by Amy Muscat
“I understand Pey, no worries, now let’s get back to work before our ass’s get fired.”
Walking back out I looked around for anyone else I might know from the club scene, but saw none, and let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. The next couple of hours went by quickly and I was glad for it as I had to go pick up an angel at 2: 20pm.
THREE
Standing outside of the big wrought iron gates of ‘Sunshine’ pre-kindergarten, I waited for my daughter with all the other talking moms and dads.
Saying hi to a couple of them as we talk while I waited for my baby to come out.
Opening the door, Mrs. Adams started calling out the children’s names when she spotted the parents. When she saw me, she called out “Ivy Rose” and a couple seconds later, my little bundle of joy came running out calling a “bye miss” over her shoulder, and ran into my open arms.
Picking her up and spinning us around in a circle, I felt whole again.
“Hi momma,” she said excitedly, her big chocolate eyes shining brightly.
“Hi baby, how was school? Did you enjoy it today?” I asked her.
Nodding rapidly and making her beautiful long brown locks bounce she replied, “Yeah, it was good, we did paintings and drawings and loads of things, they in my bag, you want to see?” She said.
“When we get to the park you can show me, yeah?”
“Otay,” she said simply.
“Come on then, let’s go.”
Walking back through the gates and onto the street with Ivy’s hand clasped in mine, I never could’ve felt better and just for a moment I forgot that I was a stripper and was just a normal mom.
The park was a 10 minute walk from the school and Ivy loved it, so I didn’t mind spending half an hour in the small park where everyone else went after picking up their kids. This was where all the gossip was made. I thank god that they don’t know about my night time job, otherwise that would be it, I’d be the talk of the school. They just think I work in the coffee shop and I’d like it to stay that way.
Walking through the park, Ivy pulls at me to go faster even though my one step equaled three of her own, I smelled that fragrance that one can only smell whilst walking through the park; fresh air, all the flowers combined together, and the grass all wrapped up in one smell. Looking around me, I saw the big trees lining the walkway, their branches dull and bare after the winter season, hearing the birds singing a song only they can understand as I felt the rush of the wind through my body.
When we got halfway there, we went to the small café that resides in the park and got two hot chocolates with marshmallows and cream, strolling through the gates of the playground and over to the kiddie area I sat down on a bench while Ivy went off to the slides.
Looking over I saw about ten other moms and dads doing the same, the women chatting away, gossiping about this person's clothes and that person's child, and how naughty some of the kids are, and the dads standing together chatting, about football or basketball, fuck knows what, but sometimes it makes me want that. Okay, I want that all the time, not just for me, but for Ivy as well.
I hate when she looks at the other dads and gets a sad, confused expression on her little face, my heart just breaks for her.
I remember just before Christmas when the school had a ‘bring your dad in day’ how sad she looked that day coming out of school and telling me that she doesn't feel like going to the park and wanting to just go home. Trying to get her to tell me what was wrong with her that night was like trying to get blood from a stone, it was only when I looked through her bag to get her stuff out that I saw the letter saying that they was having a dad day in school. I cried in Lottie’s arms that night feeling so bad for her and didn’t know what to do to cheer her up.
The next morning I sat her down with a hot chocolate and told her how her daddy couldn’t be here as he was busy, but that he loved her very much, and missed her lots, but he was working and couldn’t come home for a long time, to which she asked what he did and I was honest and told her he was a soldier and was protecting our country in the war, she was upset for the day but she got on with it. When the day came for ‘dad day’ she took me and proudly told her classmates that her daddy couldn’t come because he was at war, receiving confused looks from her classmates and I got sympathetic glances from the teachers and parents, but when she opened her eyes Christmas morning she had the newest dolly from her ‘daddy’ and wrote him a letter to say thanks and that she loves him. I’ve got the letter tucked away in a book in the back of my drawer, along with all the other letter’s she’s written him.
“Momma come and push me on the swings please,” Ivy said, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“Okay, baby.”
Picking her up and putting her in the swing and standing in front of her as I pushed her, pulling an array of expressions to make her laugh, which she did, she was giggling her head off while I told her I was gonna get her feet. After about ten minutes on the swing, I told her she had five more minutes before we had to go as it was getting cold now.
Racing off, she said, “six minute's momma, please?”
“No five,” I told her.
Eight minutes later and we were leaving.
Shaking my head at my little beauty, I thought of how much she had me wrapped around her little fingers.
****
Getting indoors, and walking into the kitchen, I told Ivy to go put her school bag in her room, hang her coat up, take her shoes off, and put them by the door, and to come back in the kitchen for a snack.
Looking over her shoulder, she said, “I know momma, it’s the same all the time," as she ran to her room.
Cheeky little bugger!
Taking a banana and apple out of the zigzag shaped fruit bowl, I started cutting them up and made her a fruit salad. I try to stick as much fruit and veggies in her diet as I can, but I’m not one of them parents to say that she can’t have anything sugary, as I need my sweets just as much as her.
“MOMMMMAAA!!!”
Rushing towards Ivy’s room as her screams got louder, all sorts of scenarios popped into my head. She’d fallen over and cracked her head open, or broke a bone, or... oh god some madman was in the apartment.
