television in the bedroom. But, the cheap one she wanted to get wasn’t what he thought was best at all. She even went so far as to use his cute, chubby son against him which tugged on his heartstrings, “A television in the bedroom sounds perfect, just not this one. It’s on sale for a reason and…” He approached the it and felt the border around the screen. The plastic covering was too light and hollow. Giving it a squeeze, the plastic squeaked under the light strain of pressure.
Cherish placed her hands over her forehead and cocked one hip to the side, "It doesn't need to be on sale when it’s under two-hundred. Anything less than that would be a steal!" She replied.
Simon shook his head, “This thing isn’t going to last long and you’re not going to get a good picture with it.” He stated. Turning to her again, he knew he would have to fight a battle that he was unlikely to win. He lifted his hands in front of him and acted as though he was dealing with a testy bear, “Hear me out. How about we go around to Best Buy and we see what they’re out of stock on. That way, we can try to get a cheap price on the display television.” He said.
Cherish wet her lips and before she glanced over at the television he critically analyzed, "Come on Simon, you know Best Buy is a rip off! Even a display television will be more than this." She replied pushing her lips to the side and leaning over to inspect it herself. Though, she only looked at the fact that it plugged in and had cables in the back, “That’s why we should just get this one!” she argued.
Simon sighed out and rolled his eyes up momentarily and looked at Cherish with holy patience, “It’ll be a bit pricier, but you’ll get better quality parts. It won’t break, and we’ll have HD sound with a higher picture resolution. This thing is going to start buzzing and breaking in no time.” He said. Going around her, he set his hands on her shoulders, “Then you’ll have to pay double to get a new one which will be more expensive than my display TV idea. How about we go to best buy and barter a little, hmm? Hmm?” he repeatedly hummed near her ear to encourage her onto the dark side.
The babies watched their parents act like idiots bantering back and forth as per usual. He had a good point, but the fact that he tried to barter her, caused her to pull her head away and poke his forehead, "You're just trying to get us to leave. Fine, but we have other things to look at." She agreed.
For once he won the battle, but the war was still hers.
Victory, sweet, pure victory. It was so satisfying that Simon internally groaned with relief. He was making progress in converting her from the hellhole and towards a more quality lifestyle. He balled his fists and tucked his elbows in with his head back.
Pushing the cart, Cherish rounded towards the pharmacy and wandered the aisles. She passed by the cough medications, condoms, and lube before she went around to the pain relievers. She glanced over her shoulder at Simon and paused, "With the way Jasmine's stomach gurgles after she eats, I saw something online about Gripe Water. Where do you think that would be?" She asked.
Simon moved past the playful demeanor he often gained around Cherish and followed, “I’ve never heard ot it, but if it relieves her stomach pain, then it’s worth a shot.” He said. Crouching, he tugged his slacks tight around his knees and got a better look at what was on the lower shelves.
Cherish looked up and down the aisles before she pointed over his shoulder, "That's it right there." she said. She waited until he brought it closer and read the directions, "There isn’t any dye in that right?" She asked.
Simon grabbed the bottle, narrowed his eyes, and turned the package. He read the ingredients over his glasses, “Hmm, alcohol, dill oil, sodium bicarbonate. No, no dye listed, why?” he inquired. He didn’t know as much about babies as she did, because he hadn’t read all the forums about parenting she looked up on his phone. To him, in many ways, she was the baby expert and he simply looked to her for guidance.
Cherish bent over a bit, "Dye just isn't good for babies this young. How much is it..." Pausing at the price, she coughed and shook her head, "…oh no! That's too much! Put it away, Jasmine will be alright." She said in a somewhat joking manner.
Simon gave her a glare. He knew she wasn’t completely serious, but he still made a fuss and placed the box in the cart, “My baby is getting her medicine.” He stated.
Cherish didn't even fight him over his claim, "So your child is going to get an eight-dollar bottle of medicine that we don't even know will work or not?" She asked.
Simon began to push the stroller once again, but still seemed a bit frazzled, “That’s right, she is.” He answered.
Cherish looked down at Jr., who already had his head turned to her, and smiled from ear to ear. She talked to Jr. as his mouth broke apart and his feet kicked, "That better work then. Yes, it better. Yes, yes, yes. Ooo! I love you handsome." She said lightly pinching his cheek. She turned right, and Simon went left with the mission to make the trip quick.
Cherish glanced down a main walkway and pointed back towards the hair and beauty products, "Wait. Do we need more soap or shampoo?" She asked.
Simon stopped in his tracks and lowered his shoulders. They did. “Shampoo and conditioner, we have soap though.” He answered.
One matronly woman waddled by, talking into her phone out of earshot of Cherish, "And when I get home. You will eat what I put out, or I will sit on your face..."
Backtracking, he passed by the woman and wondered if he was illogically willing to get cheap brands for that. Meeting with Cherish again, he took the two in one bottles of shampoo in the largest size on sale and placed it in the cart, “What else do we need?” he asked.
“Are you sure we have enough Ivory?” She asked.
Simon nodded, “We have two bottles of Aloe and one Ocean.” He answered before he looked to the Ivory and grabbed another Aloe, “We could use another.” He answered.
The woman passed them by again. Cherish didn't hear, but surely smelled something. Her eyes widened, and she quickly stepped to Simon and grabbed his arm, "Oh my god. What was that?" She hissed in a whisper.
Simon looked down his nose at her with a confused, questioning expression, “What was what?” he whispered back in a hushed tone. Looking around, he tried to spot the problem before he once again saw the woman who lingered around strangely, “Her?” he asked.
Cherish’s brown eyes then flicked around Simon’s body towards the woman. She waved her hand in the air several times and chanted, “I don’t care! I like sex!” repeatedly to whoever was on the other line.
Without looking away, Cherish grabbed the packages of soap from Simon’s hands and dumped them in the cart by her hip, “I don’t know what
the hell that was, but I just smelled something ungodly…like death and burnt crayons.” She whispered in response. Pulling away, she nudged her head towards the sanitary napkins wall in the opposite direction, “Let’s get the kids out of here.” She hissed with a laugh.
Simon’s eyes locked onto the strange woman as he rolled the babies further away, “Oy vey.” He muttered under his breath.
As soon as Cherish rounded the corner of the shampoo aisle, the woman turned around faced them. She argued into the cigarette box held to her ear. Cherish’s eyes widened and she stopped short which caused Simon to hit against her backside with the stroller. She waved her hand to him quickly and pointed at the woman who flailed about, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE LIVER WENT BAD!” the woman exclaimed.
Cherish slapped her hand over her mouth and leaned over. She barreled into the next aisle; laughing, “Oh god. Oh shit. We have to get out of here!” she hissed at him in delight.
Simon was appalled. He cut Cherish a pointed look as they escaped, “This is why I didn’t want to come here. You’re trying to get us killed!” he exaggerated.
Cherish snorted out a laugh and noticed the woman stopped talking mid-sentence. Her large brown eyes looked at Simon through her black curls and she felt as though she watched them through the shelves, “Oh God.” She whispered trying to hold back her giggles.
He took her by the hand and pulled away from the crazy female, “Let’s get out of here.” He muttered.
They passed by the toys, “Wait though! I wanted to see what they had for the kids!” she said. But, Simon wasn’t having it. Past housewares and electronics Cherish piped up once more, “What about movies and we need more dish towels!” she exclaimed.