Slice of life - 3-3-09

The black Honda accord pulls up into my driveway.
“Thanks so much for going out of your way to drop me off,” I say to my co-worker as I open the door and get out.
The driveway looks empty with only one car – the other one was dropped off earlier that day for a transmission rebuild.
I wave goodbye as she pulls out and drives away. I walk along the path to the front door looking at the small flowers I planted a month earlier.
As I open it I hear Shane, “Don’t make it sound like I’m victimizing you Laurie.”
And see Laurie standing defensively the end of the kitchen counter and Ander sitting at the table having a snack. “I’m not!”
“You are. You just said that it’s my fault Matt can’t come over…when you've had all afternoon...”
Ander has seen me and is running towards me, arms open, hair disheveled from his nap, “Mom..my!”
I scoop down to pick him up and give him a hello hug. He begins to play with my necklace with his right hand as I hold him in the crook of my left arm. “Did you go to the doctor today? “ I ask him, wondering if Shane has already given him the first does of antibiotics for a double ear infection and congestion in lungs from a cold. “Yep.” I hear he is still wheezing.
“I said that earlier, because I was angry…” she continues. “ Can I please just borrow the phone to call Matt?”
“No, Laurie.” Shane replies, and begins to continue as Laurie interrupts, “It’s boring just moving rocks. Can I please just use the phone?”
“No, Laurie.” And the debate continues as I carry Ander into my bedroom to change out of my work clothes.
A few minutes later I hear a door shut and the house is quiet. She has left. I’m not sure how angry or frustrated she is. I didn’t look at her face beyond when I first came in the door.
After changing into a pair of black capris and teal tank top with “Angel” studded in silver across the chest, I leave the bedroom, and peek through her room and the window to where she was moving river rock on the front property. This is our attempt to give her a respectable way to earn some money.
She’s no where to be seen. She has apparently left and I know it will probably be 8 p.m. until she shows again, her nightly curfew.
I have 3 hours of anxiety-free home time.