Shoving the door of her room open, I looked around for the madman and spotted Ivy on top of her bed trying to disappear by the looks of it. Rushing over to her and jumping on the bed and pulling her into my arms, I assessed her, running my hands down her body trying to look for anything out of the ordinary, seeing nothing I asked her what was wrong.
“What happened baby?”
“Big pider on the floor and it was coming to me momma, go get it,” she said, sounding truly frightened, with tears in her big eyes and her bottom lip wobbling, whilst pointing over to where the ‘big spider’ was.
Looking down at her cream colored carpet and seeing nothing but a black spot, I asked her if that was the spider, nodding, she said yeah, it was and laughing slightly I grabbed a piece of paper from her side table and a cup and walked over to scoop it up and walked over to the bathroom window and put it out.
Walking back in her room, I told her I’d got rid of it, blowing out a breath she said ‘thank you.'
Grinning at her, I turned and told her to come in the kitchen and eat her snack.
After calming down and eating most of her fruit, she came and joined me in the living room and sat down to watch her after school programs.
Hearing my phone chime, I got up to see who texted me, and saw it was a text from Jimmy.
Hey Pey, just booked a bachelor party for sat 8pm and I need U to be there as Ur one of my best girls... I no it’s ur day off, but plz I told the man that booked, a list of my best girls would be there and ur at the top, u’ll make a lot that night and I’ll give u a couple of days off too as u would be doing me a fav. And before you say no, is it not Ivy’s b-day in a couple of weeks? These men have a lot of money to waste, get back to me ASAP!!
That bastard. Groaning,
Well, I’ve still gotta call my mom and ask her if they can watch Ivy unless they already have plans I don’t think she’d say no as they love having her, and Ivy loves her nana and pop’s.
Texting Jimmy back and telling him I’d get back to him with an answer tonight as I would need to get a babysitter because Lottie is busy.
‘That’s fine, just let me no by 2nite.’
Going back in the living room with my phone in my hand, I asked Ivy if she wanted to speak to her nana.
“Yeah momma,”
Dialing my parents’ home number after looking at the clock and seeing that it was almost 5pm I knew my mom would be in as her shift finishes at 4pm and my dad closes up the shop at 6pm, at the latest being 7pm, but he rarely does as my mom moans at him, and anyone would rather stay on my mom’s good side then get on her bad. Trust me, I know.
“Hello?” my mother answered and I felt my body relax and feel comforted just by her voice.
“Hey mom.”
“Oh, hi baby, how’re you? Where’s my grandbaby?”
“I’m okay, thanks and Ivy is right next to me, you want to talk to her before we talk? She’s bouncing in front of me waiting to talk to you,” I said, laughing at my impatient daughter.
Laughing as well, she said to put her on. Taking the cell from my outstretched hand, Ivy started a hundred mile an hour conversation.
“Hi nana... yeah, I’m Otay... it was good... we did lots of fun stuff like painting and drawings... where’s pop’s? Oh... Otay... I think so... yeah, I think momma’s gone ask you dat... Really?!... Otay nana, I speak you soon... love you and pop’s too... byeee!!” She said, shouting in the end, even though the phone was still at her ear, before handing the cell back to me and going back to watch her cartoons.
Putting the phone back to my ear, I could hear my mother chuckling to herself.
“Hello,”
“Oh gosh, she sure is a little character I tell you. Now what were you gonna ask me?” My mom asked.
“Do you and dad have any plans this weekend? Lottie wanted to have a girl’s night out Friday and shopping Saturday afternoon and a girl’s night in Saturday night.” Omitting to tell her that I have to work Saturday night at the club. My parents would have heart attacks if they knew what I actually did four nights a week, and I’m not being made responsible for the early graves that would come, mine or theirs.
“Yeah, that’s fine Peyton, you know me and your dad would take her anytime, plus we didn’t have anything planned this weekend so it isn’t no bother.”
“Great. Thanks mom. I’ll drop her to you straight after picking her up from school, so I’ll be there about half past three, maybe four at the latest, but if you’re not there, then I’ll just use my key and put all her stuff away in the drawers so you don’t have to, okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine, I’ll just ask Joey to let me off earlier, which we both know he will, I rather be at the house before you or I’ll meet ya about ten minutes after that,” In the background I heard a dinging noise that sounded like the oven.
“Baby I gotta go, the pot roast is done and I’ve got to get it out, but stay for a while Sunday and have dinner with us, yeah? I’ll cook your favorite.”
“Okay. I’ll stay for dinner Sunday, but not too long as I’ve got to drive back. Get back to cooking dinner, and tell dad hello for me, I love you both.”
“Love you too baby.” She said before hanging up.
Feeling relieved that they’re gonna watch Ivy, I just have to tell Lotts about not being able to have a girl’s night on Saturday and moving it to Friday night for the drinks and Saturday day for the shopping. She should be alright about it, I mean, what’s the point of working for your dad’s company if you don’t get to take a day off every now and then.
“Ivy, you’re going over to your nanas and pop’s on Friday and staying till Sunday when I pick you up.”
“I know momma, nana ask me if I’m coming to see them an I told her that you was gonna ask her if I could stay and she said we could go do lots of fun stuff, like go watch a movie and when pop finish work we do something with him, but she don’t know what yet,” she told me all the while smiling.
Shaking my head at her, I asked her how she knew about me asking her to stay at nanas.
“Lottie told me,” was all she said.
Hmmm... I wonder what else she told her...
“Did she tell you why you were staying over there?”
Nodding, she said, “Yeah, she told me that you was, having a girl's night out, and I told her that I was a girl, but she said it was only for adults and in... erm... eighteen? Yeah, eighteen years I could come out on an adult night, ‘cause I’m only three, but that’s so far away momma, but den she said that I be staying over nana’s and I told her okay, but next Saturday she said we can have a kids day in and watch all the princess’s with loads of sweets.” She finished, taking in a big breath from all the talking, then giving me a grin she turned back to her kid’s program.
Grinning back at her, I told her okay and that next Saturday day was on.
Around six o’clock, the front door opened and Lottie’s voice called out to us, asking where we were, “In the kitchen!” I shouted out over the noise of the food cooking on the stove.
“Hey Pey, hi my little munchkin,” she said, walking over to Ivy and giving her a kiss on top of her head before going over to sit in one of the chairs.
“Dinner’s almost ready.”
“What we having?”
I opened my mouth to tell her, when Ivy beat me to it.
“We got a cheeseburger and fries with some salad,” she told her pulling a face when she said salad.
“Mmm... burger and chip’s sounds great to me, even with a little salad,” scrunching her nose up when she said salad as well making Ivy laugh.
“We’re having salad. It’s only lettuce and some coleslaw and a side of corn, it’s not gonna kill you both.” I told the two, three-year-old children, apparently sitting at the table instead of a twenty-three year old and the actual three year old.
Pulling three plates out from the cupboard and setting them out on the side, I started dishing it up, before taking the plates over to the table, and sitting next to Ivy.
“Ketchup?”
“Yes, please momma, some on the side, and only a little bit of lettuce, fang choo,” she said already stuffing her face with fries.
“Thanks chick, looks fuc...fudging great,” she quickly caught herself, while smiling apologetically at me.
I was throwing daggers at her with my eyes. Fucking idiot.
Shaking my head at her by her almost slip up, but luckily Ivy didn’t even notice as she’d been trying to fit as much food in her mouth as it could handle.
Finishing up our desserts, vanilla cheesecake with ice cream on the side, I went to draw Ivy her bath, adding loads of bubbles as per her request. When it was hot enough I called out to her and she came running down the hallway, feet thumping along the way, and into the bathroom butt ass naked giving me a shake of her tush, before jumping in the bath.
Giggling when I pulled a hand full of bubbles up to my face and made like I had a beard, I made silly sounds before grabbing a towel and wiping my face with it. After washing her body and her long brown locks, she stood up with her arms over her while I wrapped a towel around her little body.
Carrying her towel-clad body to her room, I dropped her on the bed, she bounced a couple times while laughing and then shouting out, “MOMMA!” While I went to get her nightwear, which was a princess top and bottoms with all five princess’s on the front and littler ones dotted around the bottoms.
After dressing her and doing two French braids in her hair, we got in bed and I pulled out a book to read to her.
After ten minutes of reading to her, I felt her nodding off and started to slowly detangle myself from her. Standing up straight, I bent backwards to get the kinks out of my back, bending over I pulled the covers back over her and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
“Love you lot’s momma,” her sleep ridden voice told me.
“I love you lot’s too baby,” my heart warmed and expanded just from hearing those words.
Going to the fridge, I pulled out a diet coke and joined Lottie in the living room, watching ‘CSI Miami.'
“She asleep?” Lottie asked, nodding in the direction of Ivy’s room.
“Yeah,” I told her with a small smile lifting my lips just thinking about her.
“She’s a character, she is. I just love her, when she went to brush her teeth, she came in here to give me a big kiss and cuddle and said ‘love you, auntie Lottie’ and ran back, bless her little cotton socks.”
“Awe, she loves her auntie Lotts.”
“I know, who wouldn’t love me?” She grinned. So modest.
Not answering her question because I knew it was rhetorical.
“Jimmy texted me earlier and asked me to work Saturday night as he’s got a bachelor party coming in about 8pm and wants me there. I’m one his ‘best girls’ and he not so subtly reminded me that Ivy’s birthday was coming up and that the money I’m saving up won’t have to be touched because I’d make a lot that night. Bastard.”
“What a wanker,” she said, but the little twitch of her lips told me she found it funny, probably over the fact that the down to earth and nice Jimmy had ‘blackmailed’ me.
“Why do you find this funny? You know ‘cause of this we can’t go out that night right?” I said to her a tad smug, because that wiped away the smile that was gracing her pretty face.
“Fuck. That arsehole, messing with my plans, just wait ‘til I see him. So what are we gonna do then? I was really looking forward to getting drunk with you. I really wanted to party and throw some shapes, I haven’t done that in sooo long,” said the Brit.
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